The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 121

Chapter 121
## Chapter 121. The Black Flame Dragon Who Gives Opportunities

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

The greatest advantage of holding the position of Academy Representative was that the accompanying quarters came with a dedicated staff of attendants ready at any moment.

As the atmosphere inside the celebration hall turned increasingly antagonistic, the instructors quickly brought the event to an end. Before retreating to our respective sleeping quarters, every member of our circle assembled at my private residence.

“The fragrance of this brew is quite refined. Please, have some.”

“…….”

The middle-aged servant woman who had previously forced me into this embarrassing, overly formal attire served the hot tea and light snacks without me needing to utter a single command.

Namgung Seon-hwa, Murong Jae-hwa, and Seong Mo-ran were likely accustomed to this degree of pampering within their own households, as none of them showed the slightest hint of surprise. On the other hand, the younger disciples from our Taeul Sect became completely rigid and fell silent the moment the attendants silently appeared.

“Young Master Jin. Are you truly going to be fine?”

“Are you holding up all right, Lady Seon-hwa?”

“Regarding what?”

“I did thrust the executive title upon you without so much as asking for your consent, after all…….”

“Naturally, I am pleased by the gesture. However, because of that choice, the remaining students are absolutely furious, and that is precisely what causes me concern.”

“If they choose to harbor anger, there is little that can be done about it.”

Despite having the opportunity to align themselves with the formidable Five Great Clans, these individuals had chosen to place their faith in me. Looking at it from my position, I had simply assembled the most capable leadership team available.

“But once the official lectures and duties commence, if the student body refuses to cooperate with the arrangements you lay out, Young Master Jin…….”

“Then I shall merely step down from the post of representative.”

“What did you say?”

“I never enrolled in this Academy seeking riches, reputation, or some grand advancement to begin with.”

Granted, I would forfeit this luxurious lifestyle and the luxury of having attendants anticipate my every need, but what of it?

From the very start, my sole purpose in entering the Academy was to shield those who depended on me, and accomplishing that remained entirely feasible whether I held the title of representative or not.

Before much longer, a catastrophic event would unfold here, resulting in the slaughter of nearly the entire student body of Murim Academy.

Ever since the very first day I set foot inside Murim Academy, I had spent sleepless nights contemplating exactly how to intercept that looming disaster.

The Corpse Mountain Blood Cult.

They were a faction of the notorious Blood Demon Sect that had broken away from the mainstream Demonic Cult two centuries ago, establishing their own autonomous stronghold within the high regions of Tibet.

Long before the massive Great Righteous-Demonic War would erupt due to the meticulous plotting of the Demonic Cult, the primary adversary faced by the Murim Alliance would be this very Corpse Mountain Blood Cult—and the initial casualties to be utterly crushed under their heel would be the pupils of this current Murim Academy generation.

“I journeyed to this place strictly to keep myself and my companions safe. I possess absolutely no desire for the status of representative, nor do I care for any future appointment within the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly.”

Hearing my declaration, the expressions of everyone in the room went entirely blank.

In my past existence, the maneuvers of the Demonic Cult had been executed with such profound secrecy, and their corrupting influence had penetrated so deeply across the entirety of the murim, that no one had managed to detect their machinations. This time, however, I was present, and the vital intelligence I had subtly released was gradually making its way through the world.

Consequently, the course of destiny had shifted significantly. It was entirely possible that the upcoming conflict with the Corpse Mountain Blood Cult and the brutal slaughter of the Murim Academy students would be avoided altogether.

“I intend to focus entirely on putting forth my absolute best effort toward the tasks within my power. Furthermore, I have no intention of bargaining with those people just to secure my own comfort.”

“……In that case, do we qualify as your companions as well, Young Master Jin?”

Faced with Namgung Seon-hwa’s hesitant inquiry, I tilted my head slightly and replied,

“Is that not glaringly obvious?”

“……Hehe.”

Regardless of what lay ahead, my objective remained perfectly defined.

To safeguard the very individuals I had proved powerless to save during my previous life.

“Moreover, no matter what underhanded strategies they attempt to deploy against us, things will scarce unfold in the manner they desire.”

