WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 121: The Black Flame Dragon Who Gives an Opportunity

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“What on earth are you thinking, Young Master Jin?”

The best thing about being the Academy Representative was that private quarters came with servants always on hand.

As the atmosphere at the banquet grew increasingly hostile, the instructors hurriedly brought it to an end. Before heading to the dormitories, everyone in our group gathered in my quarters.

“The tea has a lovely aroma. Please, have some.”

“......”

The middle-aged maid who had forced me into this humiliating outfit served tea and refreshments without waiting for me to say anything.

Namgung Seonhwa, Moyong Jaehwa, and Seong Moran showed no surprise, likely accustomed to such treatment at home. The Taeul Sect disciples, on the other hand, fell silent and tense at the sight of servants appearing without a word.

“Young Master Jin, are you really all right?”

“Are you all right, Miss Seonhwa?”

“With what?”

“I named you an officer without even asking your opinion......”

“Of course I’m happy about it. I’m just worried because everyone else is furious over it.”

“If they’re angry, there’s nothing to be done.”

They could have joined the forces of the Five Great Clans, yet they had all chosen to follow me. As far as I was concerned, I had appointed the finest group of advisors possible.

“But once the Academy schedule begins, what if no one follows the plans you make......?”

“Then I can simply step down as representative.”

“What?”

“I didn’t come to the Academy for wealth, glory, or promotion in the first place.”

I would have to give up this comfortable life and no longer be able to employ servants, but what did that matter?

I had entered the Martial Arts Academy to protect my people. I could do that much without becoming the representative.

Before long, an incident would occur that killed most of the Martial Arts Academy students.

From my first day at the Academy, I had lost sleep thinking of ways to prevent it.

The Corpse Mountain Blood Cult.

A branch of the Blood Demon Sect that had split from the Demonic Cult two hundred years ago, established its own power, and operated in the Western Regions.

Before the Orthodox-Demonic War broke out due to the Demonic Cult’s schemes, the Corpse Mountain Blood Cult would become the Martial Alliance’s enemy. The first sacrifices they would tear apart would be the students of this Martial Arts Academy.

“I entered this place to protect myself and my people. I have no interest in being representative or holding a future position in the Dragon-Phoenix Association.”

Everyone stared blankly at my words.

In my previous life, the Demonic Cult had acted far too secretly, and the web they cast across the martial world had been too intricate to see through their schemes. Now, though, I was here, and the information I had leaked was gradually spreading.

Because of that, the future had changed considerably. Perhaps the battle against the Corpse Mountain Blood Cult, and the massacre of the Martial Arts Academy students, would not happen at all.

“I’ll simply do my best with what I can do. I also won’t compromise with them for my own benefit.”

“......Um, are we also Young Master Jin’s people?”

Namgung Seonhwa asked cautiously. I tilted my head.

“Of course you are.”

“......Hehe.”

No matter what happened, my purpose was clear.

To protect the people I had failed to protect in my previous life.

“And no matter how many schemes they try, things won’t go their way.”

And to give those bastards who had made my life miserable a proper taste of their own medicine.

#

Jegal Somyeong deeply despised the Elders' Council. Those able to enter the Martial Alliance’s Elders' Council were generally politicians skilled at maneuvering for power rather than people of ability.

To Jegal Somyeong, the Elders' Council was where all the Martial Alliance’s evils gathered, filled with people consumed by their desire for power and steeped in privilege.

They ignored discipline, overstepped the rules, and acted as though they belonged to a privileged class.

That was why Jegal Somyeong firmly put a stop to unannounced visits to the Mantong Office and attempts to push through unqualified candidates.

Even Jegal Somyeong had moments when they had to put aside their mountain of work to meet someone from the Elders' Council. Those moments came when the elders followed procedure.

“Why are they suddenly doing things they never used to?”

Several days ago, they had sent word, coordinated schedules, and arranged a meeting place. Jegal Somyeong was the one taken aback by this sudden appointment with an elder.

“What grave matter did you wish to discuss that you arranged such an inconvenient meeting?”

Daoist Myeonghyeon smiled faintly at Jegal Somyeong’s words.

“Must there be an appointment for us to meet? We’re simply catching up on old times.”

As if they had ever shared such stories. Besides, when Jegal Somyeong had been making a name in the Dragon-Phoenix Association within the Martial Alliance, Jegal Somyeong had no idea where Myeonghyeon had been knocking about.

