WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈

Chapter 270: Someone's Malice

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The final practical evaluation of the semester was fast approaching.

The academy students looked forward to the coming winter break, but the practical evaluation carried the greatest weight in their grades, leaving the atmosphere tense and heavy.

Students who had entered closed-door training, even if only briefly, emerged in time for the evaluation.

Everyone was busy forming squads with people they could work well with.

Naturally, those who had mostly finished organizing their squads attended to other matters.

And the most urgent matter facing Jin Sowoon was...

“You did something veeeery impressive at the Black Alliance, First Senior Brother.”

“Ahem... It was only what I had to do as a disciple of the Taeul Sect. More importantly, Saryeon, you've grown a great deal in such a short time.”

“Saryeon... Saryeon... Didn't I tell you not to call me that?!”

...surviving Saryeon after she emerged from closed-door training.

“W-wait! That's not bad enough for you to raise your internal energy, is it?!”

“Just die quietly!”

“Telling someone who barely made it back alive to die?”

“No more words!”

And so, the day of the strategy and tactics evaluation arrived.

“Saryeon... What's with that expression?”

Namgung Seonhwa, who had grown considerably closer to Hong Saryeon while they trained in seclusion together, looked at her with concern.

“I couldn't land a single hit.”

“Hm?”

Namgung Seonhwa tilted her head.

Saryeon let out a deep sigh.

“First Senior Brother. I definitely went at him with everything I had, but I couldn't hit him even once... Could something have gone wrong with my closed-door training?”

Namgung Seonhwa frowned.

During their brief period of closed-door training, Hong Saryeon had devoted herself to cultivation with frightening intensity.

Some days, she focused so completely that she forgot even the basics, like eating and sleeping.

Namgung Seonhwa had never seen anyone concentrate like that in her life.

Her efforts had paid off, and Saryeon's skill had improved sharply in a short time.

There might have been differences in ability among academy students, but it was hard to understand how Jin Sowoon had avoided every single strike.

“Were you really giving it everything you had?”

“Yes. I was at full strength.”

Saryeon looked ready to burst with frustration.

Jin Sowoon had been busy with representative duties, traveling back and forth to the Mantong Office to help with work.

He had even gone to the Black Alliance recently, so he should naturally have lacked time to train...

It was difficult to understand how Jin Sowoon had improved during that time.

Just then, Seong Moran stretched as she spoke.

“Why think so hard about it? He was never someone you could understand with common sense. Hup.”

“If you try to understand every little thing about him, you'll only understand him less.”

“Did something happen?”

At Namgung Seonhwa's question, Seong Moran wore an incredulous expression.

“Would you believe it? Young Master Jin knew every weakness in the Mountain-Crushing Sword Art. He even knew how to improve it.”

“...”

“The elders of my sect worked so hard to keep those things hidden, yet how did he know every detail?”

Come to think of it, Grandfather, the Azure Emperor Divine Sword, had created the Firmament Cloud-Guarding Sword Art after speaking with Jin Sowoon.

Just as Seong Moran said, the more Namgung Seonhwa tried to understand it, the more lost she felt.

“What were you talking about?”

At that moment, Jin Sowoon himself appeared with his fellow disciples.

Seong Moran grumbled.

“Someone I understand less the more I learn about him.”

Jin Sowoon's brow creased with concern.

“...That sounds rather dangerous. Is he a con artist?”

“...Well, something like that.”

Seong Moran trailed off, and Jin Sowoon did not ask any further questions.

Saryeon's glare was frightening, after all.

“Ahem. In any case, I look forward to working with you.”

“We should be the ones saying that.”

“There are many Taeul Sect disciples in this squad. Are you sure that's all right?”

“I should be asking you that. My Mu rating is hanging by a thread. Seonhwa probably joined Young Master Jin's squad for a similar reason, right?”

“Yes. I'd like to ask for your help as well. I need a high score in this practical evaluation if I'm to score higher than my brother.”

Jin Sowoon nodded at their words.

“I'll do my best.”

He then glanced over his group.

