Ch. 50 The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything Chapter 50

Chapter 50. A First-Rate Warrior Peering into the Darkness (3)

After being treated(?) by the unidentified young man, Murong Sang-won somehow felt a new energy circulating inside his body.

He still could not put any strength into his body, but he had at least recovered enough to barely perform Qi Circulation and Breathing.

After regaining strength through one round of Qi Circulation and Breathing, Murong Sang-won looked at the small wooden box before his eyes with a complicated gaze.

The young Chivalrous Hero who had offered his own blood(?) with desperate feelings had left the cave, saying he would go find food.

“Does he not know it is the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core?”

The Fire Monkey’s Inner Core emitted warm Yang Qi by itself.

There was no way someone who had learned martial arts could fail to sense that energy, so he was probably pretending not to see it despite knowing.

“What on earth should I think his intention is?”

The sight of him pulling out a fine thread-like thing from his arm and climbing up the valley looked just like a spider.

While tearing off small pieces of the dried meat the young man had left behind and chewing them, Murong Sang-won was thinking deeply about the young man.

***

After filling his stomach at an inn, Jin So-un headed straight to a smithy.

“Those are bear traps.”

Jin So-un asked while looking at the bear traps piled high on one side of the smithy.

“But you have quite a lot in stock.”

“The County Magistrate from the lower village said he would pay three times the price for bear gallbladders, so every Hunter nearby gathered here and wiped out the bears.”

After thinking for a moment, Jin So-un asked,

“Can you adjust these to be extremely sensitive?”

“Sensitive? How sensitive?”

“So they activate if a rabbit steps on them.”

“Come now. If I adjusted them like that and a person stepped on one, it would be disastrous!”

“I will not use them on people. Beasts are appearing earlier than the season should allow and harming people.”

“Still, no.”

When the blacksmith shook his head firmly, Jin So-un took two silver coins from inside his robe and set them down.

The blacksmith’s eyes shook violently.

“Is it truly impossible?”

“…….”

When Jin So-un set down one more silver coin, the blacksmith spoke.

“I cannot make them activate if a rabbit steps on them, but I can change them so they activate if a squirrel steps on them.”

The blacksmith smoothly slipped the silver coins into his robe.

***

It was after a day had passed that I returned to Murong Sang-won.

Setting the traps had taken longer than I had expected.

After stopping by the inn again to buy dumplings and Bamboo-Leaf Clear Wine and going to Murong Sang-won,

Murong Sang-won greeted me with a bright expression, perhaps because he had been quite uneasy during the day.

“I wondered if you had abandoned me.”

“Haha, I apologize. I had something to handle.”

“Sniff, sniff. What is that smell?”

Perhaps because he was very hungry, Murong Sang-won’s sense of smell had become keen.

When I set down the dumplings and Bamboo-Leaf Clear Wine, he seemed to forget even his position as the Young Clan Head of the Murong Clan and began stuffing dumplings into his mouth in a hurry.

“Wh-What dumplings are these? I have never tasted such delicious dumplings in my life.”

Every time Murong Sang-won smiled, a little of Murong Seol’s face appeared in him.

Seeing the smile I had not seen much of in the past in this way made my emotions feel strange.

“They are probably called Hunger Dumplings.”

“That cannot be. That cannot possibly be.”

Murong Sang-won, who had been hastily swallowing dumplings, finally choked.

“Keuk!”

When I handed him Bamboo-Leaf Clear Wine, Murong Sang-won struck his chest and gulped down the wine.

“Keuk! Is this also Bamboo-Leaf Clear Wine called ‘Hunger’?”

“It is.”

Perhaps because his stomach had been filled to some extent, only then did he realize that I was not eating a single thing. His face reddened, and he subtly pushed the dumplings toward me.

“I filled my stomach at the inn on the way to get food.”

“…….”

Murong Sang-won’s eyes showed a moment of conflict, but soon he nodded a couple of times and reached for the dumplings.

“I am deeply ashamed before a young friend.”

Only after eating all four portions of dumplings I had packed did Murong Sang-won appear to regain a little strength.

“Everything is a question to me, but there is one thing I am most curious about.”

Murong Sang-won spoke with an awkward expression.

“Please speak.”

“Do you know my identity?”

“While you were unconscious, you uttered the word ‘Murong.’ From that, I guessed you might be someone from the Murong Clan.”

“That is right. I am Murong Sang-won, the Young Clan Head of the Murong Clan. But…… just who are you?”

“I am Jin So-un of the Jin family. I am a disciple of a small martial sect near Hefei.”

“If it is Hefei…… do you mean the Iron Sword Sect?”

I shook my head and said, “A slightly older sect than that. The Taeul Sect.”

“Ah……! The Taeul Sect…….”

Perhaps embarrassed, Murong Sang-won smacked his lips and scratched his head.

“A member of the One Hundred Eight Peaks……. Forgive me. If it is Hefei, then of course it would be the Taeul Sect.”

“Not at all. It must be because the Iron Sword Sect’s influence is that great.”