“That’s exactly why I ask. You busy people went through such troublesome pro.ce.dures to come here.”

“Ha ha. This incident has taught us much as well. We learned how important pro.ce.dures and reg.u.la.tions are. Thanks to that, we accepted a child secretly colluding with the Black Path into the Academy.”

Just as expected. Forget catching up on old times. If Myeonghyeon had not been enraged by Jin Sowoon’s admission as the top-ranked candidate, there would have been no reason to go through all this trouble.

“As it happens, the Elders' Council has decided to draft a new law. We have named it the ‘Jin Sowoon Act.’”

“That doesn’t seem like a very good name. It makes it sound as though Jin Sowoon committed some crime.”

“Of course, once the bill is formally drafted, it will be given another name.”

“......Even if you make a law now, you cannot expel someone who has already been admitted to the Academy. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course. We simply hope to create a detailed, airtight filter so that such an unfortunate incident never happens again.”

It seemed they had mostly given up on the matter of Jin Sowoon, but Jegal Somyeong still could not grasp Myeonghyeon’s true purpose.

“Now that the Academy examination is over, shouldn’t we begin properly looking after the martial world?”

“Oh? Elder Myeonghyeon is already terribly busy with Alliance business, yet you are thinking about the martial world as well?”

Despite Jegal Somyeong’s sarcasm, Daoist Myeonghyeon’s expression barely changed.

“Didn’t traces of heretical martial artists appear in the northwestern examination zone?”

“......”

“I believe investigating that matter should be our first priority.”

Jegal Somyeong knew that candidates had clashed with people presumed to belong to a heretical faction around Mount Kunlun during this examination.

Yet because of the traces of the Demonic Cult found on the Puyang Plains, that investigation had been postponed again and again.

“The Mantong Office is aware of the matter as well and is preparing an investigation.”

“Is that so? Yet I have not heard that you have actually begun investigating.”

“We are handling matters according to their importance.”

“Ha ha. Is there truly a matter more important than the appearance of heretical martial artists?”

Signs that appeared to be traces of the Demonic Cult were surfacing throughout the martial world.

Still, that was only a suspicion that made sense if the target was limited to the Demonic Cult. A more thorough investigation was needed to prove their identity, so all the Alliance’s investigators were focused on that matter.

“We should be able to handle it soon, so there is no need to worry.”

“Ha ha. I find that difficult to believe. The Grand Strategist, who ought to be at the forefront of sweeping away demons and eliminating evil, is so preoccupied with other matters.”

“......”

Jegal Somyeong was about to casually reveal several of Daoist Myeonghyeon’s embarrassing secrets from the Profound Mystery Pavilion, wondering whether this was Myeonghyeon’s way of retaliating over Jin Sowoon.

“......But I suppose the Grand Strategist has troubles of their own.”

“......”

“So I gave it some thought. What if we entrust this matter to the Martial Arts Academy students?”

“......”

Jegal Somyeong had heard that the appointment of Jin Sowoon’s Academy Representative Corps officer corps had ultimately fallen through. He had filled half the posts, but they were all people he knew.

Everyone who should have supported Jin Sowoon was ignoring him instead.

Jegal Somyeong suspected that Daoist Myeonghyeon’s influence had played a part in that.

“Though they are Academy students, aren’t they already at least on the level of deputy unit leaders in martial ability? It would also be valuable experience for them.”

It was nothing new for Martial Arts Academy students to gain experience in the martial world in place of practical training, but Jin Sowoon had failed to bring the students under his control.

‘So this is how they intend to play it.’

If the students moved in their current state, their uncoordinated command structure would inevitably cause problems. Those problems would hasten Jin Sowoon’s impeachment.

Still, Jegal Somyeong could not simply reject Daoist Myeonghyeon’s proposal when it had been prepared so thoroughly and had clear justification.

“I do not like the idea of entrusting such a major task to students who have not even had time to settle in.”

“Settling in? That sort of thing......”

“Ah, I am not saying they cannot do it. The students should be capable of such a task. I am only saying that we should give them some time. They need to establish some structure and put things in order before they can move, do they not?”

“......”

The only thing Jegal Somyeong could do for Jin Sowoon was buy him time. Without even that, Jin Sowoon would go out to investigate before having a chance to organize the Academy students, then be impeached for incompetence.

Daoist Myeonghyeon finally backed down at that point.

