WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 189: Rewriting the Sichuan Bloodbath (9)
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The journey back was largely uneventful.
Once we raised the Martial Alliance flag borrowed from the Chengdu Branch Head, even petty mountain strongholds stayed away. There were also so many of us that Black Path martial artists could only cast resentful looks our way as they passed.
Having realized the benefits of traveling under the Martial Alliance flag, the escort warriors of the Dark-Leaf Escort Agency guided us along easier routes they normally avoided because of the danger. No one found the journey particularly taxing.
A few Academy students did complain about the food, though.
Tiger Hall trained outdoors and marched often, so cooking for themselves was no great trouble.
Our esteemed elites from the Nine Major Sects, who had been pampered at their home sects, were another matter. None of them were accustomed to outdoor cooking. Some burned even simple porridge, while others ate it half-cooked.
A few Academy students eventually gathered their complaints and brought them to Gu Jeongryong.
“What? Cooking your own meals is difficult? Then chew on Fasting Pellets. Haven’t you eaten them while training at your home sects?”
After receiving such a cold response, they trudged away with faces that looked ready to burst into tears.
They must have learned the hard way that being treated like precious children was a privilege reserved for their home sects.
What about our group?
“Eunho, I think we’re short on meat.”
“Brother Geumpyo, did you hurt your eyes? There’s plenty of meat. It only looks that way because there are so many dried vegetables.”
“I still prefer more meat.”
“That’s why I told you to make more jerky.”
I had no idea when they had prepared it, but Geumpyo and Eunho made porridge for every meal with twice as much meat and vegetables as dried grain.
Thanks to that, our group ate until our stomachs were ready to burst every time.
‘Have I ever starved them?’
I had fed them delicacies until they were full, not starved them, yet their appetites only seemed to grow without end.
“I feel like I’m gaining more weight cooking outdoors than I did at the Academy.”
Namgung Seonhwa spoke, and Seong Moran nodded.
“I almost feel like I ate poorly when we were at the Academy.”
I looked over the Academy students.
Every one of them had hollow cheeks and dark circles beneath their eyes.
After everything that had happened in Sichuan, followed by nights spent sleeping outdoors, fatigue had piled up.
Even the Twelve Peak Alliance, supposedly the elites of the One Hundred Eight Peaks, looked worn down.
On the other hand, Namgung Seonhwa, Seong Moran, and the rest of our group all had healthy, glowing faces.
“Isn’t everyone tired?”
Seong Moran tilted her head at my question.
“We eat three proper meals a day and sleep soundly without taking night watch. What’s there to be tired about?”
No matter how I looked at it, their circumstances were not much different from those of the other Academy students.
Eunho clicked his tongue.
“Eldest Senior Brother, didn’t the older sisters and Jaehwa take the regular examination with us?”
“Ah...”
They said that once you had suffered through something truly awful, whatever came next no longer felt like hardship.
I was reminded of just how hard I had pushed them during the regular examination.
‘They must have grown up as pampered as the full disciples of the Nine Major Sects.’
Even Namgung Seonhwa had grown up as the Divine Sword’s cherished granddaughter without ever needing to get her hands dirty.
Now she could sit down and devour three bowls of meat porridge made with dried jerky.
“Is something wrong, Young Master?”
Namgung Seonhwa tilted her head when she saw me looking at her.
“It’s nothing.”
The guilt of having turned people raised so gently into this rose for a moment, only to be crushed beneath the justification that ruled one corner of my heart like a king.
‘Still, they’re strong now because of it. No matter which combat pavilion they enter after joining the Alliance, they shouldn’t have much trouble adapting.’
Seong Moran frowned deeply as she studied my expression.
“You’re rationalizing something, aren’t you?”
Was this the instinct women talked about?
I quickly changed the subject.
“I was worrying about what lies ahead.”
“What... do you mean?”
Seong Moran’s lips trembled uneasily.
Was I some kind of ghost? I hadn’t even said anything yet. What was with that reaction?
“I’m even more worried because Young Master Jin is worried!”
“...”
The truth was, we weren’t in a situation where we could relax.
First, there were the elders of the Orthodox Society.
Why had they abandoned even their own disciples and rushed to the Martial Alliance the moment they arrived in Chengdu?
Obviously, they intended to go there and pull something.
It would be fortunate if they only tried to reduce the consequences of their own wrongdoing.
