The Genius Martial Artist Who Remembers Everything [Novel] Chapter 204

Chapter 204. Stealing the Seat (3)
Moyong Jaehwa’s class wasn’t the only one to receive a suspension notice. The White Tiger Sword Formation class for coordinated attacks, the theoretical classes on the Five Elements, and the Ice and Fire Arts—every single class established by Jin Soun had received a notice of suspension.

And from an executive committee that hadn’t even been officially inaugurated, no less.

“They’ve crossed the line—they’ve completely leaped over it! I know this kind of threat means nothing to you, Young Master Jin, but still…!”

Following Seong Moran’s outburst, even the usually calm Eunho couldn’t hide his agitation. “Eldest Martial Brother, we need to issue a formal protest.”

“…”

However, Jin Soun merely sat quietly, resting his elbows on the table and covering his lower face with his hands.

Catching his gaze, the furious group suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

Is Eldest Martial Brother going to…?

Is Young Master Jin going to…?

Perhaps it was because half of his face was covered, but as Namgung Seonhwa stared at Jin Soun, she couldn’t quite decipher what was going through his mind.

Just then, Nam Hwaseong shot up from his seat. “Goddammit! This is absolute bullshit! Just say the word, Representative Jin! You don’t even have to lift a finger—I’ll go over there and break every single White Faction bastard’s legs myself!”

Looking up at the huffing and puffing Nam Hwaseong, Jin Soun finally spoke. “The mole should stay put.”
“D-dammit, I’m not a mole!”

Jin Soun usually tossed out the word “mole” as a harmless joke, but this time, his expression was entirely impassive.

Filled with a sense of foreboding, Namgung Seonhwa stepped in to calm everyone down. “Hold on a moment… We need to think about this rationally. For them to go to these lengths, they must have something backing them up.”

At her words, the agitated group began to regain their reason one by one.
“Seonhwa is right. If this comes down to the student participation rate, we have the advantage anyway.” Jang Woojae nodded at Hong Saryeon’s remark.

“That is true, but according to Lady Namgung, they’ve already finished negotiating with the Head Instructors. They likely borrowed the power of their families.”

“The best-case scenario is forcefully disbanding them. But if that’s impossible, we need to gather more people for our event than they do for theirs. That way, even if the Head Instructors try to interfere, they’ll lose their justification.”

The number of students actively supporting Jin Soun hadn’t fluctuated drastically yet.

“Should we estimate it at just over half…?” Eunho’s guess reflected the general consensus among the executive committee regarding student turnout.

“It would be great if the Righteous Faction members who went to Sichuan stepped up for us.”
“The disciples from the secular factions will probably help, but I’m worried whether the core members of the Righteous Faction will get involved.”

“Representative Jin… what are your thoughts on this?”

At Jang Woojae’s question, everyone’s expectant gazes turned to Jin Soun.

I had to admit it. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. That ticklish sensation lingering at the tip of my nose…
Hmm… I can still smell the aroma.

I had no idea tea could be so fragrant. The Seven-Color Flower was undeniably delicious. I completely understood why the high-ranking officials in Beijing sought out the Seven-Color Flower over Silver Needle or Dragon Well.

When I first swallowed it, I thought it was just bitter, but the subtle aroma lingered in my mouth all day long. It was so exquisite that I kept thinking about it the next day, and the day after that.

I really just wanted to waltz back into Jegal Jeonggi’s office and bum some more tea off him, but they were currently the enemies of our executive committee. With so many eyes watching, I couldn’t just stroll in there.
I’d even secretly asked the Head Maid if she could procure some, but she had vehemently refused, turning pale at the very mention of it. She said something about ten buds of Seven-Color Flower costing as much as a normal family’s living expenses for an entire month.

It wasn’t that I lacked the money, but I wasn’t crazy enough to blow my cash on something like that.
How can I drink the Seven-Color Flower without spending my own money?
While I was deep in these thoughts…

“Young Master Jin! You’re not thinking about doing something terrible, are you?”
I snapped back to reality and looked around, only to find everyone staring at me with deeply concerned expressions.

What’s going on here?

