The Genius Warrior Who Remembers Everything Chapter 79

Chapter 79. The Black Flame Dragon Who Leaps over the Trial (7)

The Branch Chief of the Murim Alliance Hangzhou Branch could not hide his shock while listening to the report.

“Twin Curtain Stronghold was eliminated?”

The First Trial of this Murim Academy Exam was a hellish test for branches across the nation.

That was because they had to observe each of the more than four thousand mountain strongholds one by one, determine who subjugated which stronghold, and verify whether any experts of first-rate level or above, or any graduates of the Murim Academy, had been included in the process.

Fortunately, in the area around Zhejiang Province, except for three of the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds, there were not many medium- or small-scale mountain strongholds, so they had been able to handle the work more leisurely than the other branches.

Of course, there had been a few anomalies.

Bongjim Stronghold, which had been identified as the weakest mountain stronghold among the four thousand, joined forces with the nearby Nine Bears Stronghold and launched a counterattack against the Gyeryong Merchant Guild, startling the Alliance members.

And now, he had heard the news that Twin Curtain Stronghold, which they had been observing even if only as a formality, had suddenly been subjugated.

“Was a peak expert perhaps hiding among them?”

“According to the report, the martial level of the exam applicants is high, but not at a level that requires registration with the Murim Alliance.”

“Then what? Are you saying the Murim Alliance or the Mount Hua Sect joined forces and subjugated Twin Curtain Stronghold?”

Powerful forces sometimes gathered the disciples of their own sects together and mobilized hundreds of people.

It was a method that reversely exploited the limit of one hundred people per applicant.

Even so, Twin Curtain Stronghold was a combination of two mountain strongholds with a thousand people.

For any decent sect, ten disciples would have to be sent just to match the numbers.

“That is not the case either. They say the number of people was not even twenty.”

“…….”

“I know it is unbelievable. Therefore, would it not be better for the Branch Chief to go there personally?”

When the Branch Chief personally arrived at Mount Tianmu like that, he could not close his mouth at the sight before his eyes.

That enormous and luxuriant Mount Tianmu had been burned completely black, hundreds of corpses were piled up here and there across the mountain, and even at the village entrance, the blood shed by the corpses had formed a small stream.

“What is this……”

An Alliance member who had been managing Mount Tianmu approached the Branch Chief, who could not continue speaking.

“The men who identified themselves as exam applicants brought the hostages down from Mount Tianmu and then carried out a fire attack.”

“That makes no sense. Because of the dense forest, there are many springs, so fire should have difficulty spreading, should it not?”

“That is correct. However, the moment the applicants carried out the fire attack, an enormous wind blew, and oil barrels that had been installed throughout the mountain in advance exploded, causing a mountain fire to rise rapidly across all of Mount Tianmu.”

“…….”

Come to think of it, he remembered a report from two days ago that a sudden wind had caused mountain fires to ignite on dry mountains.

“They used the wind? A natural disaster?”

At that moment, people who appeared to be the applicants approached.

One was a man with a body as enormous as Mount Tai, and one was a man who looked ordinary.

While the Mount Tai-like man stood still with his arms crossed and his chin lifted arrogantly, the ordinary man politely clasped his hands in greeting.

“I heard you came from the Murim Alliance Hangzhou Branch.”

“That is right. Are you the ones who subjugated Twin Curtain Stronghold?”

Instead of answering, the ordinary man looked behind him, and the people standing behind the Mount Tai-like man brought over two corpses covered with straw mats.

“These are the wicked men called Golden-Faced Buddha Saber and One-Eyed Blood Axe.”

“…….”

An Alliance member hurriedly approached, lifted the straw mats, examined the bodies here and there, then soon nodded.

It meant they truly were the Stronghold Masters of Twin Curtain Stronghold.

“Are you saying it is truly you who subjugated Twin Curtain Stronghold?”

“It is exactly as you see.”

“Twin Curtain Stronghold is one of the foremost Green Forest forces within Zhejiang Province. I cannot quite believe that you accomplished this with only yourselves.”

No sooner had the Branch Chief finished speaking than the face of the Mount Tai-like man twisted deeply.

Then he began drawing up his internal power.

“……Hup.”

“Urgh.”

“What kind of inner arts are……”

Along with his martial arts uniform swelling as if it would burst, a tremendous Qi wave spread out as if to choke their breath.

It was nothing more than simple Fighting Spirit, with no killing intent mixed in, but it was more than enough to make them feel stifled, as if they were being crushed beneath a gigantic rock.

