The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything [Novel] Chapter 203

Chapter 203. Stealing the Seat (2)

“Let’s head inside for now,” I told my dumbfounded companions.
Snapping out of their daze, they followed my lead.
As we moved down the hallway, the people working nearby began to stare. They looked at us like unwelcome intruders. A few even stepped up to block our path.
“This area is for the Executive Representatives. Outsiders are—”
Ha, would you look at this.
“What.”
Catching sight of my scowl, the White Faction member hesitated, then quickly backed off.
Seong Moran let out an indignant huff. “This is ridiculous.”
Her feelings exactly mirrored my own.
The deeper we went, the more people stopped to stare. Hostile glares, blatant displays of discomfort, and muttered curses followed us. It felt like we had waltzed straight into the middle of an enemy camp.
“They really went all out decorating.”
At Jang Woojae’s comment, I looked around. The rooms, originally used as storage, had been lavishly renovated. Desks and filing cabinets filled the space, overflowing with paperwork. Compared to our haphazardly stacked piles of documents, their setup actually looked like a proper executive office.
The Academy wouldn’t have funded this. Did the White Faction pay out of pocket?
While I entertained these escapist thoughts, a group walked out of the Representative’s office. Acting like the absolute rulers of the place, they skimmed through reports handed to them from all sides, swiftly delegating tasks.
The group took a few steps before noticing the shift in the atmosphere and glancing around.
“Why has everyone stopped working—”
“Brother Jeonggi. What is the meaning of this?”
At Namgung Seonhwa’s demand, Jegal Jeonggi looked at us and let out a sigh. Then, ignoring her entirely, he locked eyes with me.
“You actually came.”
“It’s not like I’m trespassing.”
“Leaving your post for so long during the academic term… I didn’t realize you were quite this shameless.”
“…”
What the hell is this bastard saying?
I am still the Executive Representative. My absence only happened because I was busy cleaning up the massive mess the Righteous Faction left behind.
So why on earth were Jegal Jeonggi and the Five Great Families making a move like this?
What exactly are they relying on?
Beside him, Namgung Gipyo whispered something in his ear. Jegal Jeonggi nodded, then looked back at me.
“Would you care for a cup of tea?”
He was acting like the master of the house greeting a guest. The dynamic was completely backward, but it felt so utterly absurd that I decided to humor him and hear him out.
“Do you have any Silver Needle? I’ve acquired a taste for it lately.”
Jegal Jeonggi and Namgung Gipyo’s faces immediately stiffened.
What? You blew all this money on redecorating, but couldn’t be bothered to stock decent tea for your guests?
Trickle.
As steaming hot water was poured into the teacup, a small flower bud began to bloom, petal by petal. Each unfolding petal was a different color, instantly dyeing the clear water with their vibrant hues.
I was briefly captivated by the bizarre and beautiful display, until I noticed the smirk on Jegal Jeonggi’s lips.
“It’s called the Seven-Color Flower,” he said.
“Seven-Color Flower?”
“I hear the high-ranking officials in Beijing prefer it nowadays.” He tilted his chin up slightly. “…Since any random nobody drinks Silver Needle and Dragon Well these days, the elite have stopped seeking them out.”
Well, after seeing this fascinating display, the simple unrolling of dried leaves in Dragon Well or Silver Needle did seem a bit underwhelming in comparison.
With an elegant gesture, Jegal Jeonggi brought the teacup to his lips. “When commoners are lucky enough to taste something extraordinary, they delude themselves into thinking they’ve risen to a special status. But in reality, they are only able to taste it because the commodity itself is no longer special.”
“What are you trying to say?”
He smiled pleasantly. “Just making conversation about how the world works.”
Jegal Jeonggi took another sip of the Seven-Color Flower tea, closing his eyes to savor the aroma as the liquid lingered in his mouth.
Is there a specific way to drink this stuff?
I deliberately left my teacup untouched.
Jegal Jeonggi finally swallowed and opened his eyes. “You must have been slightly flustered.”
“Does the Jegal Family teach a different definition of the word ‘slightly’?”
I go on a short trip, and when I return, strangers have taken over my house and are acting like they own the place. And he thinks ‘slightly flustered’ covers it?
“I could smash your skull in right now, and you wouldn’t have the right to complain, would you?”
Despite my violent threat, Jegal Jeonggi merely chuckled. “As expected, a change in position doesn’t alter one’s roots.”
He was trying to provoke me. But it was such a juvenile attempt that I couldn’t help but scoff.
“I guess you didn’t realize this rootless peasant has a notoriously filthy temper?”
“Oh, I know. I heard you crippled Ak Jupyeong.”
“I don’t show mercy to those who cross the line.”
Jegal Jeonggi stroked his chin dismissively. “To be fair, Jupyeong did make a slight mistake.”
“Most people wouldn’t call beating someone to the brink of death a ‘slight mistake.'”
“Haha!” Jegal Jeonggi burst into genuine laughter and shook his head.
For some reason, his laughter grated on my nerves. I was used to being treated with disrespect, and usually, my shameless retorts would just piss my opponents off. But this felt different.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s simply amusing to hear that from someone who spilled a considerable amount of blood to pass the regular exams.”
A cold clarity suddenly washed over my mind.
Jegal Jeonggi raised an eyebrow and added, “When I reviewed the exam records, I found that you killed five times as many people as anyone else.”
He was trying to prick my conscience, but too bad for him.
“I don’t forgive those who come after my life, or my position.”
I’m not as soft as you think I am.
Jegal Jeonggi nodded, feigning understanding. “Of course. Naturally. That is how a martial artist should be. However…”
His smile vanished, and he stared at me with cold eyes. “How many more people will you kill to protect that seat in the future?”
