WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 26: The Second-Rate Martial Artist Dominating the Test
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The Taeul Sect had been bustling since morning with the arrival of unfamiliar visitors.
Dozens of people dressed in matching uniforms cleaned the sect grounds and prepared the meal.
The scent of an entire pig boiling in a pot woke the children on its own. Even the outside disciples who entered the sect with heavy hearts soon forgot their worries as the fragrant smell of meat struck their noses, and they began looking for its source.
“What is all this?”
Wang Soso, standing beside me, smiled sweetly at my mutter.
“My father said everyone needed a hearty meal on the day of the examination, so he sent these provisions.”
“The Estate Lord did?”
“Yes.”
“I feel like we are imposing too much on him.”
Wang Soso shook her head as if I should not even say such a thing.
“Hoho. I had to talk him out of slaughtering an ox, holding a feast, and entertaining the Gyeonseong Envoys in the Taeul Sect’s name.”
“...Please tell him I am grateful.”
“Oh, and Father said you should visit the Wang Family Estate sometime. He wishes to treat you to a meal personally.”
“I will visit soon.”
Everyone from the Taeul Sect gathered in the dining hall.
A simple yet filling bowl of meat soup sat before each person. Unable to restrain themselves any longer, the children swallowed their drool as they looked to Sect Leader Hong Mungi.
“Let us eat with gratitude toward the Estate Lord for preparing such a fine meal.”
“““Thank you!”””
The children shouted the moment he finished speaking. Wang Soso merely smiled faintly and nodded.
After waiting a while without seeing Wang Soso strut about like Gye Cheolyeong, the children did not know how to react.
They were used to indulging Gye Cheolyeong’s boasting for quite some time.
“Aren’t you all going to eat?”
At Wang Soso’s words, they hesitated before finally picking up their spoons.
The dining hall was livelier than it had ever been.
While everyone prepared for the examination after the meal, people from the Gyerong Merchant Group entered.
Gye Yeonseok, Gye Cheolyeong, and three people I had never seen before.
There was a scholarly-looking man, a martial-looking woman, and a middle-aged man with an unusual air between them.
The distinctive group looked remarkably similar to the Gyeonseong Envoys.
“Hmph! Did you all eat some cheap meat soup? The stench fills the whole place.”
As Gye Yeonseok pinched his nose and spoke, Wang Soso tilted her head.
“That cannot be. My father specifically had a Nokcheong pig, a specialty of Zhejiang Province, slaughtered. It should not have any gamey taste.”
Nokcheong pigs were raised in Zhejiang Province on Anji white tea and bamboo-salt rice wine. No wonder the broth had been so rich without a trace of gaminess.
“...”
Unable to say anything to Wang Soso, Gye Yeonseok redirected his anger at me.
“With an important examination ahead, can you really stomach meat soup?”
“It certainly sits better than eating several cheap pigs. An expensive pork soup is much more agreeable.”
I was pointing out how, whenever Gye Yeonseok held a feast, he bought pigs that had borne litter after litter until they died.
“But are you sure this is all right? Cheolyeong might fail the examination. At times like this, should you not be praying at a temple with even greater devotion?”
“Hmph! It seems you have not heard the news yet.”
“News?”
“The person standing in the middle of those three is the famous Ace Tutor, Jang Sagun.”
At Gye Yeonseok’s gesture, the children nearby also turned their eyes toward Jang Sagun’s group.
“Not one disciple he has taught has ever failed special admission. No matter what scheme you attempt, the Taeul Sect will be no more than a tool to make our Cheolyeong shine.”
At Gye Yeonseok’s words, the children lowered their heads one after another, already looking discouraged.
“Judging by how you speak, you really intend to cut ties with the Taeul Sect.”
“Hmph! There is no need to associate any longer with people who would abandon a relationship over a bowl of meat soup.”
I slowly let killing intent seep out.
“Think carefully. Cheolyeong entered as a lay disciple, even if only in name. If he wishes to leave as he pleases, he will naturally have to pay the price.”
Gye Yeonseok’s face turned pale under the killing intent.
Then the Ace Tutor, Jang Sagun, stepped forward.
“Hoho. A martial artist threatening an ordinary person. Your lack of proper upbringing is obvious. Is that what the Taeul Sect teaches?”
I did not back down.
“A gentleman who trades learning for money to make a living should not be called a gentleman. He should be called a merchant.”
Jang Sagun’s expression stiffened. However, he quickly regained his composure and continued.
“Even Confucius accepted tuition fees to provide food while teaching his disciples.”