“You so-called Murim Alliance members under heaven did not even think of subjugating Twin Curtain Stronghold, and now you suspect someone who worked for the people’s livelihood?”

The Mount Tai-like man strode forward and stretched out his hand with the force of someone about to pluck out a neck in one move.

The Branch Chief himself had trained in martial arts all his life, but he could not believe that he was being so overwhelmingly pushed back by someone who still looked young.

He tried to draw up his internal power with all his might, but unlike his will, his body would not move.

“Please stop. You will frighten them.”

At that moment, the ordinary man lifted a black sword, still in its scabbard, and blocked the Mount Tai-like man’s hand.

“For rotten bastards like these, snapping their necks would be good for the Murim Alliance too.”

“If you do that, you will not be able to set foot in the Murim Alliance at all.”

“…….”

The Mount Tai-like man, who seemed as if no words would get through to him, listened to the ordinary man and slowly withdrew his momentum.

However, he did not withdraw all of it.

He only returned to his place, crossed his arms, and glared.

He was showing that he intended to leap out at any time if necessary.

“As you have seen, thanks to this man’s vast internal power, we were able to subjugate Twin Curtain Stronghold without much difficulty. Moreover, the heavens helped as well.”

“…….”

The Branch Chief tried to say something, then stopped and began watching the Mount Tai-like man’s reaction.

His own sect was also a great sect that would not be pushed around anywhere, but he felt fear that if he died right now at the hands of the Mount Tai-like man, his sect’s power or whatever else would be useless.

“If necessary, you may investigate further. We also have a schedule that requires us to stay here for a few more days.”

The Mount Tai-like man interrupted.

“Of course, if you do, I will make sure you can never return on your own two feet.”

“Ah…… Would you please stay still for a little? Why do you keep interrupting!”

“……Are those bastards not suspecting us?”

“No, what kind of outrageous words are those to members of the Murim Alliance?! Apologize at once.”

“Hmph! I originally planned to begin by breaking one arm each, so let us call that even.”

The Alliance members unconsciously touched their own arms.

“……Ahem, in any case, tell me who you are first. O-Only then can we investigate or do anything else.”

The Mount Tai-like man tilted his head crookedly and stared fiercely.

In the end, the ordinary man stepped between them and said,

“This man is Bang Du-chil.”

“Reincarnation of Xiang Yu!”

“Lü Bu Legend!”

Exclamations burst out from among the Murim Alliance members.

It was because they had already heard rumors about Bang Du-chil.

“I-I see. Then what about you?”

“Ah, I am Jin So-un of the Taeul Sect.”

“…….”

“…….”

Unlike when Bang Du-chil had been introduced, the air in the room sank coldly as if water had been poured over it.

The Branch Chief, who barely managed to open his mouth, continued with difficulty.

“You are…… that, Black Flame Dragon Jin So-un, correct?”

“……Yes, it seems people call me that.”

The man called Jin So-un nodded as if he did not like it, and the Branch Chief immediately looked back and shouted,

“Hey! Bring the Trial Tokens! At once!”

“Y-Yes! We brought them.”

“If you saw it with your own eyes, you should have simply handed over the Trial Tokens. What was so important that you even called me here?! I am sorry, Young Hero Jin! My subordinates are still lacking in education.”

Jin So-un and Bang Du-chil could only tilt their heads at the sudden change.

Damn it.

Damn it.

Why were evil deeds I had not even committed spreading as rumors?

Because I found the Hangzhou Branch Chief’s sudden change in attitude suspicious, I subtly asked him about it while receiving the Trial Tokens.

What came back was quite a spectacle.

[Whew, we do not commit idiotic acts like Gong Seok-chan.]

Gong Seok-chan was the Murim Alliance Yueyang Branch Chief.

When I rescued people from the Demon Spirit Plateau, he had once come after me because he bore a grudge over the fact that the honor of Yong So-ah, who had fled alone, had been slammed into the ground.

At the time, I had thought the matter had been properly resolved because Namgung Jin-myeong and Peak Lord Cha Seok-du of Four Emperors Peak had stepped forward.

But what was this?

After everything ended, with Namgung Jin-myeong and Cha Seok-du at the center, the members of both Orthodox Path and Black Path sects formally lodged objections with the Murim Alliance.

If it had only been an objection from Black Path sects, the Murim Alliance would not have cared.