And then I finally remembered. Right, Jegal Jeonggi had issued suspension notices to all the classes I’d set up.

Why did that guy have to do something so useless and annoying? Well, he had tried to plant a sense of guilt in me during our previous encounter, but did he really think that would work?

To put it bluntly, not even weeds can grow in a desert suffering from a perpetual drought. And it’s only natural for a beautiful flower to freeze to death in the face of a mid-winter avalanche.

Why would I feel guilty for striking back at people who came for my throat? Did he seriously think I was that soft? I guess those bastards who grew up sheltered within the Five Great Families really are hopeless.
To reassure the executive committee, who were likely panicking over this sudden development, I looked at them one by one. “Do not worry. I will not be shaken by such a shallow provocation.”

“…”

Huh? The way they’re looking at me is a little suspicious.

Especially Eunho, who had been with me since childhood; his eyes were filled with sheer disbelief.

What is with this atmosphere?

“Eunho. Why are you looking at me like that?”

At my question, Eunho’s expression turned even stranger. “Eldest Martial Brother, um… do we look like we’re worried about you right now?”

“Huh?” Well, of course you should be worried about me, who else would you…

Just then, Nam Hwaseong chimed in. “See! I told you he has no idea how dangerous and crazy he actually is! I knew it the moment he casually strolled in carrying the Blood Cult’s Young Leader’s severed head…!”

What the hell is he talking about now?

I was just about to snap back at Nam Hwaseong’s nonsense… But every single member of the committee surrounding me was vigorously nodding in agreement.

Seriously, what is going on here?

This time, Seong Moran spoke up. “Young Master Jin, um… no matter how angry you are, it’s probably best if you refrain from decapitating the entire temporary executive committee…”

Wait, what on earth are these people saying?

I finally realized the reason behind this weird atmosphere. They weren’t worried that Jegal Jeonggi and the White Faction’s schemes would put me in danger.

Are they actually worried that I’m going to go overboard and massacre everyone?

Should I be thankful that they believe in my capabilities, or should I be dumbfounded that they see me as some cold-blooded lunatic? Sheesh.

I spoke up to reassure the committee in a ‘different’ way. “Ahem. Don’t worry. Severing heads is quite a tedious chore, you see. And since those guys have powerful backers, cleaning up the mess afterward would be far too bothersome…”

“…”

Hmm, it was just a joke, so why did everyone’s faces get even paler?

Anyway, having properly soothed my committee’s anxieties as their Representative, I brought Jegal Jeonggi’s image to mind. He acts like he has all the time in the world, but it just looks like a defense mechanism—puffing himself up to hide his impatience.

What exactly was making him so desperate to steal the Representative seat? Perhaps the Jegal Family finally completed that?

If so, his sudden and aggressive moves made a certain amount of sense. An event that would shake the entire world was about to happen. He probably thought snatching a mere Academy Representative seat was nothing in comparison.

While I was lost in thought, a resolute expression settled on Namgung Seonhwa’s face. “I’ll try digging a bit deeper.”

Unlike the rest of the committee, her face actually seemed to hold genuine worry for me. It was making me feel a bit awkward for no reason.

“It’s fi—”

Clatter—

Before I could finish my sentence, Namgung Seonhwa dashed out of the room.
“I’m really fine, though…”

Honestly, I already had a rough outline of how I was going to crush Jegal Jeonggi and his fake committee anyway. Still, I appreciated her rushing around to help me.

Then, suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me.

Smack.

“Eldest Martial Brother?”

Did I slam the table too hard? My palm is stinging. “I’m going to go pay Jegal Jeonggi a quick visit.”

“Wh-what are you going to do? You’re not going to smash his skull in, are you? If you do that now…”

Seriously, what do these people think of me? “I just need to have a little chat with him.”

None of them will suspect I’m just going to bum some Seven-Color Flower tea, right?

“L-Lady Namgung… I already told you. You can’t just keep doing this…”

The man constantly glanced around, frantically checking if anyone was watching them. If he were caught speaking to Namgung Seonhwa, he could be expelled from the White Faction at any moment.

