The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything [Novel] Chapter 220

Chapter 220: An Uncomfortable Delegation (3)

The Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend.

The Blood Fiend had been declared an enemy of the martial world twenty years ago, and the Flame Ghost Consort ten years ago. Both had gone into seclusion afterward.

It seemed they had come out of hiding after hearing about the Sahukryeon’s formation.

“Good to see you. You got here pretty quickly.”

The Flame Ghost Consort approached, flicking blood from her hands.

Ak Byeongbi slammed his iron spear against the ground in warning.

“Stop!”

He didn’t seem to recognize the Flame Ghost Consort or the Blood Fiend. But unlike at the inn, the atmosphere around them was dangerous. He looked far more alert now.

The Flame Ghost Consort, by contrast, kept smiling at him flirtatiously.

“Oh my! You’re so cold. You’ll hurt a young lady’s feelings…”

She stuck out her lips and pouted.

Compared to Ak Byeongbi, who looked old even for a middle-aged man, the Flame Ghost Consort seemed like a girl who hadn’t yet turned thirty.

Except…

*Wasn’t she over sixty?*

Knowing who she really was made it painful to watch.

I wondered why the two of them had split off from the group they’d been traveling with to wait here.

I wasn’t naïve enough to believe it was a coincidence.

Ak Byeongbi remained wary as he asked,

“What are you up to?”

His gaze moved from the bodies strewn to one side to the bandits trembling in fear.

The Flame Ghost Consort clapped her hands as if nothing were wrong.

“Oh! They were doing evil, so I was teaching them a lesson.”

“Teaching them a lesson?”

“Yes! Trying to take other people’s lives and belongings by demanding tolls is wrong, isn’t it?”

“…”

The Flame Ghost Consort smiled, her full lips curving as she went on.

“If you’re uncomfortable with who we are, you can just pass by.”

“…Hmm.”

Ak Byeongbi still looked suspicious, but the Flame Ghost Consort only smiled sweetly at him.

“We’re simply punishing people who aren’t even real bandits, yet dare to act like bandits.”

“I see.”

Maybe he thought it was a fight between villains and not his concern. Ak Byeongbi finally nodded, turned around, and called out,

“Keep moving!”

At his order, the carriages began rolling forward.

The escort guards and the delegates remained wary of the two as we went past.

The Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend kept their word and stood still, making no move against us.

But as I passed them, I looked around and let out a deep sigh.

It was good that the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend were letting us pass quietly. That much was true. But…

Shiver, shiver, shiver.

The amateur bandits were pale and trembling like they’d seen the Grim Reaper.

They only had sickles and pitchforks, probably the farming tools they’d brought straight from their fields.

…No matter how hard I tried to ignore them, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

*Haa… Why did they have to run into the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend of all people?*

If they’d run into us, they’d have ended up with some bruises and broken bones.

…That should’ve been the worst of it.

In the end, I stopped walking.

“What are you going to do with them?”

“Jin Soun!”

“Venerable Jin!”

The people ahead of me called out in surprise, but I kept my eyes on the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend.

The Flame Ghost Consort’s eyebrows twitched.

“Why do you ask, Young Master?”

“They look like people who turned to banditry because of the poor harvest…”

I glanced over the bandits, who were restrained and trembling, then glared at the Flame Ghost Consort.

“Isn’t killing them too harsh?”

“Too harsh?”

The Flame Ghost Consort ran a bloodstained finger along her lips and giggled.

“Because of them, we lost our companions. They have to take responsibility.”

“By dying?”

A flash of resolve passed through the Flame Ghost Consort’s eyes.

“Once you set foot in a world ruled by the strong, you’re always staking your life on your choices.”

“…”

“Besides, if we hadn’t punished them, they would’ve attacked your group. Would that have been all right?”

“We’re not so weak that we couldn’t handle them.”

“Hmm…”

The Flame Ghost Consort looked at me intently before continuing.

“So you’re willing to fight us for the sake of people who might have attacked you?”

It was an obvious provocation.

But I didn’t look away.

As I remembered them, the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend were two levels above the Eight Evils in martial skill.

If we fought here, we’d suffer heavy losses.

“Did you interfere without being ready to accept that?”

“…”

Then the Flame Ghost Consort half-turned her head and said,

“Tu No.”

“Got it!”

The Blood Fiend, whom she had called Tu No, grabbed one of the amateur bandits and flipped him over. He was about to crush the man’s head beneath his foot.

“You lunatic!”

I used the Taeeul Eightfold Divine Steps to rush past the Flame Ghost Consort and block Tu No’s kick.

Thud!

“Argh!”

