The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything [Novel] Chapter 215

Chapter 215: An Unwanted Invitation (4)

“You dared to cut off the Moyong Clan’s bloodline?!”

Both fists clenched tight. His face was beet red. The blood vessels in his eyes had burst. He’d thrown all dignity aside and was even huffing through his nose. In short, it was obvious he hadn’t been able to vent his anger on Moyong Jaehwa.

*But why was that anger aimed at me?*

“What do you mean, Senior? Cut off your bloodline?”

“Hah. You’re going to pretend you don’t know?”

As Moyong Gang started into the office, he grabbed the broken door that had caught on his clothes with one hand.

*Crrk, crack… CRASH.*

He tore it apart.

*Wow… So this is what a peerless master can do.*

Moyong Gang’s face remained twisted with anger, regardless of my admiration.

“Then I’ll help you remember.”

*Crack. Crack.*

The sound of his knuckles popping and his neck loosening echoed throughout the office.

*How was that the bearing of a peerless master? He looked more like a local thug.*

My original plan had been to rush in while Moyong Gang was beating Jaehwa senseless, stop him, and explain Jaehwa’s side so the grandfather and grandson could resolve their misunderstanding in a beautiful reconciliation. Somehow, though, a peerless master with no control over his rage—someone who made even Black Path martial artists tremble—regarded me as his mortal enemy.

*Could I talk him around with a silver tongue, like I had in front of Jegal Somyeong? Maybe. The problem was that I’d need to find somewhere for him to vent his anger before I could persuade him.*

“Wait!”

……

“Please, wait a moment.”

I rose from my seat with confidence, but Moyong Gang kept his eyes fixed on me, as if daring me to try something.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Phew… There’s so much dust… Cough, cough… I can’t speak. This is what happens when you break a perfectly good door.”

“What did you say?”

Clicking my tongue, I slowly walked toward the window. Moyong Gang watched me, his eyes trembling in disbelief.

“Fine. Say whatever you have to say. Then I might not break every bone in your body.”

By now, there was even murderous intent in his eyes.

“……Am I not the benefactor who saved the young clan heir’s life?”

*No, if anything, that should be all the more reason not to break his bones.*

He was devoid of common sense and reason. There was only one way to deal with someone like him.

*Rrrrrk.*

I opened the window and set one foot on the sill.

“What do you think you’re doing…?”

The finest strategy, as written in Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The Thirty-Six Stratagems: Make a run for it.

*Boom!*

The Heavenly Solitary Steps I unleashed with all my strength changed the scenery around me in an instant.

“JIN SOUN!!!!!!!”

Moyong Gang’s voice grew more distant. The autumn air felt fresher than ever.

#

—It’d be best if you stopped while I’m still asking nicely.

A booming voice—whether telepathy or a sonic martial art, I couldn’t tell—rang out as if it would split my eardrums.

*What the hell? That’s terrifying.*

Startled, I quickened my pace. When I was young, my father once told me about three types of people I should never cross. Those with overwhelming martial prowess. Those who couldn’t control their anger. And those whose thoughts were impossible to read.

*I doubt even Father knew all three types could exist in a single person.*

In any case, the best way to deal with Moyong Gang now was simply to run. From my experience, the Heavenly Solitary Steps were among the five finest movement arts in the entire martial world. No matter how excellent the Moyong Clan’s movement art was, it couldn’t catch up to a technique created jointly by the Heavenly Demon and the Taeeul Sword Emperor. On top of that, I had a full four jiazi of internal energy. And if I used the circulation I’d made as natural as breathing…

*I can run all day! Why did I feel like I’d be more at ease if I had a shield, too?*

—Oh-ho! So you’re confident in your movement art!

His telepathic voice once again rang out as if to shatter my eardrums. I offered Moyong Gang a sincere apology in my heart.

*However peerless he might be, he had no way of catching up to—*

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

*Huh?*

The sound of explosions made the back of my head prickle. I looked behind me. Moyong Gang, who had been no bigger than a grain of millet, was striding closer with each explosive burst.

*What the hell?! Damn it!*

I tried to speed up in shock, but Moyong Gang’s voice stabbed into my ears.

—Did you think you were the only one who’d ever faced an enemy with legs as fast as yours?

*I’m not your enemy in the first place!*

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Moyong Gang was setting off bursts of energy at his feet, then using them as stepping-stones to compress the distance.

*Wow… So in my past life, Jaehwa learned how to send an arrow so far from his grandfather…*

While I savored this new realization, Moyong Gang had already closed to within ten zhang. If he repeated the same trick a few more times, he would catch me. I ran so hard my thighs and calves felt ready to burst.

“You idiot! You could’ve just taken the beating, but you had to provoke me!”

