The Martial Genius Who Remembers Everything Novel - Chapter 189

Chapter 189
The trip back home proceeded without significant obstacles.

Because we displayed the Murim Alliance Flag prominently—having secured it from the Chengdu Branch Chief—no amateur mountain gangs attempted to harass us. Furthermore, our substantial group size ensured that even martial artists from the darker sects merely glared with annoyance before moving along.

The guards from the Mukyeop Escort Agency seemed to grasp the utility of the Murim Alliance Flag as well, guiding us along convenient routes they usually avoided due to the risks involved, leaving no one feeling exhausted by the transit.

However, a segment of the Academy Students voiced dissatisfaction regarding the food.

The Victory Tiger Hall members were accustomed to extensive field training and frequent marching, so preparing their own meals posed no real challenge.

Conversely, our distinguished elites from the Nine Great Sects, having been pampered on their home mountains, lacked anyone skilled in outdoor cooking. Consequently, they scorched their supposedly simple porridge or consumed it undercooked.

Eventually, several Academy Students consolidated their grievances and approached Gu Jeong-ryong for a solution.

“What? You find it difficult to cook and eat? Then just consume your Fasting Pills. Have you never relied on them during your training back at your home sect?”

Faced with that icy rebuttal, they retreated looking as if they were on the verge of tears.

They had clearly learned a painful lesson: the “precious child” treatment they were used to was exclusive to their home mountains.

What about our contingent?

“Eun-ho, I believe we are running low on meat.”

“Brother Geum-pyo, is your vision failing you? There is plenty of meat. It just appears sparse because there is an abundance of dried vegetables mixed in.”

“I would still prefer a higher ratio of meat.”

“Which is exactly why I told you to pack more dried jerky.”

I remained unaware of when they had prepared it, but Geum-pyo and Eun-ho constructed a porridge for every meal containing twice the amount of meat and vegetables as grains.

As a result, our group feasted until our bellies were nearly stretched to their limit every single time.

‘Have I ever allowed these kids to go hungry?’

Throughout our travels, rather than deprivation, I had provided them with delicacies from both land and sea until they were sated. Yet, the appetites of these rascals only continued to expand without bounds.

“For some reason, I feel like I pack on more weight cooking outdoors than I do back at the Academy.”

Following Namgung Seon-hwa’s remark, Seong Mo-ran offered a nod of agreement.

“I actually feel as though we eat rather poorly when we are back at the Academy.”

I cast my eyes over the various Academy Students.

Every single one of them displayed sunken cheeks and dark circles under their eyes.

Having slept in the open repeatedly since the incidents in Sichuan, fatigue had accumulated upon them in heavy layers.

Even the members of the Twelve Peak Citadels, touted as the elite among the One Hundred Eight Peaks, appeared in rather poor condition.

In contrast, our group—including Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran—appeared healthy and vibrant.

“Are none of you feeling exhausted?”

In response to my query, Seong Mo-ran tilted her head.

“We eat comfortably three times a day and sleep soundly without even needing to stand guard, so what reason would we have to feel tired?”

No matter how I analyzed the situation, their circumstances weren’t vastly different from the rest of the Academy Students, although……?

At this, Eun-ho clicked his tongue and remarked:

“Eldest Senior Brother, the young ladies and Jae-hwa completed the Regular Exam alongside us, did they not?”

“Ah……”

They say that once you have endured genuine hardship, the challenges that follow no longer register as difficult.

I grasped anew just how intensely I had driven them during that Regular Exam.

‘They must all have been raised just as pampered as the True Disciples of the Nine Great Sects.’

Namgung Seon-hwa, in particular, had been raised as the beloved granddaughter of the Divine Sword, likely without ever needing to perform any menial labor.

Yet now, she consumed three bowls of meat porridge prepared from dried jerky in a single sitting……

“Why are you staring at me, Young Master?”

Namgung Seon-hwa tilted her head as I observed her.

“It is nothing.”

As soon as the guilt of turning people raised in luxury into this began to surface, a rationalization, reigning like a monarch in my mind, descended with a heavy thud to crush that feeling.

‘Well, thanks to that, they have become capable individuals. Regardless of which Martial Pavilion they join when they transition to the Alliance later, they should face no trouble in adjusting.’

Seong Mo-ran, observing my expression, narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“You are justifying something to yourself, aren’t you?”

Is this that legendary intuition women possess?

I quickly pivoted to a different topic.

“I was merely fretting over the events to come.”

“What…… events?”

Seong Mo-ran’s lips trembled with unease.

Am I some sort of specter? I hadn’t even uttered a word yet, so why that reaction?

“Because Young Master Jin says he is worried, I feel even more nervous!”

“……”

In reality, the situation was far from relaxed.

To begin with, there were the Elders of the Righteous Path Association.

