The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Chapter 121

[ … words ]

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“What on earth are you thinking? Jin Gong-ja.”

If there was one best thing about being the Academy representative, it was that servants were always on standby, along with the accommodation.

As the atmosphere in the banquet hall became increasingly hostile, the head instructors hurriedly ended the banquet, and our party gathered in my room before heading to the dormitory.

“The tea scent is good. Please have a taste.”

“…”

The middle-aged servant who had forcibly put me in this piece of clothing, which was a lump of shame, served tea and refreshments even though I had not spoken.

Namgung Seon-hwa, Moyong Jae-hwa, and Seong Mo-ran did not seem surprised, perhaps because they had received this level of treatment at home, but our Taeeul Sect children were so tense at the sight of the servants appearing without a word that they had nothing to say.

“Jin Gong-ja-nim. Are you really alright?”

“Are you alright, So-jeo?”

“What do you mean?”

“I did appoint you as executives without even asking for your opinions, though…”

“Of course, I am fine with it. But I am worried because others are very angry because of that.”

“If they are angry, then it cannot be helped.”

Even though they could have joined the factions of the Five Great Clans, they all followed me. For me, I had appointed the best staff.

“But once the academic schedule begins, if no one follows the schedule you plan…”

“Then I can just step down from the representative position.”

“Yes?”

“Because I did not come to the Academy for wealth, glory, or promotion in the first place.”

I would have to give up a comfortable life and would not be able to use servants, but what of it?

In the first place, I entered the Academy to protect my people, and that is fully possible even if I do not become a representative.

Soon, an incident will occur where the majority of the Murim Academy students will die.

From the first day I entered the Murim Academy, I spent sleepless nights thinking about how to prevent this incident.

Sisan-hyeolgyo (Corpse Mountain Blood Cult).

A faction of the Hyeolma-jong (Blood Demon Sect) that split from the Demonic Cult 200 years ago, established an independent force, and operated in the Western Regions.

Before the Righteous-Demonic War broke out due to the Demonic Cult’s scheme, the Murim Alliance’s opponent became this Sisan-hyeolgyo, and the sacrificial lambs that would be slaughtered by them first were the Murim Academy students of this term.

“I entered this place to protect myself and my people. I have no interest in the position of representative or any future position in the Yongbongjihoe.”

At my words, the gazes of the people turned blank.

In my previous life, the Demonic Cult’s actions were so secretive and the evil clutches they had spread across the entire Gangho were so complex that I could not notice the tricks they were playing, but now I am here, and the information I leaked is spreading little by little.

Because of that, the future has changed a lot, and it is possible that there will be no battle with the Sisan-hyeolgyo, nor will the Murim Academy students be massacred.

“I will just do my best in what I can do. There will also be no compromise with them for my own benefit.”

“…Um, by any chance, are we also your people, Jin Gong-ja-nim?”

Namgung Seon-hwa’s cautious question. I tilted my head and said.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“…Hehe.”

No matter what happens, my purpose is clear.

To protect those I could not protect in my previous life.

“Furthermore, no matter how many tricks they use, things will not go as they wish.”

In addition, to properly pay back those bastards who were like shit.

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Jegal So-myeong absolutely loathed the Elder Pavilion (Jangro-jeon). Those who could enter the Elder Pavilion in the Murim Alliance were generally politicians who were better at politics than at ability.

Jegal So-myeong thought the Elder Pavilion was a place where all the evils of the Murim Alliance were gathered, full of longing for power and soaked in a sense of privilege.

They did not follow the rules, went beyond the norms, and acted as if they were the privileged class.

That was why he resolutely cut off acts such as breaking into the Mantong-bu (General Intelligence Bureau) without an appointment and shoving in talent that did not meet the qualifications.

However, even for such a Jegal So-myeong, there were moments when he had to put off all his work and meet a figure from the Elder Pavilion, and that was exactly the moment they followed the ‘procedure.’

“Why are they doing things they didn’t do before, acting awkwardly?”

A few days ago, they sent a message to coordinate the schedule and set a location. The one who was embarrassed by the schedule that suddenly arose with a figure from the Elder Pavilion was Jegal So-myeong himself.

“What on earth are you trying to say to make such an uncomfortable seat?”

At Jegal So-myeong’s words, Taoist Myeong-hyeon smiled steadily.

“Well, do you have to have an appointment to meet? We are just meeting like this to share old stories.”