*So he was going to hit me no matter what!*

Moyong Gang had caught up enough that he no longer needed to use telepathy. Frustrated that he kept almost catching me but never quite managed it, he finally set off another explosion at his feet to overtake me.

*Boom!*

He shot past me in an instant, trying to get in front and stop me.

*But I wasn’t going to let him catch me that easily.*

The moment Moyong Gang blocked my path—

*Now!*

*Crack.*

I twisted sharply to change direction, making every joint in my lower body, ankles included, scream.

“You little… You damned brat!”

Moyong Gang, who had been waiting in front of me, began chasing me again with an even more furious expression. He wasn’t the sort of person who could finely control his energy well enough to adjust the force of each explosion.

*Besides, his epithet was the Wind-Splitting Sword, wasn’t it? If I just kept running like this…*

Just then— As I played a life-or-death game of tag with Moyong Gang, the space in front of me suddenly warped.

“W-What is this…?”

The academy grounds twisted and blurred, though they had been perfectly normal a moment ago. Then the distorted space took the unmistakable shape of a giant hand.

*Fist energy? Telekinetic force? No, it’s too clear and too huge for that!*

“Gah!”

The moment I sensed something was wrong, I desperately changed direction—but the enormous invisible hand had already struck my side.

*BOOM!*

My feet tangled. I rolled across the ground dozens of times before scrambling back up.

“You brat!”

Moyong Gang was already approaching through the hazy dust, a massive fist attack gathered around him.

*Clang!*

Desperately, I drew the Black Dragon Sword to block Moyong Gang’s fist.

*BOOM!*

His fist met Vajra Unbreakable Steel, the strongest of metals. But the force of his punch didn’t dissipate. It passed right through the sword and struck me in the solar plexus.

*Fwoom!*

The pain felt as if my ribs were breaking; my mind nearly went blank, but I couldn’t afford to stop and feel it. Moyong Gang had already unleashed his second move. Heaven-and-Earth Invincible Palm. A devastating palm art, its destructive power rivaling the Heaven-and-Earth Shattering Flash Sword.

*Is this old man actually serious?*

I used the Black Dragon Sword’s “Lotus” form to redirect the Heaven-and-Earth Invincible Palm, while my left hand unleashed the Myriad Flowers Invincible Fist. Moyong Gang’s eyes sharpened as the fist-shaped afterimages of the Myriad Flowers Invincible Fist filled his vision.

“You brat! How dare you fight back against your elder?!”

*You went all-out against a junior who’s decades younger than you first!*

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Moyong Gang’s Wave-Breaking Fist met my fist forms, and the sound of a bell rang out across the grounds. At the same time, I used the Twin-Heaven Sword Art to hem him in.

*Shrrrrrring!*

Black Dragon Swords filled the air, leaving no opening. Every one of them carried enough sword energy to threaten death, yet Moyong Gang looked utterly unconcerned.

“Did you mistake me for one of those idiots playing at snakes and roosters?”

Powerful heat gathered around his right foot. Like a fire-breathing dragon, it surged in every direction and burned up the sword energy.

*He really is a fiery old man.*

“Are you done now?”

Moyong Gang waved away the heat and sword energy, then approached, still unable to hide his anger.

*Done?*

“Not even close.”

I had, after all, taken down the Guardian Dharma King through sheer tenacity. I gave him a broad grin.

“This is only the beginning.”

White Moon Heaven-Sacrificing Three Forms. First Form.

*Extreme Speed.*

The Black Dragon Sword shot forward like a ray of light with a mighty whistling sound.

#

“……Uh.”

“Hold your arms up properly!!!”

At Moyong Gang’s roar, Jin Soun—his eyes swollen nearly shut—raised both hands high.

“S-Senior, it’s already been an hour. If I keep my hands up any longer…”

Soun trembled and acted as if he might collapse at any moment. Moyong Gang stared at him, dumbfounded.

*With his depth of martial arts, he’s struggling just to hold his hands up for an hour?*

The first time Moyong Gang had been surprised was when Soun dodged his lifelong insight, the Void-Annihilating Fist. Then Soun had layered sword energy over the Twin-Heaven Sword Art. That alone was astonishing, but what was that lightning-fast sword he unleashed afterward? Its sharpness was one thing; its speed had far exceeded anything he’d expected.

*If I’d been a little slower, I might have suffered the humiliation of having my robe sliced open by a brat who’d only just picked up a sword. That was definitely the Sword Demon’s martial art… But how had this kid learned the martial art of a man who disappeared without a trace five years ago?*

And at the end, hadn’t he even covered the Myriad Swords he had shown before with sword force, then swung them using the Twin-Heaven Sword Art? What kind of lunacy was that? Setting aside the amount of internal energy he had, no one could wield that much destructive power without a body tempered by external martial arts.