Why else would those individuals have abandoned their own disciples and departed for the Murim Alliance the moment we reached Chengdu?

Their intent to go there and engage in manipulation was clear.

It would be fortunate if their machinations were limited to merely minimizing their own accountability.

The greater issue was my inability to forecast what kind of defamation they might conjure regarding this ordeal.

Secondly, there was the matter of the Murim Academy.

During the academic session, the Academy Representative had vacated his post, taking the entire executive staff of the Representative Delegation with him.

We followed the proper protocols, but what if it surfaced that this was a result of an overreach by a Department Head while the Grand Strategist was absent?

The upcoming academic schedule might face disruption.

Furthermore, using this crisis as a pretext, those who coveted the seat of Academy Representative would inevitably begin their maneuvers once more.

I realized it with perfect clarity.

If I simply relinquished the position of Academy Representative, I had no way of knowing how much more of a disastrous state the Murim Academy might fall into.

If the Murim Academy were to descend into chaos, the future Murim Alliance would undoubtedly become a coalition of fools, just as it had been in my previous life.

‘I absolutely cannot allow that to occur.’

I steeled my resolve once again.

The return trip concluded without a hitch.

Upon our arrival in Wuhan, the Mukyeop Escort Agency retrieved their carriages and personnel before departing.

From Wuhan onward to the Murim Academy, only Victory Tiger Hall and the Academy Students traveled together.

“Auuuuugh! We finally made it!”

Seong Mo-ran stretched out with a look of relief.

Smiles surfaced on the faces of the others before they realized it.

Gazing at the sign that read “Murim Academy” made the reality of our arrival feel tangible once more.

“I intend to go back and sleep for three straight days.”

“Me as well.”

As we traded casual remarks and passed through the front gate:

“““Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!”””

Deafening cheers erupted from all directions.

“Wh-what is this?”

Just like Geum-pyo, who looked startled, the rest of the group stood dumbfounded.

Lined up on both sides of the path leading toward the main building, Academy Students and individuals resembling outsiders were waiting and cheering.

“What on earth……?”

At that moment, Jang Woo-jae and his companions emerged from among the crowd.

“You worked hard, Representative.”

“What is happening here?”

“The Academy Representative rushed out to shield the Academy Students and brought them back without injury. Naturally, everyone would want to come out and offer their cheers.”

Is that so?

For that to be the case, however, I did not see even a glimpse of anyone from the Orthodox Path Association or the Righteous Path Association.

Jang Woo-jae spoke with the expression of one beholding a hero.

“Please wave your hand first, Representative.”

“……”

Why would I suddenly wave my hand……?

This type of welcome did not suit my temperament.

While I hesitated, Jang Woo-jae suddenly seized my hand and hoisted it high.

Simultaneously,

“““Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”””

Even louder cheers than before echoed powerfully across the grounds.

“Black Flame Dragon!! Black Flame Dragon!!”

“So impressive!! Taeul Sect!!”

“The best! Truly the best!”

It appeared that a moniker I preferred not to hear had naturally become intertwined with the rest……

Regardless, once the focus of the cheers became clear, the Taeul Sect students, Namgung Seon-hwa, Seong Mo-ran, and Murong Jae-hwa also began waving to the crowd.

Each time they did, the throngs of people chanted their names and cheered.

The group, who mere moments ago claimed they were so exhausted they wanted to collapse, seemed to have forgotten all fatigue. They beamed and acknowledged the celebration.

Watching them, a soft laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

“Well, this sort of thing is not entirely bad once in a while.”

“How could this have happened?”

They had attempted to respond with all due speed, but ultimately, the dispatch to Sichuan had been delayed.

Jegal So-myeong, who had been unable to rest properly at night due to his inability to predict how the Sichuan events would unfold, was now stunned by reports he had genuinely not anticipated.

-Blood Cult eastward advance halted.

-Abnormality detected within Blood Cult unit.

-Blood Cult combat preparations insufficient.

His primary concern had been the Emei Sect, which would be the first to confront the Blood Cult.

Publicly, the Emei Sect confidently asserted they would not fall to the likes of the Blood Cult, but their inner trembling was evident.

This was clear from their desperate request for the Jegal Clan to reorganize the Mystic Gate Formations installed on their main mountain, and their decision to gather even the disciples of their lay-affiliated sects to ensure a fortified defense.

‘I had no option but to desperately pray they would hold out at least until the Murim Alliance’s forces were deployed……’

For some unknown reason, the Blood Cult’s advance to the east had stalled.

“Are they plotting something far greater?”

His nerves had already been sharpened to an extreme degree by the news that the Blood Cult possessed Iron Corpse Puppets, leaving Jegal So-myeong’s mind honed like a blade.