“Dealing with people who have spent their whole lives playing petty tricks is giving me a headache.”

On the way back to the Mantong Office, Jegal Somyeong pressed both temples firmly.

It would be satisfying if someone could deal with all those sly old foxes in their place.

The only person clever enough to do that was at the Academy, with his own position hanging by a thread.

“Hehehe...... You idiot. I’ll make you cling to my trouser leg and beg. Hehehe.”

“......”

For several days, Maeng Juwon had lived like a corpse, weakly muttering, “My youth... my rabbit-like wife... my fox-like children...”[1] Now, he was working on something with fire in his eyes.

“What is that fool doing?”

A passing Mantong Office member sighed softly and pointed to the book of regulations Maeng Juwon was holding.

“Didn’t the appointment of the Academy Representative Corps officer corps ultimately fall through?”

“Yes.”

“As soon as he heard the news, he said he had another chance to remarry and started stirring things up.”

Judging by the look of it, Maeng Juwon planned to inflate the documents sent by the Martial Alliance to several times their usual volume.

The plan was to create a situation where Jin Sowoon, unable to receive help from the officers or the Academy students, would have no choice but to desperately need Maeng Juwon’s assistance.

“Should we stop him?”

“Leave him.”

“What?”

The member could not hide their surprise. Normally, Jegal Somyeong would never forgive Maeng Juwon for such behavior.

“Jin Sowoon desperately needs someone’s help right now. As long as we reach Jiangnan, it does not matter which road we take.”

Besides, if Maeng Juwon’s actions made Jin Sowoon put one foot into the Mantong Office, Jegal Somyeong’s own work would become much easier.

#

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

Classes were limited to no more than three morning sessions, leaving time open for future classes organized by the Academy Representative Corps. The students were also given plenty of time for their own personal cultivation.

“What is martial power?”

I was the only one in our group assigned to Class A, and this was Class A’s first lesson.

“In the end, martial power is only one kind of strength. No matter how powerful a martial artist may be, they cannot withstand the power of the state. Even absolute authority cannot last ten years when set against financial power. Yet financial power is ultimately indirect, so it must tuck its tail before martial force.”

“I have a question.”

The instructor looked toward the Academy student who raised a hand.

“Are those the only three kinds of power? I think there may be another.”

“Another kind of power?”

“Yes. I ask because one of our classmates achieved excellent results through the strength of human connections.”

“Connections?”

“Yes. I mean someone whose network extends deep into the Black Path, allowing him to pass the examination.”

“......Puhahahaha!”

“Kahahahaha!”

Loud laughter erupted among the Academy students who had been sitting in silence. Naturally, their gazes turned toward me.

“......”

The instructor was no different. Only after laughing hard enough for his stomach to hurt did he recover his composure.

“Enough! You should not look down on a comrade you will be working alongside.”

“I don’t know. I would be more worried. You never know when he might switch sides and stab you in the back.”

“Pfft. All right, then. What do you think about that student’s words?”

The instructor pointed at me.

I stood and looked at the student who had asked the question.

“Well, if you believe I earned good scores through connections alone, I have to wonder whether your intelligence is too lacking for you to learn martial arts. It certainly proves that the Martial Arts Academy does not measure intelligence.”

“......”

I responded to their joke with a joke of my own, but they looked as though they had seen a corpse.

This was so damned unpleasant.

“So you believe you possess sufficient power of other kinds as well?”

“I don’t know if it is sufficient, but the Academy has too high a threshold to enter through connections alone.”

“Hmm... That is true. I hear you have not earned the recognition of the other Academy students?”

“I must be lacking in many ways.”

“I will give you a chance to prove yourself. At the very least, should you not show that you are not lacking in martial strength?”

“Are you telling me to spar?”

“How else could we measure it? By discussing martial theory?”

“......”

The instructor looked at the student who had asked the question.

“You must have been prepared for this much when you carelessly wagged your tongue, correct?”

“Of course!”

The instructor looked back at me.

“What do you say? Will you do it?”

“I do not think that would be enough to prove myself.”

Mockery appeared on the Academy students’ faces, and quiet snickers rose from every corner.

Ignoring them, I stepped forward.

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

[1] This deliberately reverses the usual Korean phrasing, “fox-like wife, rabbit-like children.” Maeng Juwon’s version conveys his longing for his beloved wife and children.

Footnotes:

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