However, when every related sect, including the Namgung Clan, the Mount Heng Sect, and the Maoshan Sect, raised issues with the conduct and response of the Murim Alliance Yueyang Branch,

And furthermore, when they raised issues with the way the Murim Alliance itself had handled matters, even the Murim Alliance had no choice but to be flustered.

Because of this, every Alliance member belonging to the branch, including the Murim Alliance Yueyang Branch Chief, had been removed from position and dismissed, then sent back to their sects or hometowns.

Even within the Murim Alliance, the related people were punished one after another.

The problem was that this incident had caused strange rumors about me to spread.

Absurd rumors, such as that I was the joint successor of the Orthodox Path murim and the Black Path murim, or that an illegitimate child of the Namgung Clan had learned martial arts at Four Emperors Peak, or that I was a monster created by an alliance of outer-region sects to destroy the Murim Alliance.

“I heard your skills were unusual, and it seems there was such a background.”

Bang Du-chil, who had listened to the story beside me, nodded, and I shouted at him.

“Do not say ridiculous nonsense. What do you mean, joint successor?”

“If not, then it is not. Why are you getting angry? Seeing how angry you are, it seems something is pricking your conscience. Then perhaps, as the illegitimate child of the Namgung Clan, at Four Emperors Peak……”

“That is not true!”

“I do not look down on illegitimate children. That is not something one chooses for oneself……”

“I said that is not true!”

Baek So-ryeong, who had been chuckling beside us, said,

“Still, it is a relief. Now there are no mountain strongholds on Mount Tianmu.”

I shook my head.

“It probably will not turn out that way.”

“Yes? Why not?”

“Mount Tianmu is the most convenient and safe road connecting Anhui Province and Zhejiang Province. Moreover, to pass through Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, one must go through Mount Tianmu. I do not know exactly when, but among those belonging to the Seventy-Two Green Forest Strongholds, someone else who wants to establish their own mountain stronghold will appear.”

“Ah……”

“…….”

While Baek So-ryeong nodded, Bang Du-chil remained heavily silent.

“First, please take these.”

I handed four of the eight Trial Tokens I had received from the Hangzhou Branch Chief to Bang Du-chil.

Bang Du-chil stared blankly at the Trial Tokens, then soon asked Baek So-ryeong,

“So-ryeong.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Would it be all right if I do not become a member of the Murim Alliance?”

“Pardon?”

“I felt it while doing this matter. The Murim Alliance does not seem to be my path.”

He was still only a young man who had barely passed twenty, so he could not have seen through all affairs of the world.

Even so, the justice of the Murim Alliance that had appeared before his eyes was not very pleasing.

“Then……”

“I intend to pursue the Dao of the Green Forest.”

Bang Du-chil looked at Mount Tianmu, which was no different from being stripped bare.

“The Dao of the Murim Alliance does not reach the common people. But the Dao of the Green Forest directly touches the common people. If I establish the Dao of the Green Forest, would far more people not be able to live in peace?”

“……Dear.”

“Instead, I promise you. I will become the king of Green Forest and make you my queen.”

At Bang Du-chil’s resolute declaration, Baek So-ryeong smiled and said,

“Dear, I already think of you as a king. Wherever you go, I will go with you.”

Baek So-ryeong and Bang Du-chil embraced each other deeply.

It looked as if a gigantic bear had taken a fish into its arms.

In the end, it seemed this was his fate.

Perhaps becoming the Green Forest Alliance Leader suited Bang Du-chil far better.

He was not someone suited to a place like the Murim Alliance, where complicated schemes and politics went back and forth.

Just as I was about to tactfully leave them alone, Bang Du-chil spoke to me.

“You.”

“……?”

“You should also walk the Dao of the Green Forest with me.”

“Pardon?”

“Twin Curtain Stronghold is made of two mountain strongholds, is it not? Together with me, the Dao of the Green Forest……”

“Do not say ridiculous nonsense. What are you saying to the disciple of a prestigious Righteous Sect?”

“……Saying that the Taeul Sect is a prestigious Righteous Sect is……”

“Are you saying you want to fight?”

After thinking for a moment, Bang Du-chil nodded and said,

“Then become my sworn brother.”

At the sound, like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, I shouted.

“Just imagining myself as an Orthodox Path martial artist who is the brother of the Green Forest Alliance Leader is horrifying.”

“Ohh, do I have the look of someone who will become the Green Forest Alliance Leader?”

“…….”

Because of his words that made so little sense, I lost even my reason, unlike myself.