And alongside that goal, to ensure those miserable scoundrels are forced to suffer a taste of their own medicine for once.

—

Jegal So-myeong harbored a deep and profound loathing for the Elder Hall. Within the hierarchy of the Murim Alliance, those who managed to secure a seat in the Elder Hall were almost exclusively smooth-talking politicians whose talent for manipulation far eclipsed their actual martial capability.

To Jegal So-myeong, the Elder Hall represented the central reservoir where all the corruption and degeneracy of the Murim Alliance pooled together—a gathering of individuals consumed by a thirst for dominance and thoroughly bloated with entitlement.

They routinely disregarded established protocols, bypassed strict guidelines, and conducted themselves as though they belonged to an untouchable, elite caste.

For that very reason, he had always taken a hard, uncompromising stance against their usual antics, such as entering the offices of Mantongbu without a scheduled slot or aggressively endorsing candidates who patently lacked the necessary credentials.

Yet, even for an individual as rigid as Jegal So-myeong, there arose specific occasions where he had no choice but to push aside his mountain of pressing administrative duties to grant an audience to an emissary from the Elder Hall. That rare exception occurred whenever they strictly adhered to proper ‘procedure’.

“Why are they suddenly following the rules so unnaturally when they have never done so before?”

They had reached out to his office days in advance, settled on a mutually agreeable timeframe, and confirmed a specific venue. The person left entirely wrong-footed by this unexpected meeting with an elder was, ironicaly, Jegal So-myeong himself.

“What sort of preposterous topic are you hoping to hash out that prompted you to organize such an awkward gathering?”

Hearing Jegal So-myeong’s blunt inquiry, Daoist Master Myeonghyeon permitted a subtle grin to play across his features.

“Come now, must there always be an official grievance for colleagues to cross paths? We are merely dynamic figures sitting down to reminisce about bygone days.”

As if that old snake and he had ever shared a single friendly conversation in the past. Furthermore, during the days when Jegal So-myeong was making a formidable name for himself within the Murim Alliance via the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, he hadn’t the faintest clue what obscure corner of the world Myeonghyeon had been slithering out of.

“I bring it up precisely because individuals with schedules as frantic as yours have gone to the trouble of navigating this tedious step-by-step process just to get here.”

“Haha, through the recent turn of events, our faction has gained quite a bit of enlightenment as well. We came to realize just how vital strict procedure and organizational regulations truly are. It was owing to a lack of such rules that we ultimately allowed a youth who openly associates with the Black Path to gain entrance into our prestigious Academy.”

Just as he suspected.

Reminiscing was a complete farce. If the elder hadn’t been absolutely boiling with rage over Jin So-un claiming the position of top scorer during the admissions process, he would never have bothered with such a convoluted arrangement in the first place.

“As it happens, the leadership within the Elder Hall has resolved to introduce a fresh piece of legislation. We have provisionally dubbed it the ‘Jin So-un Act’.”

“That strikes me as a remarkably poor choice of phrasing. By assigning it such a title, do you not create the distinct impression that Jin So-un engaged in some form of criminal misconduct?”

“Naturally, once the legal language is fully finalized, we shall supply it with an alternative designation.”

“……Even if you enact a new regulation at this juncture, you possess no authority to retroactively expel a student who has already been officially admitted. You are well aware of this reality, are you not?”

“Of course we are. Our singular aspiration is to construct an exhaustive, flawless, and incredibly rigorous screening system to guarantee that such a regrettable oversight never repeats itself.”

It appeared the old man had more or less resigned himself to the fact that Jin So-un’s admission was set in stone, yet Jegal So-myeong still found himself unable to completely fathom what hidden agenda Myeonghyeon was driving at.

“Now that the rigorous Academy Exam has concluded, is it not high time we turn our attention toward monitoring the wider murim with absolute seriousness?”

“Good heavens! Elder Myeonghyeon, you must already be buried under the monumental task of overseeing the Alliance’s internal matters, yet you still find the spare capacity to worry over the state of the murim?”

Even when subjected to Jegal So-myeong’s thinly veiled mockery, Daoist Master Myeonghyeon’s expression remained perfectly composed.