The real problem was that I couldn’t even guess what slander they might concoct by tying it to this incident.
Then there was the Martial Arts Academy.
During the academic schedule, its representative had taken all the delegation’s officers and left their posts.
We had followed the proper procedures, but what if it came to light that the department head had overstepped their authority while the Grand Strategist was absent?
It could disrupt the Academy’s future schedule.
And this would give those coveting the position of Academy Representative an opening to start moving again.
This time, I understood it clearly.
If I handed over the Academy Representative position, there was no telling how much worse the Martial Arts Academy would become.
If the Academy became a mess, then the Martial Alliance would surely become a gathering of idiots again, just as it had in my previous life.
‘I can never allow that to happen.’
I steeled myself once more.
The return journey came to a smooth end.
The moment we arrived in Wuhan, the Dark-Leaf Escort Agency returned with its carriages and personnel.
From Wuhan to the Martial Arts Academy, only Tiger Hall and the Academy students traveled together.
“Ahhh! We’re finally here!”
Seong Moran stretched with a satisfied groan.
Smiles had already appeared on everyone else’s faces as well.
Seeing the sign that read Martial Arts Academy made our arrival feel real.
“I want to go back and sleep for three straight days.”
“Me too.”
We were chatting as we passed through the main gate.
“““Waaaaaaaah!”””
Thunderous cheers erupted from every direction.
“Wh-what?”
Geumpyo was startled, and the rest of our group was just as confused.
Academy students and people who appeared to be outsiders stood lined up on both sides of the path leading to the main building, cheering loudly.
“What is this...?”
Just then, Jang Woojae and his friends stepped out from among the Academy students.
“You’ve worked hard, Representative.”
“What’s going on?”
“The Academy Representative rushed out to protect the Academy students and brought them back safely. Of course everyone would want to come out and cheer.”
Was that it?
Then why didn’t I see a single member of the White Path Society or Orthodox Society?
Jang Woojae looked at me as though I were a hero.
“Go ahead and wave, Representative.”
“...”
Why would I suddenly wave?
This kind of welcome didn’t suit me.
As I hesitated, Jang Woojae suddenly grabbed my hand and raised it high.
At the same time,
“““Waaaaaaaaah!!!”””
Cheers louder than before boomed through the grounds.
“Black Flame Dragon! Black Flame Dragon!”
“You’re amazing! Taeul Sect!”
“The best! You’re the best!”
I thought I heard an epithet I didn’t want mixed in there.
Still, once it became clear who the cheers were for, the Taeul Sect disciples, Namgung Seonhwa, Seong Moran, Moyong Jaehwa, and the others waved in every direction.
Each time they did, the crowd called out their names and cheered.
The companions who had said they were too exhausted to do anything but collapse now seemed to have forgotten all their fatigue. They smiled brightly and answered the crowd’s cheers.
Watching them, I let out a quiet laugh.
“Well, this isn’t so bad once in a while.”
#
“How did this happen?”
Jegal Somyeong had tried to respond as quickly as possible, but the Sichuan deployment had still been delayed.
Unable to predict how matters in Sichuan would unfold, they had barely slept at night. Now, they were left dumbfounded by reports they had never expected.
-Blood Cult’s eastward advance halted
-Abnormalities detected within Blood Cult forces
-Blood Cult unprepared for battle
Their greatest concern had been the Mount Emei Sect, which would encounter the Blood Cult first.
Mount Emei Sect had publicly declared that a mere Blood Cult could never defeat them, but they were clearly trembling with fear beneath that confidence.
It was obvious from the way they had urgently requested a Jegal Clan delegation to reorganize the Mystic Gate formations around their headquarters, while gathering even the disciples of their lay martial sects there to strengthen their defenses.
‘All I could do was desperately hope they held on until the Martial Alliance warriors arrived...’
Yet for some reason, the Blood Cult’s eastward advance had stopped.
“Are they preparing something even greater?”
The report that the Blood Cult possessed Iron Zombies had already left Jegal Somyeong’s nerves honed as sharp as a blade.
“Those damned bastards...”
The decisive reason the deployment had been delayed this long was the Spirit-Sealing Orbs.
The Blood Cult’s dark arts were so powerful that even those with profound Daoist or Buddhist power lost their reason in an instant.