Geumpyo, Eunho, Dongryong, Saryeon, Seong Moran, Namgung Seonhwa, Moyong Jaehwa, Eun Seollan.

And Yayul Geuk.

Huh? Yayul Geuk?

Jin Sowoon tilted his head and asked Yayul Geuk.

“Why are you here?”

“I-I didn't join because I wanted to!”

Yayul Geuk's face turned bright red as he shouted, veins standing out in his neck.

Eunho sighed and explained.

“He had no one else to form a platoon with, so I brought him along. We need ten people too.”

Jin Sowoon clicked his tongue as though he could see exactly what had happened.

“Honestly, you should've toned down that personality of yours.”

“I-I...!”

“Enough. It's starting now.”

Jin Sowoon cut off the wildcat brat before looking across the practical evaluation grounds.

Ilgak and Jang Woojae had each gathered their own people and formed platoons.

The lecturers and instructors moved among the academy students, checking the rosters before distributing flags in colors suited to each camp.

Those who received flags used every method they could think of to hide them.

“I've never envied people who learned fist and leg arts as much as I do now.”

“Everything has its strengths and weaknesses, does it not?”

In the strategy and tactics evaluation, inflicting serious injuries on an opponent also resulted in point deductions.

That naturally made weapon users hesitant.

The organizers wanted them to undergo the evaluation through strategy and tactics above all else.

“Monk Ilgak formed a platoon entirely from Shaolin Temple members, right? He really came prepared.”

Seong Moran pouted, but Jin Sowoon slowly shook his head.

“The results of the evaluation won't be decided by whether you carry weapons or not...”

“I don't like that.”

“What?”

Seong Moran raised her eyes and shouted.

“People who only receive Gap-grade evaluations don't understand the feelings of people who receive Mu ratings!”

She then grabbed Geumpyo, who had been checking his equipment, and shook him.

“Geumpyo, say something! Your First Senior Brother is being so cold.”

Geumpyo stared blankly for a moment before speaking with firm resolve.

“We'll definitely receive good evaluations. Please don't worry.”

Seong Moran quietly stepped back.

“...What's gotten into him now?”

Before long, the academy students began taking Gentleman’s Powder one by one under the instructors' watch.

It was Gentleman’s Powder prepared by the Martial Alliance's Divine Physician Pavilion after the Sichuan Tang Clan had passed down its formula.

The medicine's effects lasted for exactly twenty-four hours, and throughout that time, the academy students would be unable to use internal energy at all.

“Ugh... It feels strange no matter how many times I take it.”

Seong Moran frowned, and Eunho asked, “Have you taken it before?”

“Yes, when I was at my sect. They sometimes make us train after taking Gentleman’s Powder. Gentleman’s Powder is the most basic poison martial artists must learn to resist.”

Eunho had never trained after taking Gentleman’s Powder, and worry crossed his face.

Jin Sowoon, who had just swallowed the medicine, spoke up.

“Think only of the training we did at the Taeul Sect. As long as you retain that feeling, you'll adapt quickly.”

Seong Moran asked in surprise, “You've trained with your internal energy restricted?”

Jin Sowoon casually shrugged.

“The Taeul Sect wasn't wealthy enough to afford Gentleman’s Powder.”

“Ha... Just how far ahead is this man looking?”

As Seong Moran grumbled, Buk Wonpyeong stepped onto the platform.

[The strategy and tactics evaluation being held today will be the final evaluation of this year. Academy students, do your best and finish the year on a high note! Now, begin!]

With Buk Wonpyeong's words, a signal flare shot into the air and exploded.

The academy students began moving according to the colors of their flags.

#

Three small peaks about a two-hour journey from the academy originally had no names.

At some point, however, the residents of Wuhan began calling the three peaks Red Mountain, Blue Mountain, and White Mountain.

Strategy and tactics evaluations had been held here for generations, and the academy students' names for the peaks had eventually spread among the residents of Wuhan.

“Waaaaaah!”

“Waaaaaah!”