“Did signs pointing to the Unorthodox Path not manifest within the northwestern testing region during this past examination cycle?”

“…….”

“It is my firm conviction that launching a comprehensive inquiry into that specific territory ought to be our absolute priority.”

Jegal So-myeong was likewise fully informed that a violent altercation had broken out between the testing candidates and an armed faction suspected of belonging to the Unorthodox Path in the vicinity of Kunlun Mountain.

Nevertheless, owing to the alarming indicators of Demonic Cult activity that had simultaneously come to light on the Puyang Plains, that particular investigation had been repeatedly pushed down the priority list.

“The administrative branches of Mantongbu are well aware of the situation and are currently organizing an investigative task force.”

“Is that the case? And yet, no reports have reached my ears indicating that any actual field operations have commenced.”

“We are merely sorting through our tasks in strict accordance with their level of urgency.”

“Haha, are you suggesting to me that there exists a matter of greater urgency than the overt resurgence of the Unorthodox Path?”

Across the length and breadth of the murim, bizarre occurrences resembling the calling cards of the Demonic Cult were popping up one after another.

Even so, that remained merely circumstantial guesswork that only connected logically if one deliberately chose to focus the blame on the Demonic Cult. To conclusively establish their actual involvement, a far more painstaking and exhaustive inquiry was required. The Alliance’s elite trackers were currently all deployed to that specific front.

“We expect to have the available resources to address the matter in the near future, so I must ask that you refrain from worrying excessively.”

“Haha, I am afraid I cannot find peace in such assurances. To think that the esteemed Grand Strategist, an individual whose primary duty should be to lead the charge in Purging Demons and Destroying Evil, is so thoroughly preoccupied with alternative distractions.”

“…….”

Just as Jegal So-myeong began to deduce that Myeonghyeon was likely seeking a petty form of retribution regarding the Jin So-un affair, and was preparing to subtly reference a few of Daoist Master Myeonghyeon’s personal financial scandals that he had quietly unearthed through Sim Hyeon-gak—

“……Then again, I imagine the Grand Strategist contends with his own unique set of institutional hurdles.”

“…….”

“Consequently, I took it upon myself to mull over a potential solution. What would you say to assigning the oversight of this northwestern inquiry directly to the students enrolled at Murim Academy?”

“…….”

Word had reached him that Jin So-un had ultimately proved completely unsuccessful in securing a functional administrative cabinet. While he had managed to fill roughly half of the available seats, every single one of those appointees consisted entirely of his immediate personal circle.

Virtually every prominent figure who ought to have lent their institutional weight to back Jin So-un was purposefully treating him with cold indifference.

And Jegal So-myeong harbored little doubt that the quiet machinations of Daoist Master Myeonghyeon sitting right across from him were responsible for orchestrating that isolation.

“Granted, they are still technically Academy students, but in regards to raw combat proficiency, they already match the capabilities of a Deputy Captain, do they not? Undertaking this would undoubtedly serve as an invaluable learning experience for the youth.”

It was by no means unprecedented for the pupils of Murim Academy to acquire real-world experience throughout the murim as a form of mandatory field training. The glaring issue, however, was that Jin So-un had utterly failed to establish firm command over the student body.

‘So this is the trap he intends to spring at the end of the day.’

Should the student body be dispatched into active territory under their current fractured state, severe operational failures would inevitably manifest due to the fragmented chain of command. That catastrophic outcome would rapidly accelerate the timeline for Jin So-un’s official removal from office.

Even so, Jegal So-myeong found himself in a position where he could not flatly dismiss Daoist Master Myeonghyeon’s proposal, given that the old man had structured his argument with such thorough care and possessed a perfectly valid institutional pretext.

“I am highly averse to the notion of thrusting an operational assignment of this magnitude onto the shoulders of Academy students when they have scarcely had the opportunity to adjust to their surroundings.”

“Adjust? Such a trivial matter is…….”