“I hear Senior Ace Tutor receives a grand mansion as tuition.”
Jang Sagun’s face reddened.
As famous as he was, hiring him required an immense payment.
It might have been a transaction quietly accepted because supply and demand aligned, but there was nothing for Jang Sagun to be proud of while he pretended to be a gentleman.
“Your tongue is truly poisonous. We shall see from the results whether your skills are the same.”
At that moment, Gang Chaeseok’s voice rang through the grounds.
“Enough chatter. Gather, everyone! The Gyeonseong Envoys have arrived!”
Sect Leader Hong Mungi, the elders, and the hall leaders had already assembled.
As the children gathered in one place, a small procession slowly entered.
“It is the Martial Alliance.”
When someone called out, everyone looked to the front of the procession.
The foremost person carried the Martial Alliance flag, clearly displaying that they were envoys of the Martial Alliance.
“I am Yi Jagon of the Martial Alliance’s Gyeonseong Envoys. Greetings.”
“Greetings.”
When Yi Jagon greeted Sect Leader Hong Mungi, the envoys who had come with him all offered greetings as well.
Excluding the guards, there were eleven envoys in total.
Besides Yi Jagon, there were five scholarly-looking personnel and five martial-looking personnel.
“You have come a long way. I hope you select excellent talents again this time.”
“Selecting the talents of the One Hundred Eight Peaks is an important matter for the Martial Alliance as well. We will do our utmost to ensure the examination proceeds without issue.”
The ten envoys immediately split up and began preparing the examination.
The scholars set down the wooden packs they had carried on their backs, then began stacking examination papers covered densely in writing upon tables.
Seeing an examination for the first time in their lives, the junior disciples already looked ill.
Gye Cheolyeong snickered as he looked through a palm-sized booklet bound from small sheets of paper.
“Are you afraid of the examination?”
“...Aren’t you afraid, Senior Brother?”
“You are afraid because you did not prepare properly. If you had prepared as thoroughly as I did, you would not be afraid.”
Gye Cheolyeong was speaking to Dongryong, the youngest of the three brothers, Geumpyo, Eunho, and Dongryong.
“If you truly cannot understand something, shall I point out a few questions for you?”
“...”
Dongryong glared at Gye Cheolyeong, clearly resentful. Geumpyo and Eunho, who had overheard the conversation, quickly led Dongryong away.
While the scholars prepared the first examination, the martial artists spoke with the hall leaders.
“Will you be testing only the basic sword art and basic internal energy method again?”
At Gang Chaeseok’s question, the female martial artist nodded.
“The One Hundred Eight Peaks’ martial examination is always the same. We assess the depth and application of one’s foundational martial arts. They will learn other martial arts at the Martial Arts Academy, but in the end, we are determining how firmly they have built their foundation.”
“I understand. Our hall leaders will explain what you need to examine regarding the basic martial arts and internal energy methods.”
The female martial artist shook her head.
“We have already studied the Taeul Sect’s martial arts through the materials provided to the Martial Alliance. Thank you for your consideration.”
Gang Chaeseok looked rather flustered at her words.
Even if they were foundational martial arts, it should have been impossible to understand them better than those who belonged to the sect.
If they had grasped everything from documents alone, it meant the martial artists sent here as examiners were already vastly more skilled than themselves.
“Urgh...”
Gang Chaeseok said nothing further and only watched the people preparing the examination.
As Yi Jagon inspected the examiners’ preparations, he spotted someone in the crowd and widened his eyes.
The other person also met Yi Jagon’s gaze and gave a slight bow. Yi Jagon immediately clasped his hands in salute.
“Senior, what brings you here?”
People began turning their attention toward Yi Jagon and Jang Sagun.
Jang Sagun straightened his shoulders and smiled.
“Junior, have you been well?”
“Of course. Thanks to your thorough instruction, Senior, I now serve as chief of the Gyeonseong Envoys.”
“I knew you would achieve this.”
Listening quietly, it seemed Yi Jagon and Jang Sagun had once been very close.
“Have you taught a student taking this examination?”
“Ah, I have not introduced him.”
Jang Sagun extended a hand to his right.
“This is Gye Cheolyeong, a lay disciple of the Taeul Sect and the heir of the Gyerong Merchant Group. Beyond the Twin Dragons of the Iron Sword Sect in Hefei, Anhui Province, there is another remarkable Hidden Dragon, so I came here.”
Gye Cheolyeong straightened his shoulders, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in salute.
“I am Gye Cheolyeong of the Gyerong Merchant Group.”
Yi Jagon nodded as he looked at him.