“That’s why I’m asking. What exactly has Jegal Jeonggi prepared that makes him so confident? What does he have that allows him to be so blatant?”

“I really don’t know.” Trying to end the conversation, the man attempted to scurry away, but Namgung Seonhwa blocked his path and continued pressing him.

“Are you saying you’re terrified of Brother Gipyo, but not of me?”

“…”

“You are aware that the hierarchy between the Namgung Family’s direct line and the branch families is currently being reorganized, correct?”

“…Haa.” The man checked his surroundings one last time before lowering his voice to a whisper. “I heard the Jegal Family has prepared something new.”

“Something new?”

“Yes. And at the same time, formation masters who specialize in absolute formations…”

While Namgung Seonhwa was entirely focused on his words, the man suddenly cut himself off, his eyes widening in shock as he stared past her shoulder.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“…I-I, u-um, this is…”

A powerful wave of qi narrowly bypassed Namgung Seonhwa and slammed directly into the man’s chest.
“Gah!”

Caught completely off guard by the ambush, the man coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“What is the meaning of—!” Namgung Seonhwa immediately raised her hand to strike back, but froze the moment she saw her attacker. “Brother… Gipyo.”

Namgung Gipyo stood there, his eyes glaring with a sharper malice than usual.

I had paid a visit to the fake executive committee, but this time, there was no Seven-Color Flower. Jegal Jeonggi clearly had a flair for showing off… had he run out of it already?

“What brings you here today?”

“What brings me here?” I looked up from staring blankly at my cup of Silver Needle tea to see Jegal Jeonggi wearing a triumphant smirk.

What should I say. If I just admit I came to drink Seven-Color Flower, will he serve it? “…Hmm. Why did I come… Why do you think I’m here?”

Jegal Jeonggi, who had been lazily tracing circles on the desk with his finger, shifted his gaze to me. “Who knows. If you came because of the class suspension notices, I’d say that was quite unnecessary.”

Jegal Jeonggi was definitely a bit lacking compared to Jegal Cheongi. He deliberately gestured at me with his chin as he continued. “After all, if you manage to keep your position as Representative, those notices we sent will be rendered completely useless.”

But why is it that in my past life, Jegal Cheongi rotted away in a golden cage, while this guy received the family’s full backing and enjoyed a wildly successful career in the Murim Alliance?
“Are you that confident?”

At my question, Jegal Jeonggi swept a hand around the room. “Would I have spent this much money if I wasn’t?”

Scanning the office Jegal Jeonggi had decorated, I had to admit the furniture and finishing touches were all made of premium materials. In particular, the chair he used at his desk looked ordinary at first glance, but a closer look infused with inner qi revealed it was an undeniable masterpiece, meticulously crafted down to the unseen details.

Oho, that’s really nice. “That’s quite a unique chair…”

“Heheh. You noticed? That chair is a special piece reserved strictly for officials of the upper-third rank or higher in Beijing. It’s what people commonly call a masterpiece.”

Wow, that is seriously good stuff. “…What do you plan to do with all these furnishings when your fake committee gets disbanded?”

A laugh escaped Jegal Jeonggi’s lips. “Well. I haven’t really given it much thought.”

If all this stuff got thrown out after the fake committee was dissolved, it would break my heart. How much money was sitting in this room? Wastefulness is an enemy that must be guarded against. Frugality is directly tied to one’s character and morality. And I happen to have a pretty fantastic character.

“If the fake committee gets dissolved, why don’t you just leave all the furnishings behind? It’s not like you’ll have a place to use them anyway.”

“…” For the first time, Jegal Jeonggi’s face stiffened.

“Are you putting your faith in the Mount Heng Faction? It will never happen. Once you see what our White Faction has prepared…”

“If you’re so confident, why don’t you promise to leave it all here?”

At my proposal, Jegal Jeonggi leaned back in his chair, trying to assert dominance. “Haha! Are you confident about the renowned guest invitations? It’s a shame, but you won’t be able to rely on the Namgung Family’s help—”

This bastard is all talk. I purposefully cut him off. “So, are you going to leave it, or are you going to be pathetic and pack it all up?”