“Ah, naturally, I am by no means implying that they lack the capability to succeed. If the assignment is kept to that specific scale, the students should prove more than capable of managing it. My point is simply that we must grant them a modest window of time. Only after a cohesive operational framework is put in place and internal affairs are properly organized will those young martial artists be in a position to deploy, would you not agree?”

“…….”

The absolute most Jegal So-myeong could accomplish on behalf of Jin So-un was to buy him a bit of breathing room. Bereft of even that brief delay, Jin So-un would most assuredly face impeachment on the grounds of flagrant incompetence the moment he departed for the field before securing proper compliance from the student body.

Ultimately, seeing the boundary line drawn, Daoist Master Myeonghyeon chose to concede the point for the time being.

—

“My head throbs fiercely whenever I am forced to wrangle with hypocrites who have dedicated their entire existences to weaving petty political schemes.”

Upon making his way back to the offices of Mantongbu, Jegal So-myeong applied heavy pressure to his throbbing temples with his fingertips.

If only there existed some capable soul who could step in and handle all those calculating old foxes, each as slippery as an eel, in his stead, he would feel an immense sense of relief.

Tragically, the singular young man whose intellect seemed perfectly suited for such a task was currently isolated within the Academy walls, contending with a crisis that threatened his very position.

“Hehehe…… You arrogant little fool. I shall see to it that you wrap your arms around my ankles and plead for my mercy. Ehehehe.”

“…….”

Throughout the preceding days, Maeng Ju-won had conducted himself like a walking corpse, hollowly muttering to himself, “My fleeting youth… my lovely, rabbit-like spouse… my clever, fox-like children….” Yet at this very moment, his gaze flashed with intense focus as he feverishly scribbled away at a stack of parchment.

“What on earth is that lunatic plotting now?”

A passing staff member from the department offered a weary sigh, gesturing toward the thick volume of institutional regulations that Maeng Ju-won had clamped firmly under his arm.

“The governing executive body of the Murim Academy Representative Delegation wound up completely disintegrating, did it not?”

“That is correct.”

“Well, the absolute instant that piece of gossip reached his ears, he plunged headfirst into generating an absurd mountain of paperwork just like that, claiming that fortune had granted him another shot at securing a bride.”

Observing the sheer scale of his frantic writing, it was evident he intended to artificially expand the routine bureaucratic directives forwarded by the Murim Alliance until they stood at several times their authentic size.

It was a calculated maneuver designed to manufacture a crisis wherein Jin So-un—completely cut off from the immediate backing of a proper cabinet or the cooperation of the student body—would find himself left with absolutely no alternative but to desperately implore Maeng Ju-won for administrative assistance.

“Do you wish for me to step in and put a stop to his antics?”

“Leave him to his devices.”

“Excuse me?”

The mid-level bureaucrat could scarcely mask his sheer bewilderment upon hearing Jegal So-myeong—a chief who under ordinary circumstances would have ruthlessly penalized this exact brand of insubordinate behavior from Maeng Ju-won—grant his explicit authorization.

“Regardless of his methods, Jin So-un currently finds himself in a predicament where he critically requires an ally to lean on. No matter how winding or distorted the path traveled, so long as it ultimately terminates in Jiangnan, the outcome remains acceptable.”

Furthermore, if Maeng Ju-won’s meddling succeeded in forcing Jin So-un to plant even a single foot inside the sphere of Mantongbu, Jegal So-myeong’s personal workload would likely become vastly more manageable as a direct consequence.

—

The student body of the institution was segregated into a grand total of ten distinct classrooms, organized systematically according to their academic evaluation scores.

The formal curriculum was strictly restricted to no more than three morning lecture slots, thereby keeping the afternoon periods completely unburdened for any specialized training sessions organized by the Academy Representative Delegation, while ensuring each individual student retained ample free time to dedicate to their personal martial advancement.

“What truly constitutes martial power?”

I was the solitary individual from our immediate circle who had been placed within the ranks of Class A, and right now, the introductory lecture for that elite Class A was officially underway.

