The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 119

[ … words ]

***

He wore a smile on his lips and did not hide his killing intent.

The big man standing behind him was also puffing up his body several times over to give off a sense of intimidation.

They were none other than Cheol Sun-jik and Nam Hwa-seong of the 12 Peak Stars.

“What do you call that…? The arrow like a large spear hidden within the illusionary vision.”

“Well. You should ask him directly.”

I looked at Moyong Jae-hwa, who rolled his eyes for a moment before answering.

“It, it is called Tongma-si (Piercing Arrow).”

Upon hearing the name, Cheol Sun-jik admired it slightly and nodded.

“It is a truly fitting name. So you were the protagonist of that arrow, Young Master Moyong. Thanks to that, I almost failed to enter the Academy.”

“…”

He was continuing to harp on the incident where I had swiped a few of their entrance passes while blocking Cheol Sun-jik and Nam Hwa-seong at Songsan.

“If you thought about taking them, weren’t you prepared to have them taken?”

At my words, the faces of Cheol Sun-jik and his party, the 12 Peak Stars, twisted slightly.

Cheol Sun-jik looked at my face for a moment, then asked, full of doubt.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“To form the Academy delegation, the power of the 12 Peak Stars will surely be necessary.”

“…”

“I naturally thought you would have at least thought about that. You are truly a person who deviates from my expectations every single time.”

With those words, Cheol Sun-jik and the 12 Peak Stars were guided into the banquet hall.

While I was ruminating on his words for a moment, a challenge came our way.

“I apologize for being late. I will guide you to your seats immediately.”

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The banquet began with the opening remarks by the director of the Murim Academy.

The instructors and head instructors came out in turn to introduce the subjects they were in charge of, and in the end, a short introduction about me, who had entered with the highest grades, followed, and immediately after, a song and dance stage by the musicians followed.

Various foods were lined up, and people came and went between tables, exchanging greetings.

Geum-pyo’s face stiffened at the sight of the vice-director, administrators, instructors, and head instructors moving around to greet people.

“…Shouldn’t we assume that they originally knew each other?”

Eun-ho retorted to Geum-pyo’s words.

“They look too unfamiliar with each other to say they originally knew each other.”

Our table was located in the very center, closest to the dais.

Even so, the head instructors passed by our table and only approached other tables to exchange greetings, share drinks, and let conversations blossom.

“But, they aren’t going over there either, right?”

Geum-pyo pointed to the table furthest from the dais.

Eun-ho glanced over there and said.

“Coincidentally, they are people who do not belong to the Nine Great Sects, the Five Great Clans, or the 12 Peak Stars. They are probably people affiliated with the commercial world or the government.”

“…”

Eun-ho ignored Geum-pyo’s twisted expression and continued speaking to me.

“Dae-sahyeong (Great Senior Brother). Shouldn’t we approach them first?”

Before I could even answer, Geum-pyo pointed to my chest and said.

“We are the protagonists. It’s plastered right here that we are the top-ranked students.”

Eun-ho sighed at Geum-pyo.

“Hyung, Dae-sahyeong needs to organize the delegation executives as the Academy representative. If we are isolated like this, we won’t be able to organize the academic curriculum, and in the worst case, we might lose the representative position.”

Eun-ho looked around.

“I heard that when one becomes a representative, they compete with each other to take executive positions. I don’t see any of that appearance at all.”

“That is probably because it is the Taeeul Sect.”

I stood up from my seat.

“Are you going to approach them first?”

“Yes. In any case, we have to organize the executives. If they are not there, the Academy students won’t move either.”

If I couldn’t lead these thoroughly separated factions as one, I would lose the representative position. There was no need to lose a representative position that was obtained with difficulty over something absurd.

“I will go with you.”

As Eun-ho stood up, Geum-pyo, Dong-ryong, and even Moyong Jae-hwa began to move together.

But the atmosphere was completely different from our expectations.

We approached the Nine Great Sects first and greeted them, but no one turned their heads or paid attention to us.

