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Chapter 120. The Black Flame Dragon Dressed in Gold (5)
“They say there is no crime in a woman’s transformation, but at this level, I think we would have to call it a crime.”
Come to think of it, Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran were famous beauties within Anhui Province.
It was only because the journey they had shared with me until now had been so harsh that they had no time to adorn themselves. If they truly made up their minds and dressed properly, there would be no one in this year’s Academy cohort who could compare with them.
At my joking remark, Namgung Seon-hwa and Seong Mo-ran covered their mouths and laughed.
Even that sight looked like a painting, so faint groans could be heard from all around.
“What a disappointing thing to say. This is what we originally look like, you know.”
At Seong Mo-ran’s words, I nodded without realizing it.
Her appearance greatly resembled the way she had looked when I first saw her at the Iron Sword Sect.
It was just that, lately, the image of her chewing even mud-stained jerky without hesitation had been so vivid that I had not been able to imagine it.
“By the way, is that person with you?”
When I pointed to the other beauty standing behind the two of them, not only the two women, but even the Gold-Silver-Copper Brothers smiled strangely.
“You do not know?”
“You really do not know?”
If I counted even my previous life, I had seen many beauties from afar.
Even so, I had never seen a beauty for whom a red outer robe and golden ornaments suited so exquisitely well as the one before my eyes.
“It is me, Eldest Senior Brother.”
“……Ah?”
My mouth fell open as wide as a basin.
Because the voice was certainly that of the child I knew.
“Sa-ryeon?”
The beauty in the red outer robe nodded.
“Huh! No, but your way of walking was clearly that of someone I had never seen before.”
Since I possessed absolute memory, I could remember people in various ways.
There was no way I could forget the gestures, gait, or movement of someone with whom I had spent childhood twice.
Even so, Sa-ryeon’s gait was clearly not Sa-ryeon’s.
Though I could not be certain because it was hidden by the outer robe, her bone structure and physique were also not originally Sa-ryeon’s.
“No, Young Master Jin, is the thing you are most curious about after seeing your Junior Sister for the first time in half a year really only her way of walking?”
Seong Mo-ran clicked her tongue and spoke.
“It is all right, Elder Sister. Eldest Senior Brother is originally a dull person who does not understand a woman’s heart even a speck.”
“Wh-What does that mean?”
“Should I tell them about the time you confessed to Old Man Heo’s youngest daughter and got rejected?”
As if taking revenge, Sa-ryeon brought up a story from the past and sealed my mouth.
At the story Sa-ryeon brought up, Seong Mo-ran and Namgung Seon-hwa suddenly widened their eyes as if they had found an exciting topic, and began talking.
“……”
But Sa-ryeon must have come to the Academy when the conflict with the Iron Sword Sect had not yet been resolved.
When did they become close?
“Will you really not tell me what happened?”
Too much had changed for it to be simply a matter of growing taller.
As if she had drunk Mita Sacred Water like I had, Sa-ryeon’s body had transformed into something very similar to the Martial God Body.
Hong Sa-ryeon subtly exchanged glances with Namgung Seon-hwa.
“I met the Divine Sword recently.”
“The Azure Emperor Divine Sword?”
“Yes. When he saw me, he said it would be a shame to miss the opportunity and performed Marrow-Cleansing and Hair-Shedding on me.”
“Huh?”
“At the time, I still had not been able to absorb it.”
Sa-ryeon did not say it directly, but I quickly realized what it was.
The various Spiritual Medicines she had received from Wang So-so, who no longer needed the Ice Crystal.
If she had learned the Taeul True Scripture, that would have been one thing, but it must have been difficult to melt them with the Great Advance Divine Art after all.
“Thanks to that, I became like this.”
As if showing off, Sa-ryeon spun once in place.
A strange Fighting Spirit emanated even from that small movement.
“That is truly good. Did you thank the Divine Sword?”
“Of course.”
“Well done. I should thank him separately later as well.”
Namgung Seon-hwa looked around, then spoke to me.
“But why is it so quiet? We naturally expected Young Master Jin to be troubled by other people, so we came a little slowly.”