*And someone at that level is exhausted just from holding up his hands? A stray dog would laugh at that.*

“Tsk. I thought you might be roughly on par with Seol, but when did you get this far ahead?”

Moyong Seol had recently done so much in the martial world that people were calling her the next Sword Empress. Moyong Gang had thought it was about time to bring up the matter, but this brat had opened the door to another realm yet again. Jin Soun had no idea what Moyong Gang meant and could only stare at him blankly.

“What?”

“Just keep your hands up!”

Moyong Gang snapped at him irritably. Not to be outdone, Soun lowered his hands little by little and asked,

“Senior, I’m honestly curious… Why are you doing this to me?”

“Why am I doing this?”

Jin Soun nodded without a hint of hesitation.

“I really don’t know.”

“Then why did you run away?”

“Isn’t it natural to run when something scary is chasing you?”

At Soun’s calm reply, Moyong Gang let out a snort.

“No. You ran because you knew you’d done something wrong.”

“No! What on earth have I done wrong to you, Senior?”

Jin Soun slammed both hands on the ground as if to protest his innocence.

“Raise your hands again…”

“Yes, sir!”

He was even trying to take shortcuts while he was at it.

*Was this brat not afraid of him, even though people called him the Swordbreaker?*

“In any case, I truly haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You haven’t? Then what do you call luring and threatening a direct descendant of the Moyong Clan into taking up a bow?”

Moyong Gang asked bluntly. Jin Soun was aghast.

“W-What are you talking about? Luring and threatening him…?”

He had expected Soun to deny it. That was why he had struggled not to tear the message to pieces in his anger.

“Tsk.”

Moyong Gang pulled a letter from inside his robe and tossed it to Soun. The letter should have fluttered down, but it flew toward Soun stiff and flat as a metal plate. Watching Moyong Gang carefully, Soun lowered his hands again and caught the letter, then began to read.

[Your unworthy grandson, Moyong Jaehwa, ought to pay his respects to you in person, Grandfather, but I am so ashamed of myself that I beg you to forgive me for sending this letter instead…

I never once thought I should take up a bow. But the great hero Black Flame Dragon, whom I began to follow out of a sense of chivalry, took advantage of that…

And on top of that, he threatened that everyone around me might die if I didn’t take up the bow, so I had no choice…]

After finishing the letter, Jin Soun let out a small gasp of admiration.

“Wow. This Black Flame Dragon guy is a real son of a bitch.”

Even though I knew it was about me, reading the letter still made anger well up inside me. The references to various incidents in the martial world made it feel even more real.

*Hah. If I’d known, I should’ve made Moyong Jaehwa take up a brush instead of a bow.*

But then…

*Wait… This handwriting looks awfully familiar.*

When I focused on the handwriting, another person’s face came to mind.

*This is definitely… It has to be… Eunho! You bastard! How dare you throw your Senior Brother under the bus just to save your friend?*

Seeing Soun trembling with rage, Moyong Gang asked him,

“Are you admitting your own guilt?”

Jin Soun sprang to his feet.

“No, Senior! I’m truly innocent. This letter is full of slander and incitement…”

“Silence! Even if that letter lies, you won’t claim it’s false that you made Moyong Jaehwa take up a bow, will you?”

Jin Soun, who had been rising in righteous fury, hesitated.

“W-Well…”

“I’ve already heard everything from the headmaster. I heard you even arranged an archery class for Jaehwa in particular.”

*Damn it. I’m cornered.*

“All the facts are clear, and you still refuse to admit your guilt?”

Jin Soun held a hand out to stop Moyong Gang from coming closer.

“W-Wait a minute! It’s not as if the bloodline has actually ended!”

“What do you mean? Choose your next words carefully, unless you want me eating at your memorial next year.”

Gulp. Jin Soun swallowed hard and racked his brain as fast as he could.

“A-Actually, isn’t Miss Moyong Seol more skilled with the sword?”

“Hm?”

“And I’ve heard the Moyong Clan isn’t so hidebound.”

An ominous smile appeared at the corner of Moyong Gang’s mouth.

“Oh-ho. You mean I should bring in a son-in-law?”

“W-Well, not exactly, but that could be one option, and besides…”

“Fine. Then you can become the Moyong Clan’s son-in-law.”

“……Huh?”

At Moyong Gang’s sudden suggestion, Jin Soun tilted his head.

*What the hell is that supposed to mean? I’m seriously going to lose my mind.*

Unable to follow Moyong Gang’s thought process, Soun felt his head begin to ache.