The amateur bandit who had nearly had his head crushed screamed and fainted. His trousers darkened between the legs.

A sharp pain shot through my bones as I blocked the Blood Fiend’s foot.

It felt as if my bones would actually break if I held on much longer, so I kicked his foot upward with all my strength.

Whoosh. Tap.

His stomp had been powerful enough to crush a man’s skull, but the Blood Fiend spun lightly in the air as if he weighed no more than a feather, then landed on the ground.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang-clang!

The members of our delegation prepared to fight as well.

Ak Byeongbi tightened his grip on his iron spear. Ilmyeong put his prayer beads away, and Tang Seohee slipped throwing knives between her fingers.

The Blood Fiend grinned, clearly enjoying himself.

“See? I told you he was interesting.”

The Flame Ghost Consort covered her mouth and laughed.

“Exactly. You said he was even more amusing than the Little Buddha. He really did withstand Tu No’s kick.”

The members of our delegation’s faces tightened at her words.

If she knew the Little Buddha’s identity, that meant she knew we were a Martial Alliance delegation and was still acting so casually.

The Blood Fiend pointed his chin at me.

“Kid, what sect are you from?”

I met his gaze and answered,

“Isn’t it proper etiquette in the martial world to state your own sect before asking someone else about theirs?”

The Blood Fiend looked as if I’d struck him, then burst into loud laughter.

“…Hahahaha! You’re a funny one.”

The laughter vanished from his face.

“So you won’t tell me?”

I wasn’t the sort of person who demanded politeness from others.

“I’m Jin Soun of the Taeeul Sect.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

I could feel it.

The delegation members were glaring at me.

What else could I do? These two were Black Path masters who’d once been declared enemies of the martial world.

The Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend looked surprised by my answer.

“Hm? You’re the Black Flame Dragon?”

“Oh my! Really?”

“…”

The two suddenly let their fighting spirit fade and stepped toward me.

What was with that reaction?

“You look so gentle. I expected something different.”

“They say you’re the joint disciple of the Black Path. Who taught you?”

My head began to spin.

*Don’t spread rumors! There’s an ideological examiner right over there!*

I didn’t dare shout my thoughts in front of the two masters, so I quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, they’re probably all heads of households. Please let them go with a beating instead of killing them.”

The Flame Ghost Consort had already lost interest and kept her gaze on me. The Blood Fiend frowned and shook his head.

“No!”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve never let anyone who interfered with my affairs live.”

“…”

Wasn’t that temper the reason he’d been declared an enemy of the Martial Alliance?

How could he have failed to learn a thing in twenty years?

While I stared at him in disbelief, the Blood Fiend folded his arms and made me an offer.

“But if you beat me in a wager, I’ll listen to you.”

“What kind of wager?”

“Take three of my attacks. If you do, I’ll let them live.”

Without hesitation, I pointed at Ak Byeongbi.

“He’s the leader of our delegation. Couldn’t he take your attacks instead?”

“…”

I felt Ak Byeongbi’s furious glare.

But what was I supposed to do? I was afraid of the Blood Fiend too.

The Blood Fiend shook his head firmly.

“No. You’re the one who has to take my three attacks. Otherwise, I’ll kill them all.”

What a temper.

I let out a sigh.

“Haa… Fine.”

I spread my feet shoulder-width apart and took the stance for drawing my sword. Curiosity gleamed in the Blood Fiend’s eyes.

“Oh? The Taeeul Sect has a sword-drawing stance?”

“I’ve never heard that you had such a long tongue, Blood Fiend.”

“…”

For the first time, surprise showed on the faces of the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend.

The members of the delegation and the escort company, meanwhile, were practically fainting at the discovery of who they were.

The Blood Fiend’s expression grew serious.

“You knew who we were?”

“Are you going to start or not?”

“…Heh. You’re an interesting one.”

The Blood Fiend put his hands behind his back and raised one knee to waist height.

Red energy gathered around his foot, and an immense aura began to surge from him.

“First stance.”

Boom!

With a sound like the air being torn apart, a blade of energy shot toward my heart like an arrow.

I drew up my internal energy and executed the first form of the Three Forms of the White Moon Reaching Heaven.

Whoosh—

It was much slower than the Blood Fiend’s crimson energy, but the “Extreme Speed” of the White Moon forms was fast enough to catch up with the force.

The moment the two energies collided right in front of my nose—

Keeeeeng—

A metallic screech rang out around us, loud enough to tear at our eardrums.

“Hah… hah… hah…”

I’d only blocked the first attack, but it felt as if all the energy had been drained from my body.

“Hm? That sword of yours…?”

I hurriedly covered the Blood Fiend’s mouth.