Rather, some personnel got up from their seats and moved elsewhere.

“Hello!”

I raised my voice a little and greeted them first, but few turned to look at me.

Even then, they just took a quick look at my clothes and turned their heads back to busy themselves with talking among themselves.

“…”

Geum-pyo’s face turned bright red, and Eun-ho’s face stiffened.

Dong-ryong didn’t know what to do, while I stopped Moyong Jae-hwa, who was about to rampage with an expression that looked like he would flip the table right away.

“It is enough.”

“But Hyung-nim…”

“They seem busy, so let’s go somewhere else first.”

I was about to go toward the Five Great Clans’ table, but I glanced toward the Nine Great Sects’ side.

Sure enough, as soon as we moved our seats, those who were talking were all staring intently at us.

“Ahem… I’ve been inside for too long, so it’s stifling. Shall I go out for some fresh air?”

“I’ll go with you.”

As we approached the table where the members of the Five Great Clans were sitting, they suddenly stood up and began to leave the banquet hall.

“…Sigh.”

“It seems we have to assume it is intentional.”

Eun-ho had a miserable expression.

Geum-pyo said, blowing steam from his nose.

“Sa-hyung, can’t we just appoint the executives appropriately?”

“…The Academy representative plans half of the academic schedule. And one receives point deductions for failing to have Academy students attend that academic schedule.”

The attendance of Academy students at the schedule planned by the representative is decided by the students’ will.

In the end, only by having an executive team that can move many Academy students will the students attend the schedule planned by the representative.

Originally, it was a place of exchange given to the representative who took the top spot so they could embrace the students of that year’s class, but this became a weakness for those from the Taeeul Sect.

“What if we get point deductions?”

“…We have to step down from the representative position.”

One had to be able to move at least half of the Academy students, but with the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans already having turned their backs, it was safe to say that more than half the points had already been deducted.

“…If they are deliberately trying to push us out of the representative position…”

“Sigh… then Dae-sahyeong has to leave the representative position. On top of that, in the worst case, if all the Academy students impeach Dae-sahyeong… they said you could be kicked out of the Academy.”

“…Damn it, where does that kind of thing exist!”

Geum-pyo’s face, which had been enjoying himself just a few hours ago saying he had never worn such nice clothes in his life, was now twisted beyond words.

“Are they really acting like this?”

Geum-pyo’s voice was quite loud, so it echoed throughout the banquet hall.

Instructors and head instructors talking at other tables looked toward this side at Geum-pyo’s loud voice, and the Academy students also gave glances once or twice, but there was no major reaction.

“Haa…”

Inside the banquet hall, bright light that made one unable to feel that it was night was present everywhere, and cheerful music and delicious food were placed here and there.

But none of us could enjoy the pleasant atmosphere.

“My prediction was correct this time.”

The Geum-Eun-Dong brothers and Moyong Jae-hwa, who were on edge, glared at the place where the voice was heard.

There sat Cheol Sun-jik, whom we met at the entrance, acting relaxed.

“Have you finally grasped the reality a little?”

“…”

“If you had been with us from the beginning, you wouldn’t have had these worries.”

“If I had been with you, entering this place itself would have been impossible.”

Cheol Sun-jik gave a meaningful smile.

“From the beginning, it was not something the Taeeul Sect could hold.”

“You speak as if the 12 Peak Stars can hold it.”

The number of successful candidates from the 12 Peak Stars’ sects and the figures following them was approximately two hundred and fifty.

A number far short of half.

Cheol Sun-jik suddenly brought up an out-of-the-blue story.

“I heard a rumor that you, Jin Gong-ja, deliberately gave up the special admission, right?”

Cheol Sun-jik looked at Moyong Jae-hwa once.

“On top of that, you gave the entrance pass you received to someone you hadn’t even met.”

“What story are you suddenly trying to tell?”

“You jumped into the Murim Academy regular exam with only three disciples, without even a single martial artist.”

By the time I tilted my head at his words, whose intentions were becoming increasingly unknown.