When on earth did he share such stories with that guy? Moreover, when Jegal So-myeong was making a name for himself in the Yongbongjihoe in the Murim Alliance in the past, he did not even know where Myeong-hyeon had been rolling around.

“To say that, you busy people went through such troublesome procedures to come here, so I say that.”

“Hehe, through this incident, we also realized many things. How important procedures and norms are. Thanks to that, we accepted a child colluding with the Black Path into the Academy.”

I thought as much. In the first place, old stories are my foot; if they hadn’t felt resentment over Jin So-un passing with top honors, they wouldn’t have done this kind of troublesome thing in the first place.

“Even so, the Elder Pavilion has decided to draft a new bill. We named it the ‘Jin So-un Law’.”

“That doesn’t seem like a very good name. If you do that, doesn’t it sound like Jin So-un committed some illegal act?”

“Of course, if it is drafted, we will give it a different name.”

“…Even if you make a law now, you cannot kick out a child who has already passed the Academy. You know that, right?”

“Of course. We just hope to make a detailed and meticulous sieve so that such a misfortune does not happen again next time.”

It seemed like he had put down his feelings about Jin So-un to some extent, but Jegal So-myeong still could not grasp what Myeong-hyeon’s purpose was.

“Now that the Academy exam is over, shouldn’t you be taking care of the Gangho in earnest?”

“No! Elder Myeong-hyeon, you must be very busy taking care of the Alliance’s business, are you thinking about the Gangho as well?”

Even with Jegal So-myeong’s sarcasm, Taoist Myeong-hyeon’s complexion did not change much.

“Didn’t traces of the Sa-do (Evil Path) appear in the northwest exam area this time?”

“…”

“I think investigating that side is urgent first.”

Jegal So-myeong also knew that there had been a clash between examinees and those presumed to be a group of Sa-do in the Kunlun Mountains area during this exam.

However, the investigation was being postponed day by day because of the traces of the Demonic Cult that appeared on the Bokyang Plains.

“The Mantong-bu is also aware of that matter and is preparing for an investigation.”

“Is that so? However, I have not heard that you have actually started the investigation.”

“I am handling it according to the importance of the matter.”

“Hehe, is there anything more important than the appearance of the Sa-do?”

Traces that appeared to be from the Demonic Cult were appearing one after another throughout the Gangho.

However, this was merely circumstantial evidence that could be proven only when limited to the object called the Demonic Cult, and a more detailed investigation was needed to prove their identity. All of the Alliance’s investigation personnel were focused on that side.

“I think I will be able to handle it in the near future, so do not worry too much.”

“Hehe, I cannot believe it. That the General Military Advisor, who should be at the forefront of the Tang-ma-myeol-sa (Demonic Subjugation), is so focused on other things.”

“…”

Just as he was about to quietly pull out a few of Taoist Myeong-hyeon’s weaknesses brought from the Simhyeon-gak, thinking that he would take revenge like this over Jin So-un’s matter.

“…However, the General Military Advisor must have his own different difficulties.”

“…”

“So I thought about it. How about entrusting this matter to the Murim Academy students?”

“…”

I heard that Jin So-un eventually failed to appoint his executive team. He filled half of the personnel, but even those were all his acquaintances.

It was a situation where everyone who should have been a strength to Jin So-un was ignoring him.

And, Jegal So-myeong thought that Taoist Myeong-hyeon’s influence must have been involved in that matter.

“Although they are Academy students, aren’t they already at the level of a Sub-team Leader in terms of martial arts? It will probably be a valuable experience for the Academy students as well.”

It was not a day or two that Murim Academy students accumulated Gangho experience instead of practical training, but Jin So-un could not control the Academy students.

‘So, this is how you are going to come out.’

If the Academy students moved in the current state, a problem would eventually arise in the ununified command system, and that problem would hasten Jin So-un’s impeachment.

However, it was a situation where he could not just reject the story of Taoist Myeong-hyeon, who had prepared so diligently and provided a justification.

“It is not appealing to entrust such a big task in a situation where the Academy students have not even adapted yet.”

“Adaptation, such a thing is…”

“Ah, of course, I am not saying it is impossible. If it is that level of work, the Academy students would be able to do it. However, let’s give them some time. They should be able to move once the system is somewhat established and organized, shouldn’t they?”

“…”

All Jegal So-myeong could do for Jin So-un was to buy time. Because if he didn’t even have that, it was clear that he would go out on the investigation without the leisure to organize the Academy students and would be impeached for lack of ability.