“One attack left.”

“You’re more interesting the longer I look at you.”

The Blood Fiend lowered his hands from behind his back and began to cup them.

Whoooosh—

The sound of air being sucked in came from every direction as an enormous force gathered between his hands.

I prepared the Heaven-Shattering Divine Palm to meet it head-on.

Boom!

Boom!

KABOOM!

The Blood Fiend’s energy clashed with my palm strike, shaking the entire nameless mountain.

Some of the amateur bandits and porters who had been trembling were unable to withstand the impact and began coughing up blood.

Fwoosh—

When the thick cloud of dust cleared, the Blood Fiend was staring at me in disbelief.

A strange light shone in his eyes.

“Well… I thought the rumors were exaggerated. If anything, they’ve underestimated you.”

I’d managed to block his second attack, but I was in no state to answer.

*I’m going to die at this rate.*

Most peerless masters held back for the sake of the fun, but this lunatic Blood Fiend didn’t seem to know the meaning of restraint.

I didn’t want to lose, so I put on a bold front.

“One attack left.”

The Blood Fiend nodded, evidently excited.

“Right, right. If you withstand this one, I’ll grant your request.”

He raised his fists into a ready stance, then threw a light punch.

Crimson fist energy shot from his knuckles.

It was a simple technique, without any feints or variations, but the immense energy within it made a curse slip from my lips.

*Fuck… He really means to kill me!*

I unleashed the Myriad Heavens and Earth Sword Art, coating one of my ten thousand swords with sword energy and pouring all my internal energy into it.

The fist energy was slow, without a single twist or feint, yet it seemed to reach me in the blink of an eye.

“Hyaaah!”

The instant the fist energy and sword energy collided—

Whoom.

The energy in the area exploded, creating a brief vacuum. Then air rushed back into it, setting off a series of blasts in every direction.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

I held out as long as I could, but the force finally drove me away from where I stood.

“Hah… hah… hah… hah…”

I hadn’t even moved much, yet I was gasping for breath, drenched in cold sweat.

When the blast subsided, the Blood Fiend was still standing where he’d been, staring at his fist.

“How about that? I win, don’t I?”

He smiled as he looked at me, now pushed out of position.

The moment his hand turned toward the bandits, I stepped between him and them and pointed my Black Dragon Sword at him.

The Blood Fiend’s eyebrow twitched.

“…Do you want to die in their place?”

“I don’t.”

“Then move.”

“I don’t want to do that either.”

“Huh?”

The Blood Fiend’s playful expression hardened.

“I’ve let you amuse me enough. If you don’t want to die, you’d better move.”

I didn’t want to die, but I didn’t want to watch these people die either.

“It won’t be easy.”

“Hah…”

Fortunately, I’d moved out of the way quickly enough to avoid internal injuries.

Besides, after my loss in the three attacks, the rest of the delegation had taken their positions around the Flame Ghost Consort and the Blood Fiend.

They were ready to attack at any moment.

At the very least, that would buy the bandits time to escape.

As I thought this, the Blood Fiend looked at the Flame Ghost Consort.

Her lips moved slightly, as if she were sending him a secret transmission.

“Hmm?”

The Blood Fiend’s expression changed in a curious way. Then he nodded.

The Flame Ghost Consort spoke.

“Then how about this? We were going to punish them because we lost the companions who were supposed to guide us.”

They’d been killing people because they’d lost their guide?

Those Black Path lunatics really had no common sense.

As I stood there speechless, she said something even more unbelievable.

“Why don’t you let them join your caravan?”

Hah. I really couldn’t predict anything.

“…Do you even know where we’re going?”

“To the Sahukryeon’s founding ceremony, aren’t you?”

“…”

The Flame Ghost Consort widened her eyes and added,

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I was only guessing. I heard the Martial Alliance had sent a delegation.”

“Then you’re saying you’ll let them live?”

She shrugged.

“Of course. The problem’s been solved.”

I wasn’t the leader of this caravan. To be precise, it wasn’t even my caravan.

If we needed permission, we obviously had to ask Ak Byeongbi, the delegation leader.

I looked over at him. Ak Byeongbi gave a slight shake of his head.

A clear refusal.

I nodded to him, then turned back to the Flame Ghost Consort.

“Fine. Come with us. But you’ll have to keep your promise.”

“…”

Ak Byeongbi glared at me from a distance as if he wanted to kill me. The Flame Ghost Consort smiled at me and replied,

“Of course.”

Well, it wasn’t as though the suspicious looks I’d been getting would change into anything worse than looks from people who wanted to kill me.

That was still better than someone actually dying.

Yes. Definitely.