“…”
“The more you covet that position, the more people will die. As you climb higher, people like Ak Jupyeong will constantly block your path.”
I leaned forward slightly. “What’s your underlying point?” I met his gaze with eyes as cold as ice. “Are you saying the White Faction is going to block my path?”
Having thrown out such a heavy, threatening statement, Jegal Jeonggi merely shrugged nonchalantly. “I merely wanted to ask if you had the resolve for it.”
I took another look around the room. “If that’s the case, you’ve taken this little stunt way too far.”
“It’s nothing. For the White Faction, maintaining proper decorum—even in a temporary workspace—is standard practice.” Jegal Jeonggi emphasized the word ‘temporary,’ seemingly taking a step back. “Now that the Academy Representative has returned, we should gradually wrap up the tasks we were handling.”
But his next words were loaded with a very clear, deliberate threat. “…Assuming the current Representative manages to keep his position, of course.”
“You’re worrying about useless things.”
Deciding there was nothing left to discuss, I stood up.
Jegal Jeonggi’s head tilted as he followed my movement. “Oh, leaving so soon?”
“Is there anything else to say?”
Jegal Jeonggi pointed at my untouched tea. “It’s very precious. At least have a taste.”
“…”
I picked up the Seven-Color Flower tea and downed it in one gulp. Maybe I drank it wrong, because nothing but a thick, bitter taste lingered on my tongue.
With the door closed, the heavy silence in the Representative’s office felt even more stifling compared to the noisy hallway outside. Crushed by an inexplicable sense of defeat, no one dared to speak.
What exactly are they trying to do?
Namgung Seonhwa was struggling to understand the current situation. Jin Soun had stepped away for a short while, but that wasn’t grounds to strip him of his position. Their excuse of forming a temporary executive committee to keep the Academy running in his absence was clearly a sham.
They wouldn’t do this unless they had something to back them up…
Arriving at this conclusion, Namgung Seonhwa looked at Jin Soun and asked, “Young Master Jin. What did you discuss with Brother Jeong—I mean, the Chairman of the White Faction?”
The most urgent priority was figuring out their intentions. What on earth were they plotting? She needed to know what gave them the confidence to brazenly act as the executive representatives. There was no way they’d go this far just to cover for Jin Soun’s temporary absence.
“We didn’t talk about much. I was just served a cup of rather strange tea,” Jin Soun replied casually, not looking up from the documents he was reviewing.
“Tea?”
“Yes. The Seven-Color Flower, I think? It was quite bitter.”
“…”
Jin Soun’s expression was odd as he gave his dismissive reply. He was clearly suppressing a massive surge of emotion. And Namgung Seonhwa had seen that exact look on someone else before.
Her grandfather.
It was the exact same expression the Azure Emperor Divine Sword wore when, despite possessing absolute power and justification, he was staggered by insidious plots and schemes.
This is dangerous…
She’d heard later that her grandfather had been fully prepared to shed blood within the family. And then Jin Soun had appeared. If he hadn’t helped complete the Azure Sky Cloud Sword Art, the Namgung Family would have undoubtedly been torn apart.
This time, it’s my turn to help him.
Having crossed the threshold of life and death with him, Namgung Seonhwa knew exactly how ruthless Jin Soun could be. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if his true wrath was unleashed. She knew better than anyone how brutally hard he had fought to reach this position.
She didn’t believe for a second that Jin Soun would fall for the White Faction’s schemes and ruin everything. But she also refused to sit back and watch him struggle.
Because his agitation is exactly what the White Faction wants.
Over the next three days, Namgung Seonhwa mobilized every connection she had to investigate the White Faction’s plot. Finally, she obtained a crucial piece of information from a disciple of one of the Namgung Family’s secular factions.
“Jegal Jeonggi made a proposal to the Head Instructors. He asked for a competition against… Jin Soun’s faction.”
“He proposed an Academy-wide event. If they can gather more people to their side, they want to be officially recognized as the executive representatives.”
“You absolutely cannot tell Young Master Gipyo that I told you this.”
The Head Instructors held independent voting rights within the Academy. It was somewhat expected that the old guard would try to recruit the instructors to destabilize Jin Soun’s standing.
But why now, of all times?
The instructors could only set the stage. Ultimately, the decision would be made by the Academy students, and the current climate was not favorable to the White Faction at all.
Jin Soun had already shifted the Academy’s dynamics by resolving the incident in Sichuan. During her investigation, Namgung Seonhwa discovered that the Righteous Faction had lost a significant amount of trust due to the Sichuan incident, and as a counter-reaction, support for Jin Soun had skyrocketed.
Given this, the White Faction should be at a severe disadvantage…
“No. Maybe they were forced to make a move because of this situation?” Seong Moran interjected after hearing Namgung Seonhwa’s report. “If things continue like this, Young Master Jin’s position will become unshakeable. This might have been the White Faction’s absolute last chance.”
“…That makes sense.”
Even so, questions remained. The White Faction’s bold move meant they were holding a trump card. What exactly did they have that gave them the confidence to pull this stunt?
As if to validate her anxiety, another incident occurred shortly after.
“My instructor just received a suspension notice.” Moyong Jaehwa had rushed into the Representative’s office, unable to hide the panic on her face.
Jin Soun set the documents he was reviewing down on the desk. “What do you mean? Who issued a suspension?”
“The new executive representatives…”
There were currently no official archery classes at the Academy, so Moyong Jaehwa had been receiving private tutoring. If Yeo Samtong of the Phantom Bow Clan was forced to leave, she would have nowhere else to learn archery.
“Haha.” Jin Soun let out a hollow laugh, utterly appalled.
Grind.
He gnashed his teeth. His eyes burned with a blazing fury.