For some reason, Murong Sang-won lowered his head with an apologetic expression.

“This, this is truly something. Before my benefactor, I am showing every disgraceful sight there is.”

“Benefactor? I merely did what naturally had to be done.”

“Do not say such things. Not just anyone can go this far for another person.”

“The teaching of the Taeul Sect is, ‘Always benefit people as far as your ability allows.’ I merely acted according to that teaching, so if you continue to elevate me, I may be ashamed.”

“……Huh. You are truly the first person in my life to make the name ‘Murong Clan’ feel small.”

Murong Sang-won looked as though he were seeing a strange creature.

“……By the way, how did you know to come down here?”

I could not tell him that I had tried to take the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core from his corpse.

“While the Iron Sword Sect’s influence was growing stronger, I was wondering if there was any way I could contribute to my sect. Then I heard from an Herb Gatherer elder that Cliff Flower Herb grows on the cliffs of West Lake Peak in Mugang, so while searching the cliffs…….”

“And then you found me!”

Murong Sang-won chimed in, sounding pleased.

“That is right.”

“A disciple who goes this far for his own martial sect. I envy your sect’s Sect Leader.”

“I am merely returning what I have received, nothing more and nothing less.”

Murong Sang-won nodded several times, then spoke again.

“In any case, because of me, you were unable to obtain the precious herb. What should we do about that?”

Murong Sang-won fidgeted with something inside his robe for quite a while, then seemed to make up his mind and took out the wooden box with a thud.

“……Would you accept this instead?”

“…….”

“As you know, this is the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core. I do not know the level of your martial achievement, but with this alone, you will easily rise to the first-rate realm. If you share it with your sect’s disciples, it could become the foundation for the Taeul Sect to establish itself as a powerful sect no less than the Iron Sword Sect.”

The sight of Murong Sang-won holding out the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core overlapped with Murong Seol from my previous life.

[Is this not a Clear Bright Pill?]

[And?]

[It is fine. Senior, please take it when you are in danger.]

[You and I are only members of the Sojeong Squad right now. What I need right now is a comrade for survival. And until when are you going to keep calling me ‘Senior’?]

Looking at Murong Sang-won’s action, I understood where Murong Seol’s heart had begun.

Recalling the Clear Bright Pill I had been unable to refuse in the past, I pushed the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core back.

“I did not act expecting compensation. So please put it away.”

“……If you feel the compensation is insufficient, do not worry. It is embarrassing to say this with my own mouth, but the life of the Murong Clan’s Young Clan Head is not cheap. This will by no means be the end of it.”

“If the Murong Clan’s Young Clan Head personally came out searching for a Spiritual Medicine, it must be because you have a very important place to use it. For example, the Murim Academy’s Regular Exam.”

“……!”

“To intercept a father’s heart for his child is not the teaching of the Taeul Sect. I will accept only your feelings, Senior.”

In my past, and in their future, I had already received all the compensation.

I did not want to leave even the slightest misfortune in the future of Murong Seol, to whom I could no longer repay my debt.

I drove the nail in further to Murong Sang-won, who was still wavering.

“If the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core entered a weak sect like ours, could an incident like the one at Tae-won Cheon Estate not occur?”

In Tae-won, the capital of Shanxi Province, there was a famous martial household that had continued for ten generations, called Cheon Estate.

The exclusive martial art created by its founder, Cheon In-se, the Cheon Clan Saber Form, was an outstanding martial art that ranked among the Ten Great Saber Arts of the Murim. It had also achieved no small number of accomplishments whenever large and small incidents occurred in the history of the Murim, so there had been much debate over whether it should be admitted into the Murim Alliance’s One Hundred Eight Peaks.

One day, a rumor spread that Tae-won Cheon Estate had obtained the peerless Spiritual Medicine known as Azure Stone Milk, and warriors from the entire Murim World Murim gathered in Tae-won.

At the time, Tae-won Cheon Estate’s influence was no small thing, so even in a situation where thousands of warriors had gathered, the defenses of Tae-won Cheon Estate seemed firm.

However, for incomprehensible reasons, a fire broke out, and while that fire spread greatly, warriors hiding their identities infiltrated Cheon Estate. That day, Cheon Estate suffered the calamity of clan extermination.

Later, rumors about where Cheon Estate’s Azure Stone Milk had flowed were never confirmed.

Thus, Tae-won Cheon Estate vanished into history without even learning the identity of its culprit.

That was why I had consumed the Spiritual Medicines I had obtained so far while keeping them secret even from the people of my sect.

“……Hmm.”

“My will is already decided, so please set your heart aside, Senior.”

“Very well. I will respect your will. But apart from that, tell me something you need. No matter what it is, I will grant that wish.”

“I am fine……”

“Ah, no. I do not think that granting your request will erase the grace I received from you. This is strictly because I cannot be upright before myself unless my heart expresses its gratitude. This is my will, so you must also follow it.”

“…….”

I thought about it carefully, but there was nothing else worth mentioning.