Jegal Somyeong had only issued an order instructing everyone to confirm that they carried Spirit-Sealing Orbs, the basic tools for banishing evil and suppressing spirits.
Yet troublesome reports had come in from everywhere.
‘They sold them all long ago?’
The situation was so absurd that they could barely speak.
If it had been only one or two people, they would have been disciplined immediately and thrown into the Martial Alliance’s deepest prison. But far too many people had sold their Spirit-Sealing Orbs.
Their numbers far exceeded what the prison could hold. If Jegal Somyeong truly carried out the punishment, several combat pavilions might be wiped out.
“Urgh... urgh...”
There was no way to release the anger rising from deep within their chest.
They had tried to procure Spirit-Sealing Orbs in a hurry, but it wasn’t easy.
They were difficult tools to make, and there was already a severe shortage.
In the end, following the report sent from Sichuan, they hurriedly bought and distributed the Hyeongsan Sect’s Demon-Subduing Talismans, which were said to be remarkably effective.
Jegal Somyeong crumpled the report in their hand and ground their teeth.
‘Just wait. I won’t let this pass. I absolutely won’t.’
No, leaving aside the Spirit-Sealing Orbs, once this crisis ended, Jegal Somyeong vowed to immediately investigate the state of the supplies issued by the Martial Alliance.
They could already hear the supply officers wailing from every direction, but that was only natural in the current situation...
Just then,
“Grand Strategist...”
Having sensed early on that Jegal Somyeong was in a very foul mood, Maeng Juwon carefully approached.
As expected, Jegal Somyeong vented their irritation without restraint.
“You bastard! Why are you being such a nuisance?”
“...”
Maeng Juwon had spoken to them for the first time since arriving at work that day, so the accusation was deeply unfair. Still, they swallowed their grievance.
‘Sigh... I’ll be suffering for a while.’
They would suffer alongside those who had sold their Spirit-Sealing Orbs, but they couldn’t act defiant as usual.
They had committed their own sins, after all.
If they weren’t careful, they might be thrown into the Golden Prison in their place for a while.
Maeng Juwon carefully raised the matter at hand so as not to further offend Jegal Somyeong.
“That’s not it. I heard Jin Sowoon has returned.”
Jegal Somyeong’s eyes snapped open.
“...What? That brat?”
“Yes. The Academy just sent word. Everyone returned safely.”
“Already?”
They had received reports, but Jin Sowoon had arrived far earlier than expected.
‘How did he sweet-talk the Chengdu Branch Head this time?’
They had heard that the Chengdu Branch Head had used personal funds to provide carriages and even hired an escort agency.
While everyone else freely spent the Martial Alliance’s money, it was only natural for Jegal Somyeong to be pleased by someone who carefully saved the Alliance’s funds.
Jegal Somyeong forced down the corners of their mouth before they could rise.
‘No. I still need to scold him for what deserves scolding.’
Hyeok Mugang would praise his achievements anyway, so Jegal Somyeong decided they should offer some harsh words.
A person who would one day enter the Mantong Office and handle important matters shouldn’t start finding ways to overstep regulations already.
There were plenty of things Jegal Somyeong wanted to ask, so they rose from their seat.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to the Academy.”
“What? If you’re going to see Jin Sowoon, tell him to come to the Mantong Office...”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll go myself.”
The moment Jin Sowoon entered the Martial Alliance, Hyeok Mugang would hear about it.
If Jegal Somyeong wanted to scold him, now was the only chance.
The rattling door of the Mantong Office swung open.
“...What brings you here?”
Jegal Somyeong’s brow furrowed deeply at the arrival of an unexpected guest.
#
The moment I arrived and unpacked my luggage, I received a summons to the Martial Arts Academy Director’s office.
‘More precisely, they said it was a summons from the Mantong Office.’
The instructor who delivered the message seemed not to know the exact reason either. They only relayed the summons before leaving.
‘But why call me to the Director’s office instead of the Mantong Office?’
I had expected something like this from the moment I handled matters through Maeng Juwon.
I had overstepped my authority as much as I pleased, but it was obvious that everything would be overturned the moment Jegal Somyeong arrived.
‘Still, things went smoothly because it was Maeng Juwon.’
Expecting to receive some sort of punishment from Jegal Somyeong, I picked up that bundle.
Eun Seollan had frozen it solid at regular intervals, so it didn’t smell.