“Those cursed bastards……”

The primary reason the deployment had been delayed this significantly was none other than the Spirit-Suppression Bead.

The witchcraft employed by the Blood Cult was so potent that even individuals with significant Dao or Buddhist internal power instantly lost their sanity.

Because of this, he had issued a single directive to verify the possession of Spirit-Suppression Beads—the fundamental tools for dispelling evil and subduing spirits—but troublesome reports flooded in from every corner.

‘They sold them off a long time ago?’

The situation was so absurd that he was left speechless and unable to articulate his thoughts.

Had it been only one or two individuals, he would have immediately held them accountable and cast them into the deepest Prison of the Murim Alliance, but far too many had sold off their Spirit-Suppression Beads.

They were so numerous that they exceeded the capacity of the prison; if he were to actually carry out such an arrest, several Martial Pavilions would be gutted.

“Urgh…… urgh……”

There was no method to purge the anger erupting from the depths of his chest.

He attempted to urgently source more Spirit-Suppression Beads, but how could that task be simple?

They were inherently difficult to manufacture, and the existing stock was far too low.

Ultimately, per the reports from Sichuan, they had urgently purchased the Mount Heng Sect’s Demon-Subduing Talismans, which were reported to have excellent efficacy, and sent the warriors off with those in their possession.

Jegal So-myeong crushed the report in his fist and ground his teeth.

‘Just wait. I absolutely! Absolutely! Will not let this slide.’

Setting aside the matter of the Spirit-Suppression Beads, Jegal So-myeong resolved that as soon as this incident was concluded, he would immediately initiate an audit into the actual condition of supplies issued by the Murim Alliance.

Admittedly, he felt as though he could already hear the cries of the supply officers from every direction.

But that was a necessity inherent in the current situation──.

At that moment.

“Grand Strategist……”

Maeng Ju-won, having long sensed that Jegal So-myeong was in an abysmal mood, approached him with caution.

As expected, Jegal So-myeong vented his frustration freely.

“You bastard! Why must you be so vexing!”

“……”

Maeng Ju-won, who was addressing him for the first time since starting his shift today, felt incredibly aggrieved, but he swallowed that bitterness.

‘Ha……. I am going to be tormented for a considerable time.’

Because of the individuals who had sold off the Spirit-Suppression Beads, he would also suffer by association. But he could not push back as he usually might.

After all, he bore some culpability himself.

If events turned sour, he might be cast into the prison for a time in the stead of those others.

Careful not to further provoke Jegal So-myeong, Maeng Ju-won broached the main subject.

“That is not it. It is reported that Jin So-un has returned.”

Jegal So-myeong’s eyes snapped open.

“……Hm? That bastard?”

“Yes. The Academy just contacted us. They stated everyone returned unharmed.”

“Already?”

He had received updates, but they had arrived much sooner than he had projected.

‘How did he manage to win over the Chengdu Branch Chief as well?’

From what he understood, the Chengdu Branch Chief had dipped into his personal funds to provide transport and even hire an Escort Agency.

While everyone else spent Murim Alliance funds with reckless abandon, it was naturally gratifying to witness someone frugally preserving the Alliance’s resources.

Jegal So-myeong pulled down the edges of his lips, which were threatening to creep upward.

‘No, even so, what necessitates a scolding must be scolded.’

Since Hyeok Mu-gang would undoubtedly praise his accomplishments regardless, Jegal So-myeong felt he would need to deliver a bit of criticism.

Was it not inappropriate for a bastard who was expected to enter Mantongbu and perform grand tasks in the future to start employing tricks that bypassed regulations so early?

Since he had more than a few matters he was curious about, Jegal So-myeong sprang from his chair.

“Where are you heading?”

“I am going to pay a visit to the Academy.”

“Excuse me? If you intend to see Jin So-un, you can simply summon him to Mantongbu……”

“No, that is unnecessary. I shall go myself.”

The moment Jin So-un stepped into the Murim Alliance, the narrative would surely reach Hyeok Mu-gang’s ears.

If he was going to reprimand him, now was his only window.

Bang.

The moment he kicked open Mantongbu’s loose, rattling door and stepped out.

“……What brings you here?”

Faced with an unexpected guest, Jegal So-myeong’s brow furrowed heavily.

As soon as I arrived and barely managed to unpack, I was summoned to the Murim Academy Head’s office.

‘To be precise, it was a summons from Mantongbu.’

The instructor who delivered the message seemed ignorant of the exact reason, as he simply stated that much and walked away.

‘But why did they not call me to Mantongbu directly?’

From the moment I handled the affair through Maeng Ju-won, I knew this outcome was inevitable.

I had arrogantly committed as much overreach as I desired, but it was obvious everything would be scrutinized the moment Jegal So-myeong arrived.