In the end, Taoist Myeong-hyeon also backed down at that point.

“My head hurts from dealing with guys who have only been calculating in their heads their whole lives.”

Jegal So-myeong, who was returning to the Mantong-bu, pressed his temples firmly.

It would be refreshing if someone could deal with those old foxes who were like crafty snakes on his behalf.

The guy whose head seemed to be spinning to that extent was currently in danger of losing his head at the Academy.

“Hihi… You stupid bastard, I will make you hold onto my pants and beg. Uhihit.”

“…”

Maeng Ju-won had been living like he was dead for a few days, shouting, ‘My youth… My rabbit-like wife… my fox-like children…’, but now he was working with fire in his eyes.

“What is that guy doing?”

A passing member sighed quietly and pointed to the book of norms that Maeng Ju-won was holding.

“Didn’t the executive team of the Murim Academy representative eventually fail?”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway, as soon as he heard that news, he is creating work like that, saying that the opportunity to remarry has come.”

Looking at the state of things, it seems he intends to inflate the documents sent from the Murim Alliance to several times the usual amount.

It was a strategy to create a situation where Jin So-un, who could not get help from the executive team and Academy students right away, would have no choice but to desperately need Maeng Ju-won’s help.

“Should I stop him?”

“Leave him be.”

“Yes?”

The member could not hide his surprise that Jegal So-myeong, who would never forgive such behavior by Maeng Ju-won, was allowing it.

“Anyway, it is a situation where Jin So-un desperately needs someone’s help. It doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you reach Gangnam.”

In addition, if Jin So-un were to have one foot in the Mantong-bu because of Maeng Ju-won, it seemed like his own work would become much more comfortable.

The Academy students were divided into a total of ten classes according to their grades.

The classes were arranged so as not to exceed three in the morning hours to leave time for the Academy representative team’s classes that would be held later, and the Academy students were given enough time to do their individual training.

“What is Martial Arts (Mu)?”

I was the only one among our party to be assigned to Class Gap (A), and now it was the first class time of that Class Gap.

“In the end, Martial Arts is just one type of strength. No matter how powerful a martial artist is, they cannot overcome the power of the government, and even absolute power cannot be maintained for ten years compared to financial power. However, since the power of financial power is ultimately indirect, it has no choice but to tuck its tail in front of martial power.”

“I have a question.”

The head instructor who was lecturing looked at the Academy student who raised his hand.

“Is strength only those three? Because I think there is another kind of strength.”

“Another kind of strength?”

“Yes. I am saying this because among our peers this time, there is someone who achieved excellent grades because their human resources (connections) were excellent.”

“Human resources?”

“Yes, I am talking about someone who passed the exam because their connections spread widely even to the Black Path.”

“…Puhahahaha.”

“Kuhahahaha.”

A roar of laughter burst out among the Academy students, where silence had been lingering. And naturally, gazes focused on me.

“…”

The head instructor was no different. He laughed until his stomach ached, then only then recovered his expression and said.

“Tsk! How can you despise a comrade who will be together with you in the future like that.”

“Well, I think I would be more anxious. I don’t know when they will defect and stab me in the back.”

“Pu-heut, yeah. Then what do you think about that friend’s words?”

In the end, the head instructor pointed at me.

I stood up from my seat and looked at the person who had asked the question.

“Well. If you think that I only took a good grade with human resources, I think your intelligence might be too lacking to learn martial arts. I certainly know that the Murim Academy does not measure intelligence.”

“…”

I joined in on their joke, but they looked like they had seen a dead corpse.

This is really too dirty to do.

“Then do you have enough of the other kinds of strength as well?”

“I don’t know if it is enough, but isn’t the threshold of the Academy too high to come in with just human resources?”

“Hmm… that is right. I heard that you are not being acknowledged by other Academy students?”

“I must be very lacking.”

“I will make a place to prove myself. Don’t you at least need to show that you are not lacking in martial power?”

“Are you telling me to have a spar?”

“Well, would it be measured by unfolding a martial theory?”

“…”

The head instructor looks at the person who asked the question.

“You must have been prepared for that much when you spoke rashly, right?”

“Of course!”

The head instructor looked at me again.

“How about it? Will you do it?”

“I don’t think that would be enough to prove myself.”

Sneers appeared on the faces of the Academy students, and giggles erupted from here and there.

Whether they did that or not, I stepped forward and said.

“I think I need at least five people to prove it.”