The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything - Chapter 327: Spirit Hunt (2)
“D-don’t…… lie to me.”
Yang Japyeong’s eyes shook violently.
“Why would I lie?”
“……To sense yeongmaek, it takes endless time and effort, and eons of patience throwing yourself into agony……”
“No, I can sense it.”
I moved a bit as I spoke.
“Here, there’s a decent yeongmaek flowing, and over there, a thin one about as wide as a finger. Right?”
“……It took three years just for the basics……”
Yang Japyeong muttered incomprehensible words in a dazed expression.
It felt awkward to ask more, so he started figuring it out himself.
“Incredible.”
As Yang Japyeong said, Mukrim’s yeongmaek influenced the entire forest. Unlike air thinning higher up, the energy felt uniform from the ground to the treetops, as if the space itself was a vessel holding the yeongmaek.
So that’s why natural formations arise everywhere in the forest.
Not just animals and insects—even trees and grass roots absorbed the yeongmaek energy. Those beings created phenomena unseen in the Central Plains, birthing natural formations in their wake.
I reached into a natural formation, and the space’s distortion appeared clearly.
No wonder it’s impossible to find the way.
One step forward, and the phenomenon intensified. The yeongmaek underfoot veered left, but the forest path stretched straight. Step according to your eyes, and you lose direction instantly. With senses utterly twisted, martial skill high or low meant nothing. Only the yeongmaek showed true north and the right path.
The reason only Namgwonmun could manage Mukrim.
“…………Impossible…… lies……”
Yang Japyeong still couldn’t face reality, mumbling blankly to himself.
Then.
Boom boom boom!
A massive explosion echoed from deep in the forest. There had been shouts and falling trees before, but nothing this loud.
Even dazed Yang Japyeong stood and stared toward the noise.
“Excuse me a moment. I’ll be right back.”
He uncoiled the thick rope at his waist, wrapped it around a tree, and swiftly climbed up.
Huh, his speed rivals my Flying Dragon Claw.
As I admired his bizarre wall-climbing, Yang Japyeong descended soon after, wide-eyed in shock.
“It seems…… they’ve encountered a sinryeong.”
He glanced at me cautiously.
“What’s wrong?”
“I thought you might…… want to go.”
Sheesh, what does he think I am?
Even if I craved spirit pills, risking life made them worthless. Plus, Tae-eul Gate juniors and team members were here.
I shook my head obediently.
“Don’t worry. Didn’t you say it’s definitely dangerous? Low chance of success too.”
“……Yes.”
“Then I trust you, Yang Daxia.”
“……”
Yang Japyeong had fretted I’d hunt after sensing yeongmaek. Seeing his relieved face, I asked again.
“It’s really dangerous, right?”
“……”
“Hard to hunt for sure?”
“……”
“They’ll definitely fail. Right?”
“……”
Yang Japyeong looked strangely detached. Still, certainty was best, so I pressed.
“Tell me it’s impossible.”
# Everyone was asleep.
I cracked my eyes to check the watch. As planned, Eunseollan stood guard.
That’s why I woke now—her presence sense was the weakest.
I rolled over, stifled my aura completely, and crawled stealthily.
Who knew crawling from battlefields would help? Felt a bit grateful to those demon bastards. Next time, I’d smash their heads for sure.
After ten zhang, I stood and unleashed guiseok haengbo. After thirty, Heavenly Lone Walker God Step sped me away.
Definitely that way.
I retraced the day’s path along deep underground yeongmaek flows.
Mukrim’s already dark; at night, pitch black. Only glowing bugs and fireflies dotted it.
But that eased movement—no visual confusion, just follow yeongmaek.
Full speed for an hour, I reached the afternoon’s Mukhongsa corpse.
“Heh heh. Now I can come on my own.”
I dug where Yang Japyeong buried the poison cores, unearthing sinister green-glowing ones.
“Heh heh……”
Since sensing yeongmaek, I’d awaited night. Now, free from eyes, I could absorb poison cores freely.
With Azure Dragon Ring, no need for meditation to melt them—just swallow and go, no suspicion.
Say I visited Sophy.
In under half a shichen, I absorbed poison cores from Bi-hongsa, Cheong-eum Dokgaksa, Dokgak Go-ryong, and Samseok Dokwa.
“Is there a limit?”
I clenched and opened my left hand, checking sensation. It felt dulled, fingertips and soles numb-ish.
Sensation would return with time. The slight dantian swell outweighed numb hands.
Who cares about numb hands? Full power meant easier head-smashing.
“Heh heh heh.”
This filled sinryeong regrets. Better safe power growth than risky hunts.
Boom boom boom! Distant forest flashed bright.
“……Yeah, safety first. Safety first.”
Yang Japyeong was right. Sinryeong weren’t huntable. Look at that mess—explosions shaking the forest for three days nonstop.
Some trapped in natural formations, others critically wounded. But they couldn’t quit for one sinryeong.
“……Yeah, this is right. This is correct.”
I dragged heavy feet back.
Boom boom boom boom!
No mood for Heavenly Lone Walker; I walked slowly. Tracing yeongmaek back ignored hunt noises.
“What a fucking annoying forest.”
Retracing steps, but paths changed. No sword marks left. Wonder if exiting without yeongmaek was possible.
I raised sin sense with inner power. Head strain, but yeongmaek sharpened.
Almost asked Yang Japyeong, but nah. He looked suspicious. His near-tears face at my questions—three years for him, instant for me. Tsk.
Yeongmaek grew clearer, filling Mukrim densely—sensed without sight, wondrous.
Then, a star-like glow on the ground, unseen coming.
What’s that?
Closer: yeongmaek clustered gem-like, shining.