‘Still, events went smoothly precisely because it was Maeng Ju-won.’

Anticipating some degree of punishment from Jegal So-myeong, I took that specific bundle with me.

Because Eun Seol-ran had kept it frozen solid periodically, there was no odor.

‘Will this facilitate a smoother discussion?’

As I contemplated this and that, I knocked on the Academy Head’s office door.

Creak.

As if he had been expecting me, the door swung open, and Buk Won-pyeong appeared with a welcoming smile.

“Come inside.”

Buk Won-pyeong sat down first and poured tea.

As befitting an Academy Head, the tea was of high quality.

“When did you return?”

“I arrived as soon as the academic schedule resumed. You caused quite a remarkable incident during my absence.”

“The circumstances were unavoidable. You have some understanding of the situation, Academy Head, do you not?”

In truth, if he remained ignorant, that would be a problem in itself.

It would be no different from questioning his own qualifications as Academy Head.

“The Elder Council crossed a significant line this time.”

“……”

“To think they would stir up trouble while both I and the Grand Strategist were away.”

Buk Won-pyeong shook his head as if finding them pathetic.

I immediately asked:

“They departed Chengdu for the Murim Alliance before us……. Did they cause any other incidents while they were at it?”

“They appear to be poking around various sectors of the Murim Alliance and attempting something, but it is not proving easy for them. This incident was simply too vast. Tsk.”

Hmm, did that mean one burden had been lifted?

“Still, do not lower your guard. Most of the commentary emerging from them has been directed at you.”

Damn it. Of course.

Even so, I was not overly worried.

In any event, taking revenge on the Elder Council could be executed step-by-step after I entered Mantongbu, and it would not be too late.

Wishing to shift my mood, I changed the topic.

“Was the matter you went to investigate resolved satisfactorily?”

Buk Won-pyeong had intended to enter the Taeul Sect as a Lay Disciple to surpass the limitations of the Three Pure Ones Peerless Sword, a single-successor lineage.

That was the reason he had left the Academy Head’s office vacant.

Buk Won-pyeong sipped his tea and grinned.

“It went well.”

“That is wonderful news. Then, should I call you Martial Uncle from now on?”

With this, the disciples of the Taeul Sect now possessed a credible protector within the Murim Alliance.

Since the Three Pure Ones Peerless Sword had become a Lay Disciple of the Taeul Sect, what sort of fool would dare to insult the Taeul Sect as a rootless organization……

“Not Martial Uncle.”

“Hm?”

Since the current generation consisted only of the Elders and a few senior members, if he entered as a Lay Disciple, was it not natural he would enter under the Sect Leader’s generation?

While I briefly lost my voice in confusion, Buk Won-pyeong’s voice shattered the silence.

“Call me Senior Brother from now on.”

“……”

I sat there blankly, then dug at my ear.

Since no earwax emerged, there was definitely something wrong with my brain.

As I tapped my temples a couple of times, Buk Won-pyeong smiled meaningfully.

“I will call you Junior Brother, but from this point forward, I will serve you as the Chief Disciple.”

Chief Disciple……?

My mind froze, rendering me incapable of speech.

As though he understood, Buk Won-pyeong nodded.

“The Elders said none of them would accept me, you see. In the end, I offered three bows to the Sect Leader.”

Hmm, as anticipated, the Taeul Sect really did appear to be a rootless sect.

At this point, there was nothing to be done even if others cursed us.

At that moment,

Knock, knock.

The sound of someone rapping on the door reached us.

I quickly spoke to Buk Won-pyeong.

“Then may I request one favor as a first act? Senior Brother?”

“What is it?”

“When I am being reprimanded, please restrain the Grand Strategist a little.”

Buk Won-pyeong suddenly lowered his gaze and shook his head.

“……I cannot do that. How could I cast a shadow over my heaven-like Eldest Senior Brother?”

What is with this man? Why is he suddenly behaving like this?

“……You just said you would call me Junior Brother.”

“That and this are separate matters. Eldest Senior Brother.”

Does the title “Eldest Senior Brother” not roll off your tongue a bit too easily……?

Bang.

The door burst open, and simultaneously, Jegal So-myeong entered with the face of a vengeful spirit.

‘His expression is more severe than I anticipated.’

I quickly rose from my seat and bowed my head like a sinner who had committed a capital crime.

However, Jegal So-myeong’s expression displayed no sign of softening.

“Jin So-un, you bastard…… grrrk.”

Behind Jegal So-myeong, who was grinding his teeth, another person entered while gently holding his shoulder.

I was so stunned I could not properly close my mouth.

‘Why is that person here……?’

White-Bearded Divine Sword, Hyeok Mu-gang.

One of the absolute masters of the Murim, and the leader of the Murim Alliance, had appeared at the Murim Academy.