“A fine young man with an imposing bearing. I understand why you chose him, Senior.”
“Hohoho. You have spent all this time administering examinations. Have your words only grown smoother?”
“Well, all the children you’ve taught have entered the Martial Arts Academy, haven’t they? It simply makes our job of separating jade from stone easier.”
Jang Sagun patted Yi Jagon’s shoulder, looking satisfied.
“Kekeke. Yes, yes, I understand. If you are not busy, let us have a drink once the examination is over.”
“I hope that will be possible.”
The children were not far from the two men, so we heard their entire conversation clearly.
Wang Soso raised her brows as she listened.
“This is absurd. I will tell Father immediately and lodge an objection.”
Wang Soso’s feelings matched all of ours.
However, I stopped her.
“They have not granted any preferential treatment yet, so remain seated.”
“Brother, the mere fact that an examiner has a personal relationship with an examinee is unfair.”
Then Saryeon cut in.
“Senior Brother.”
“Yes?”
When Wang Soso looked at her in confusion, Saryeon spoke with a firm expression.
“You should call him Senior Brother, not Brother.”
“Ah... I am sorry. In any case, Martial Sister, you agree this makes no sense, right?”
“Yes. But First Senior Brother must have a plan. Right?”
Saryeon glared at me as if she would not let me off if I said I did not.
“You both studied the booklets I gave you, right?”
“I studied hard, but...”
“Yes. I memorized them all.”
Saryeon did not sound confident, while Soso appeared completely assured.
“You memorized them all? There was quite a lot.”
“The only thing I could do in my room every day was read. Memorizing that much was easy.”
I nodded faintly.
“The other children are no different, right?”
“Junior Sister Soso tutored the children who had trouble understanding.”
“Oh. Then that is enough.”
Saryeon and Soso tilted their heads, as though they did not understand my confidence.
A short while later, Hong Mungi stood in the center, and the noise in the grounds died down.
Hong Mungi looked at the children with an oddly complicated gaze before opening his mouth.
“Thankfully, the Martial Alliance has recognized the Taeul Sect’s potential and opened this examination to select exceptional talents.”
The children watched Hong Mungi quietly, without taking their eyes off him for even a moment.
“When the results are announced, some will be disheartened, while others will rejoice.”
Hong Mungi’s gaze lingered on Gye Cheolyeong for some reason.
He appeared troubled by the expectation that Gye Cheolyeong would pass this examination.
“However, when you consider the long path of martial arts ahead, this examination is only one step in that journey.”
He was surely speaking this way because he hoped the children would not lose heart.
“Therefore, I hope the Taeul Sect’s disciples will find greater meaning in using this opportunity to see how far they have come on that distant road.”
This kind of consideration was certainly what made the Taeul Sect feel more like a family.
‘But...’
I had done enough of letting things slide because peace seemed preferable in my previous life.
I had no intention of repeating the same mistakes in this examination.
“...”
After finishing his speech, Hong Mungi seemed to stare directly at me for some reason.
Then a Gyeonseong Envoy stepped forward, and Hong Mungi slowly turned before descending from the platform.
“The examination will now begin. Examinees, please take your seats.”
The disciples spread apart, formed rows and columns, and sat on small mats. The scholars walked around and placed examination papers facedown before them.
“The examination will last two hours. Examinees, do your utmost. If anyone is caught looking at another person’s paper or copying answers, they will be disqualified. Keep that in mind. Begin.”
When a scholar struck a small gong with a clang, the disciples turned over their papers at once.
Gye Cheolyeong immediately began looking through his paper with a confident expression.
In contrast, the other disciples still looked dejected as they stared blankly at their papers, as if they could not tell paper from ink.
I looked over Gye Cheolyeong and my junior disciples once.
‘Notice it!’
Fifteen minutes passed, and confusion began to appear in Gye Cheolyeong’s eyes. He had encountered questions he had not expected.
Meanwhile, the discouraged disciples began tilting their heads one by one.
Then they slowly began writing their answers. They did not stop.
“What is this?”
Jang Sagun, standing beneath the training ground, sensed something strange and frowned.
Every disciple of the Taeul Sect was writing answers without pause.
Only then did Gye Cheolyeong realize that he alone was stuck, unable to solve the questions.
“Ha...”
As he looked at the other disciples and sighed quietly, a scholar approached and whispered in a low voice.
“Examinee, focus on your examination if you do not wish to be disqualified.”
“Ah... Yes, yes.”
Gye Cheolyeong lowered his head again, but he still could not focus on the examination.
Footnotes:
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