I had eaten so many Spiritual Medicines that I could barely digest them, and I would continue eating them in the future. It was not as though the wealth forming the foundation of my sect was lacking either.

‘Ah!’

A good idea suddenly flashed through my head, and when I looked at Murong Sang-won, he also took on an expectant gaze.

“How about giving one Clear Bright Pill to a disciple of our Taeul Sect?”

“A Clear Bright Pill?”

Murong Sang-won tilted his head.

Then he looked down at the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core, looked at my face, and asked again,

“A Clear Bright Pill is indeed a precious Spiritual Pill of our clan, but it cannot compare to the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core, can it?”

“If we possess the Fire Monkey’s Inner Core, it will invite disaster. But if you are the one who gives us a Clear Bright Pill, Senior, no one will be able to covet it.”

“……!”

A faint smile formed at the corner of Murong Sang-won’s mouth.

“Understood. I will certainly give it to you in the name of the Murong Clan.”

For me right now, eating a Clear Bright Pill held no great meaning. I already had more than enough Spiritual Medicines I could consume in small amounts going forward.

At a chance like this, it was more efficient to raise my Junior Brothers’ skills.

“Rather than that, please give it to our Sect Leader, so he may give it to the disciples.”

“……Why?”

“If I, the Chief Disciple of the Taeul Sect, receive it, it may become favoritism in some way. But if the Sect Leader chooses and another disciple receives it, will that not become motivation for the other Junior Brothers as well?”

“……Huh!”

Murong Sang-won’s expression changed into that of someone who had lost his senses.

Then he said something out of nowhere.

“……By any chance, did you promise marriage to someone in your childhood or anything like that?”

Not understanding the intention behind the question, I tilted my head.

“I did not, but why do you ask?”

For some reason, Murong Sang-won looked relieved.

“It is nothing. Do not worry about the Clear Bright Pill. I will deliver three Clear Bright Pills to your Sect Leader with my gratitude.”

***

“Truly, what a wondrous object.”

After tying Murong Sang-won and myself together and climbing up the valley using the Flying Dragon Claw, Murong Sang-won spoke in amazement.

However, once he saw sunlight again after such a long time, Murong Sang-won’s interest quickly drifted away from the Flying Dragon Claw.

“This is so good. So very good! I thought I would have no more wishes if only I could feel sunlight like this once more. And you fulfilled that for me.”

Murong Sang-won stretched and enjoyed the sunlight.

“Please do not overdo it.”

I had absorbed all the energy of Demonic Qi, but his qi center had not yet fully recovered.

“Do not worry. I feel as though I could run right now. What is your schedule going forward?”

“It is now about time for me to return to my sect.”

Considering the time needed to stop by the Namgung Clan in the middle, it might even be tight.

“If you are not particularly busy, rest for a few days at our merchant guild in Mugang, then let us go to the Murong Clan together.”

“I will visit the Murong Clan later. I also have matters I must attend to after returning to my sect.”

“Are those matters related to the Murim Academy Exam?”

“……Yes.”

Murong Sang-won did not hide his regretful expression.

“I suppose so. ……Still, you can rest for a few days before leaving, can you not?”

“That is……”

“You should do that. If you move so forcefully and do not rest, fatigue will accumulate and strain your body.”

“Understood……”

While I was speaking, a strange feeling made me suddenly turn my head.

It was still a bright, sunny day, yet no sound rang through the forest except the sound of the wind blowing.

“What is it?”

Murong Sang-won seemed not to know anything yet.

“Were the ones who attacked you wearing black martial arts uniforms and red bands around their heads?”

“Hm? How do you know that……?”

“Over there.”

When I pointed to one side of the forest, Murong Sang-won looked toward the place where nothing could be seen and furrowed his brow as though forcing himself to draw up internal qi.

As expected, his qi center had still not fully recovered.

“……!!”

“Are they the ones who attacked you, Senior?”

“I am not certain.”

A short while later, twenty people who emitted no flow of energy at all appeared from within the forest.

“…They are. It is them.”

Instead of answering, I drew the Black Dragon Sword.

Murong Sang-won wore a troubled expression.

“I am filled with nothing but apologies toward my benefactor. I have not repaid even a single grace, and now you are suffering this because of me.”

“Senior. Let us speak of that later.”

“Yes.”

Murong Sang-won stepped one pace forward.

Though the twenty people stood only in front of us, they controlled the entire area within ten jang in every direction.

There was no opening through which to flee anywhere.

“What is your purpose, that you cling to me so persistently?!”

“…….”

“I will ask one thing.”

Murong Sang-won’s voice rang out powerfully.

“Is it true that you came to capture the Young Clan Head of the Murong Clan?”

“…….”

The masked men in red headbands still gave no answer.

At that moment, Murong Sang-won pointed at me with his finger and said,

“If you let this child live, I will offer you my neck without resistance. Will you accept the trade?”

Before I could stop Murong Sang-won, the man standing at the center of the red-headbanded men stepped forward.

“Impossible!”

It was a harsh and sinister voice, like scraping metal.

He pointed at us and spoke.

“Exterminate them!”