“…”

Having been interrupted a couple of times, Jegal Jeonggi finally showed his displeasure. But I couldn’t help it. I had taken quite a liking to the furnishings here, as well as the Seven-Color Flower.

I scanned the room once again with a neutral gaze. “Of course, I’d prefer it if you left all the consumables in the office as well.” Then, I added as if doing him a huge favor, “Ah, since we’re on the subject, I’ll even publicly announce that it was a generous donation from the White Faction.”

“…If you insist.”

Watching Jegal Jeonggi try to maintain his sneer while literally trembling with anger, I nodded in satisfaction. “Oh, right! And why did you serve Silver Needle instead of Seven-Color Flower today? Don’t tell me you ran out already?”

Jegal Jeonggi’s face crumpled like a piece of paper. What could I do? The whole reason I visited in the first place was to drink the tea.

“What are you doing?!”

At Namgung Seonhwa’s scream, Namgung Gipyo scoffed. “I merely disposed of a rat.”

“…”

“You’re acting quite out of character, doing spy work. Did that bastard order you to?”

“A spy! You are crossing a line, Brother.”

Tch. Namgung Gipyo clicked his tongue in disgust. “I’ve heard the rumors. You’ve been stirring up the Academy for a while now, haven’t you? And all for that Jin Soun bastard?”
“I am only acting for the sake of the legitimate Academy executive committee.”
“You even tried to sell out our grandfather for him.”
“…What nonsense are you spewing?!”
“Are you so infatuated with him that you’d betray your own family?”

“…” Namgung Seonhwa bit her lip hard.

“The Namgung Family has traditionally operated within the White Faction as a member of the Five Great Families. Not just our main branch members, but everyone from our secular factions belongs to the White Faction.” Namgung Gipyo glared at Namgung Seonhwa, piercing her with his gaze. “Yet a direct descendant of the Namgung Family is betraying the White Faction and selling out her family for her man… Have you no shame!”

Namgung Seonhwa was well aware of the whispers going around behind her back. The reason she hadn’t responded to them was because she knew they could never be considered objective truths.
Joining the White Faction wasn’t mandatory. And not everything the White Faction did was just, either. Wasn’t that blatantly obvious, given their recent attempts to drag down Jin Soun, the legitimate Representative?

Nevertheless, having such vitriol spat right to her face still wounded her deeply. She knew standing by Jin Soun was the right thing to do, but at the same time, the lingering guilt of having ‘betrayed’ the others suffocated her.

Namgung Gipyo had expertly struck at that exact vulnerability. “Shameless bitch.”

Namgung Seonhwa was frozen in place by Namgung Gipyo’s curse, as if her pressure points had been sealed. Overwhelming humiliation painted her face red.

Thwack.

Suddenly, with a dull thud, Namgung Gipyo collapsed, a bizarre expression contorting his face.
“Wh-what bastard did that?!” Thrashing wildly, Namgung Gipyo scrambled to get back on his feet.

But…

Thwack.

Another dull thud rang out, and Namgung Gipyo shrieked, clutching his face. “Kuaaagh!”

Cutting through the screams, calm footsteps approached. “This guy’s completely out of his mind. You’ve got some nerve saying that crap to Lady Seonhwa.”

The person who appeared, speaking in that blatantly disrespectful tone, was none other than Jin Soun.

Author’s Note: Hello. This is Jeokseolmok. Thank you so much for the overwhelming interest you’ve shown in Jin Soun lately. Thanks to all of you, I’ve been happily writing Jin Soun’s story every day, and I am always deeply moved by your support.

Recently, I fell into a deep state of qi deviation due to a bout of COVID-19 followed by enteritis, which severely messed up my condition. I think this reflected in the story, and some of you felt it was a bit lacking.

Fortunately, I met a renowned Divine Physician, consumed the Westerners’ elixirs (pills), and managed to overcome my qi deviation. Now, I just need to get my condition back on track.

I will work hard to put Jin Soun’s story back on the right path. Please continue to enjoy Jin Soun’s journey.

Ah, right, another chapter will be uploaded in about an hour. Thank you always. Sincerely, Jeokseolmok