Stopped sensing; glows vanished. There, a cornus fruit lay.
“Hmm……”
Yang Japyeong’s half-spoken warning recalled. Probably poison caution.
Eh, with my poison resistance work, not a big deal.
“Heh heh……”
I absorbed one fruit with Azure Dragon Ring.
Ooh.
Warm energy flooded my hand, into dantian. No poison core chill.
Edible, maybe?
Another in mouth; soon, warm energy rose from stomach. Like famed spiritual herbs.
“Makes sense—Mukrim’s yeongmaek affects all; spiritual fruits exist.”
Checked buried spots for glows en route—ginseng, hwasu-o grow underground.
None.
Long careful scan, no roots. Mukrim sucked.
Cornus had yeongmaek, but no ginseng? Arbitrary forest.
Grumbling aside, ghost walk back to camp.
“Where did you……”
“Eek, you scared me.”
“……Why so jumpy.”
Yang Japyeong stared from shadows.
Damn.
Ghost walk’s flaw: hides presence, not form.
“Ah…… haha, just visiting Sophy……”
“While using stealth?”
“Ah! Didn’t want to wake others.”
Academy rep considerate, right?
“……For a whole shichen?”
Eh? Time flew?
As I tilted head, his voice deepened.
“Where…… are you coming from?”
He stepped closer. Repeated safety warnings irked by my wandering.
Hmm…… explain? Can’t say poison cores.
Ah!
Cornus in bosom recalled.
“Saw this daytime, went to pick.”
“What is it?”
“Fruit infused with yeongmaek. Boosts inner power a bit.”
“……You went at night?”
Makes no sense. But Small Justice Squad lies were daily; this was nothing.
“Wanted to avoid kids’ eyes.”
“Why?”
His gaze sharpened suspiciously.
“You skipped tiny spirit pills, though small.”
“……”
He’d skipped turns, no hunt help. I targeted that.
Best dodge suspicion? Plant another.
“Seemed you couldn’t due to eyes, so I snuck for you.”
“……”
His glare softened subtly.
“You suffer for us; least I can do.”
It melted fully.
“……I’m fine……”
“Ehey, my sincerity……”
“No, still……”
“You keep embarrassing my effort?”
Sheesh, just eat. I’d sneak more nights; better he ignore.
“……Then, just one.”
Hesitant, he chewed one. Eyes widened at feel.
I smiled, nodding.
“Meditate quick. Wake kids.”
Conflicted, he sat cross-legged, eyes closed.
Permission to continue cores.
# We entered Magyeong at last.
Demonic beasts surged, but no issue. Half-Mukrim pros now: skilled hunts, core removal, spirit pill shares.
Nothing special otherwise.
Normally, stronger yeongmaek would confuse paths more.
“This way.”
Our team had another yeongmaek sensor besides Yang Japyeong.
“Eunho.”
“Yes, senior brother.”
“Aren’t I amazing?”
“……”
I helped where Yang confused; Magyeong pace held.
“……Noises stopped.”
Namgung Seonhwa eyed forest.
Four days’ racket cut abruptly, silence now.
“……They’re okay? Young master.”
She asked me oddly.
I shrugged casually.
“Wh-what reason wouldn’t they be?”
“……”
I’m fine, gut doesn’t hurt.
Token map built; finish, Mukrim done. Back to outpost, fill days, academy return.
“Dust to mountains…… quite a haul.”
Beast pills and my night fruits yielded satisfaction.
Not compared to me.
Azure Dragon Ring’s oddity: I ate none, yet most gains.
Night, camp made, time passed.
Swish.
Forest presence. All grabbed weapons, alert.
Familiar face emerged from brush.
“……Instructor?”
Seong Moran tilted head at No Jinha.
His state differed: eye bandaged, face scarred burns.
“What happened?”
He growled darkly.
“Did a sinryeong come here?”
What nonsense?
“You didn’t hunt one, did you?”
No Jinha’s group glared.
“Speak, Jin Sowoon. Did you catch it?”
“What…… bullshit……”
Before finishing, Saryeon stepped up.
“We haven’t seen any sinryeong.”
“No lies forgiven.”
“Why lie? Admitting would help us. Not a grave sin.”
No Jinha twitched lips, snorted, turned.
“Tae-eul trash couldn’t hunt one anyway.”
Spit nonsense, vanished in brush.
Seong Moran murmured admiringly.
“Spirit hunt was rough.”
“Yeah. Instructors are division head level…… Jeongdo Council mobilized too.”
I agreed, relieved. We’d bear that damage otherwise.
“If casualties in hunt, instructors liable…… okay?”
Seong Moran worried; I smirked pleased.
“Why worry us?”
Own mess, own burden.
# Mukrim darkened again.
I slipped away stealthily. Yang Japyeong woke hourly, noticed, but now irrelevant.
My fruits sealed his lips tighter than locks.
Magyeong beasts plentiful; busier than outpost, but fine. More cores chance.
Outpost eyes prevent nights; now last power-up.
Absorbed eight cores till hand numb, returned calm.
“Few fruits in Magyeong.”
Mukrim’s whimsy: no consistency. Stronger yeongmaek, fewer infused fruits.
Max sin sense scanned Magyeong.
Whoosh.
Bright flames blazed in dark.
“Hm?”
Confused. Sensed only yeongmaek flows—no fire possible.
Why torchlight?
Lowered sin; vanished.
No way.
Heart pounded hardest ever.
This yeongmaek density……
Max ghost walk toward yeongmaek torch.
Close, lowered sin to check.
Whoosh.
Humanoid rose, flames wreathing huge body.
Roooaaar!
Monkey several times normal size, flames erupting, glaring murderously.
“……Huh?”
You…… why here?