Those who had formed platoons began competing for rank among the Blue Force, White Force, and Red Force to which they belonged.

Those whose flags were taken began following the orders of those who had taken them. Sometimes, platoons joined by mutual agreement to form companies.

“There are still many people just watching.”

At Seong Moran's words as she looked around, I nodded.

“They're probably looking to see who seems easiest first.”

Having your flag taken was not the end. How many flags you had seized before losing mattered greatly to the evaluation.

Not only the White Path Society, the Orthodox Society, and the Twelve Peak Alliance, but even those without any established backing desperately searched for platoons weaker than themselves.

We were closest to the Red Force camp, so we slowly moved toward the center.

The fighting within the Red Force had not yet intensified.

Then a platoon blocked our path.

“Representative.”

They were none other than Jang Woojae and his friends.

“Trying to get eliminated already?”

Jang Woojae grinned at my question.

“Strategically joining the platoon most certain to win also earns additional points as an excellent tactic.”

“Then are you going to hand over your flag?”

“Still, shouldn't we give it a try first?”

He really was a likeable fellow.

I nodded and drew the Black Dragon Sword.

“Looks like some truly spirited platoon members will be joining us.”

Jang Woojae drew his sword as well.

Soon, the first struggle for rank within the Red Force began.

#

Starting with Jang Woojae, several Red Force platoons attacked us one after another.

Our platoon kept winning each time. As our numbers grew after every battle, some platoons within the Red Force began merging their units through strategic agreements.

No company-sized force or larger had attacked us all at once yet, but our platoon still had to keep fighting through an endless stream of challenges.

“Urgh!”

“Academy student Song Muyeol eliminated!”

“Academy student Gang Chasook eliminated!”

Some students began getting eliminated after hitting their physical limits during battle or sustaining injuries that were too severe.

Moving their bodies without using internal energy was not easy for martial artists who had devoted their entire lives to internal-energy training.

Some exhausted themselves by using more strength than their bodies could handle. Others were eliminated after putting too much force into an attack and seriously injuring an opponent.

Fortunately, no one from our platoon had been eliminated yet.

Just when I thought everything was proceeding smoothly...

“Something feels strange.”

Seong Moran looked around as she spoke.

“Why isn't anyone moving aggressively?”

“...”

“...”

At her question, Eunho and Moyong Jaehwa climbed onto nearby rocks and trees to survey the area.

I also turned my gaze toward the Blue Force and White Force.

Some groups had combined their flags and formed companies, but everyone was only watching the situation from a distance.

Just as Seong Moran said, no one was moving aggressively.

Considering the time limit, it would not have been strange for the atmosphere to grow more heated, yet everyone seemed to have some purpose and was not making any major moves.

‘What is this? I can smell something rotten.’

As though responding to my ominous feeling, Eunho's voice rang out from atop a rock.

“First Senior Brother, the Blue Force is starting to move.”

Jaehwa's voice immediately followed.

“Brother, the White Force is moving too. But...”

Jaehwa, who had been watching White Mountain, suddenly grimaced.

“No one is fighting.”

“What?”

“...They're heading straight for Red Mountain.”

An unexpected move.

“What are they plotting?”

The Blue Force and White Force moved at the same time.

They did not even fight, despite lacking time to spare if they wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder and compete over flags. Instead, they were advancing in orderly ranks toward Red Mountain.

“They're almost at Red Mountain.”

“What the hell are they doing?!”

Beside me, Geumpyo gripped his shield tightly and reported in a low voice.

“...The Red Force isn't drawing their swords either.”

“What the hell are these bastards plotting...?”

At that moment.

Swish-

The Red Force members scattered across Red Mountain began opening a path.

Thanks to that, the Blue Force and White Force climbed Red Mountain without any interference.

“Brother... They're not coming this way, are they?”

Moyong Jaehwa looked as though he could not believe it.

But no one in our group answered his concern.

No, there was no need to answer.

“Fuck, damn it...”

The Blue Force and White Force platoons were marching straight toward our platoon without hesitation.

Footnotes:

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