“Jin Gong-ja is too excellent.”

“…”

“Too excellent and shines too brightly, so you cannot be with anyone.”

The Geum-Eun-Dong brothers and Moyong Jae-hwa nodded.

“I also gave up the special admission. I yielded my spot to the disciple I cherish the most. But even so, I didn’t give up on mobilizing a hundred martial artists. It is exactly up to that extent. To the extent that I can be recognized by the others of the 12 Peak Stars. But conversely, to the extent that I won’t be kept in check by the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans.”

Cheol Sun-jik had a refreshed expression for the first time.

“Did you ask if the 12 Peak Stars could hold it? Of course, we cannot hold it. But conversely, we could prove that we are the 12 Peak Stars. After receiving appropriate concessions from the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans. We would have achieved harmony.”

Cheol Sun-jik looked at me quietly.

“Jin Gong-ja is a threat. That is why you cannot prove it. So, rather than cooperating with Jin Gong-ja, kicking you out would be a more comfortable method for them.”

“…If that happens, the Murim Academy will be led by the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans again. Do you want to repeat that work again?”

Cheol Sun-jik smiled brightly.

“Has that happened for just a day or two? We have waited for two hundred years. Is it hard to wait for another fifty or a hundred years? And will it even take that long?”

I felt it in my previous life, but Cheol Sun-jik is truly a snake-like person.

“…”

The shoulders of the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers and Moyong Jae-hwa, who had been on edge, slumped at his few words.

“No one in this banquet hall will take an interest in Jin Gong-ja. They probably won’t listen to anything Jin Gong-ja says until Jin Gong-ja is kicked out.”

Cheol Sun-jik looked over the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers and Moyong Jae-hwa once, then said.

“Shall I tell you the best method?”

“…”

Cheol Sun-jik did not even listen to my answer and continued.

“Step down from the representative position yourself. And return to the position of an ordinary Academy student. Then you can at least avoid forced expulsion.”

“…”

“Then I hope you enjoy the rest of the banquet.”

Cheol Sun-jik clasped his hands and returned to his table.

We were left standing in the center of the banquet hall, unable to think of returning to our seats or talking to other people.

“Let’s go back to our seats.”

“Sa-hyung… I’m sorry, but can I go to the dormitory first?”

Geum-pyo said that without even raising his head. The moment I was about to nod because I understood his feelings.

Buzz, buzz.

The atmosphere in the hall changed drastically.

The noise and music that had made us even more shabby stopped abruptly.

The performers started playing again as if they realized their mistake, but those who were talking noisily in the hall could not continue their words.

They just stared blankly at the entrance of the banquet hall. And there, three women of beautiful appearance were entering as if light was shining on them.

“…Huh?”

“…Huh, did they call for entertainers at the Academy?”

“That can’t be, but with that beauty… there’s no way I wouldn’t know in Honam.”

Regardless of men and women, instructors and head instructors, everyone’s gaze was fixed on the three women entering the banquet hall.

The clothes that fluttered every time they moved gave off a mysterious energy, and their faces were unrealistic as if they were drawn in a painting.

Grace was embedded in every action, and only after seeing the smile on their lips did I realize that they were real people.

The women who entered the banquet hall looked around the hall.

Wherever their gazes went, people’s gazes followed.

The three women who were looking around like that saw us standing in the center of the banquet hall and slowly approached.

Gulp.

I could hear the sound of Geum-pyo, who had been saying he would return to the dormitory because he was discouraged just a moment ago, swallowing his saliva.

That was how tense the entire party was.

At that time, the person standing at the very front of the women opened her red lips and spoke.

“Jin Gong-ja-nim.”

All the gazes that had been ignoring and disregarding me until now were focused on me.

Not only the Geum-Eun-Dong brothers but even Moyong Jae-hwa looked at me with eyes of disbelief.

“…”

I, who heard the voice, tilted my head.

The movements and the voice were exactly the same as someone’s.

“Namgung… Miss? What on earth has happened?”