“When stripped down to its core essence, martial power represents merely one specific manifestation of strength. No matter how fearsome an individual martial artist’s prowess may be, he cannot hope to withstand the overwhelming authority of a unified state. Similarly, even the most absolute political authority cannot hope to endure for a decade when pitted against overwhelming financial dominance. Yet, the leverage yielded by coin is fundamentally indirect in nature, meaning it has little choice but to cower when confronted by raw physical violence.”

“I wish to raise an inquiry.”

The instructor who had been leading the discussion paused, turning his attention toward the student who had thrust his hand into the air.

“Are we truly to believe that power is confined solely to those three specific categories? It is my firm conviction that alternative forms of influence exist as well.”

“Alternative forms?”

“Indeed. Within our very own enrollment class, there sits a prominent individual who secured remarkably high marks primarily through an extraordinary display of interpersonal connection power, which is why I seek clarification.”

“Interpersonal power?”

“Yes. I am referring explicitly to an individual who managed to clear the entrance examinations precisely because his private network of acquaintances extends deep into the underworld of the Black Path.”

“……Puhahahaha.”

“Kahahahaha.”

An explosion of raucous laughter shattered the dense quiet that had enveloped the classroom up until that moment. And as a matter of course, every single head in the room swiveled directly toward my desk.

“…….”

The lecturer proved no exception to the trend. He joined in the mockery, laughing until his midsection physically ached, before finally wrestling his facial features back into a professional mask and offering a comment.

“Tsk! You must refrain from open derision toward a fellow classmate who will be standing alongside you on the path ahead.”

“I find myself rather skeptical of that sentiment. If anything, I suspect I would feel far more anxious sharing a field with him. After all, who can truly say when such an individual might choose to turn his blade and plunge it into our backs?”

“Pfft, quite so. Well then, what are your thoughts regarding the point your classmate has just raised?”

Inevitably, the instructor’s finger pointed directly at me.

I pushed myself up from my bench and locked my gaze onto the student who had initiated the mocking query.

“I cannot say for certain. If it is your genuine belief that I achieved my ranking solely through the clever manipulation of personal connections, then I am left with no choice but to wonder if your mental faculties are far too deficient for you to properly comprehend the complexities of martial arts. This interaction certainly offers clear evidence that Murim Academy places no emphasis on evaluating basic intelligence during admissions.”

“…….”

I had responded to their hostile jest with a cutting counter-jest of my own, yet the expressions on those fools’ faces instantly soured, as though they were suddenly staring at a fresh corpse.

In all honesty, dealing with this incredibly petty high-society nonsense was getting far too tiresome to tolerate passively.

The instigator’s expression twisted into a scowl as he snapped back.

“Then are you attempting to claim that you happen to wield an adequate measure of those alternative forms of power as well?”

“I cannot say whether my capability qualifies as adequate, but this Academy maintains far too lofty a standard for any applicant to breach its gates purely on the back of personal networking, does it not?”

The instructor interjected, strokes of curiosity appearing in his voice.

“Hmm…… There is undeniable truth in that statement. Yet from the rumors circulating through the halls, it appears the rest of the student body flatly refuses to recognize your authority?”

“It would seem I remain deficient in a variety of aspects.”

“In that case, I shall arrange an immediate opportunity for you to validate your standing. At the very least, do you not bear the responsibility of demonstrating that you are by no means deficient in regards to raw combat capacity?”

“Are you instructing me to engage in an immediate martial challenge?”

“Do you honestly believe evaluating your worth by having you deliver a spoken lecture on abstract martial philosophy would suffice for this class?”

“…… crumbling.”

The lecturer shifted his gaze back to the student who had started the verbal confrontation.

“When you allowed your tongue to wag so insolently a moment ago, I trust you did so fully prepared to face the natural repercussions?”

“Without a shadow of a doubt!”

The instructor turned his eyes back onto me.

“What say you? Are you prepared to step forward?”

“I am afraid that a standard arrangement will make it exceedingly difficult to conclusively validate my standing.”

Contemptuous smirks rippled across the faces of the assembled pupils, and muted snickering erupted from various corners of the room.

Utterly indifferent to whatever mockery they chose to throw my way, I walked clear of my desk and took center stage.

“To properly demonstrate my capability, I believe I shall require no fewer than five opponents to step forward simultaneously.”