‘Will this help calm them down a little?’
I continued mulling things over as I knocked on the Director’s office door.
The door swung open from inside as if they had been waiting, and Buk Wonpyeong appeared with a smile.
“Come in.”
Buk Wonpyeong sat first and poured tea for me.
As expected of the Academy Director, he drank good tea.
“When did you return?”
“I came back as soon as the academic schedule began. You caused quite a stir while I was gone, didn’t you?”
“The situation left me no choice. You know the circumstances, don’t you, Director?”
If he didn’t, that would be a problem in itself.
It would mean questioning whether he was qualified to be the Academy Director.
“The Elder Council crossed the line badly this time.”
“...”
“To think they caused this trouble while both the Grand Strategist and I were away.”
Buk Wonpyeong shook his head as if he found it pathetic.
I immediately asked him a question.
“They left Chengdu for the Martial Alliance first. Have they done anything in the meantime?”
“They seem to be poking around the Martial Alliance and trying to do something, but it doesn’t appear to be going well. This incident was too serious. Tsk.”
Hmm, did that remove one concern?
“Don’t relax just yet. Most of what comes from their mouths concerns you.”
Damn it. Of course.
Still, it didn’t bother me much.
It wouldn’t be too late to take revenge on the Elder Council step by step once I entered the Mantong Office.
Wanting to change the mood a little, I changed the subject.
“Did the matter you went to look into work out?”
Buk Wonpyeong planned to become a lay disciple of the Taeul Sect to overcome the limitations of the Three Pure Supreme Sword, which was passed down to only one person in each generation.
That was why he had left the Academy Director’s office vacant.
Buk Wonpyeong took a sip of tea and grinned.
“It did.”
“That’s good to hear. Should I call you Martial Uncle from now on?”
It was practically the same as the Taeul Sect disciples gaining a respectable supporter within the Martial Alliance.
With the Three Pure Supreme Sword becoming a lay disciple of the Taeul Sect, what fool would dare call Taeul Sect a sect without proper roots...
“Not Martial Uncle.”
“Hm?”
The first generation currently consisted only of the elders and a few senior figures. If he became a lay disciple, wouldn’t he naturally enter under the Sect Leader’s generation?
As I stood there in confusion, unable to speak for a moment, Buk Wonpyeong’s voice broke the silence.
“Call me Senior Brother from now on.”
“...”
I stared blankly, then cleaned out my ear.
Since no earwax came out, there had to be something wrong with my head.
As I tapped my temple a few times, Buk Wonpyeong smiled meaningfully.
“I’ll call you Junior Brother, but I’ll serve you as the Head Disciple from now on.”
Head Disciple...?
My mind had gone stiff, and no words came out.
Buk Wonpyeong nodded as though he understood.
“The elders of the Elder Council said none of them would accept me as a disciple. So in the end, I performed the three bows to the Sect Leader.”
Hmm, perhaps Taeul Sect really was a sect without proper roots after all.
At this rate, it could hardly complain when people insulted it.
Then,
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
I quickly spoke to Buk Wonpyeong.
“Then may I ask my first favor, Senior Brother?”
“What is it?”
“When the Grand Strategist scolds me, please try to stop them from going too far.”
Buk Wonpyeong suddenly lowered his gaze and shook his head.
“...I can’t do that. How could I cast a shadow over an Eldest Senior Brother as great as the heavens?”
What was with this man? Why was he suddenly acting like this?
“...You just said you would call me Junior Brother.”
“That and this are different matters, Eldest Senior Brother.”
The title Eldest Senior Brother seemed to roll off his tongue far too naturally...
The door swung open, and Jegal Somyeong entered with the face of a yaksha.
‘They look angrier than I expected.’
I quickly stood and lowered my head like a criminal who had committed an unforgivable sin.
Yet there was no sign of Jegal Somyeong’s expression easing.
“Jin Sowoon, you bastard...”
Jegal Somyeong ground their teeth.
Behind Jegal Somyeong, someone else entered while gently pressing a hand against their shoulder.
I couldn’t even close my mouth properly in my shock.
‘Why is that person here...?’
The White-Handed Divine Sword, Hyeok Mugang.
One of the absolute masters of the martial world and the Martial Alliance Leader himself had appeared at the Martial Arts Academy.
Footnotes:
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