“……”
The cheerful atmosphere created by the appearance of the three women quickly sank.
Eun-ho summarized the situation briefly, and all three of them frowned.
“Something like that really happened?”
“These people are no good.”
Seong Mo-ran and Namgung Seon-hwa looked even more indignant than we were.
“If they are ignoring us this intentionally, I think it will not be easy.”
Namgung Seon-hwa widened her eyes and spoke.
“Young Master Jin, do you not know who I am?”
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“……”
“I am Namgung Seon-hwa of that Five Great Clans’ Namgung Clan. Just trust me.”
Namgung Seon-hwa began striding away, and we followed after her.
The people who had avoided us as if we were the plague just moments ago did not move like stone statues once the three women were with us.
“Senior Brother, was Lady Namgung’s personality originally that fiery?”
At Sa-ryeon’s words as she approached me and spoke quietly, I thought back to when I first met Namgung Seon-hwa at Dongting Lake and answered.
“No, I think she was a little calmer back then.”
“……Hmm, as expected. They say one should choose one’s friends well, but at this rate, I feel too sorry toward the Divine Sword……”
Sa-ryeon muttered something I could not understand.
“Brother Jeong-gi!”
At Namgung Seon-hwa’s shout as she strode forward, a man who had been looking this way quickly turned his head.
“Why are you pretending not to know me when you saw me?”
When Namgung Seon-hwa put her hands on her waist and spoke as if angry, the man who had turned his head rose from his seat with an awkward smile.
“I kept looking because I wondered who such a beauty was. So it was Sister Seon-hwa.”
“Why are you avoiding my gaze? Did you do something wrong to me?”
“Haha, why would you say such a thing? I had already heard that you suffered much hardship during the Regular Exam.”
“Ah, there is someone I would like to introduce to you. Someone who shared those hardships with me……”
Before Namgung Seon-hwa could finish speaking, the man named Jeong-gi nodded.
“I know. Jin So-un of the Taeul Sect.”
The man looked steadily at me and nodded.
“I am Jeong-gi of the Jegal Clan. Though we have no direct connection, I have heard much about you.”
He was none other than Jegal Jeong-gi, Jegal Cheon-gi’s elder brother and Jegal Hyeon-un’s second son.
He looked at me with strange eyes, then soon turned his gaze away.
“Hmm…… Sister Seon-hwa. I do not think this is a good time for us to talk.”
“What does that mean……?”
Jegal Jeong-gi’s gaze went toward the table beside him.
There, Namgung Gi-pyo, who had a weasel-like face, was looking this way with eyes full of killing intent.
“This is a symbolic occasion. Trying to use old friendships in a place like this to restore broken trust can only look like shallow thinking.”
Seong Mo-ran, unable to keep listening, stepped forward.
“Brother Jeong-gi, are your words not too harsh?”
“Hoo……”
Jegal Jeong-gi let out a brief sigh and changed his expression.
Even the slight goodwill he had held until just moments ago had dried up completely.
“Why did the two of you not enter the Orthodox Path Association?”
“That is……”
“Not only Namgung Gi-pyo, but all the people of the Namgung Clan belong to the Orthodox Path Association. Originally, the Iron Sword Sect could also have entered the Orthodox Path Association, but it did not. In the end, did you not decide not to stand with us?”
“That is……”
“Of course the people of the Taeul Sect can stand with us as well. But why do they not?”
“Are you saying we should take orders from the Orthodox Path Association? Whose will is that? Is it the will of the elders of the Orthodox Path Association?”
Jegal Jeong-gi shook his head as if frustrated.
“It is not anyone’s will. If it were, the Righteous Path Association and even the Twelve Peak Citadels could not all become of one mind like this. This is all merely to prevent chaos.”
“What does that……”
“If a disciple of the Taeul Sect stands alone above the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Clans, and the One Hundred Eight Peaks, what do you think the people of Jianghu will think?”
Namgung Seon-hwa became so agitated that a vein bulged at her temple.
“What in the world are you saying?!”
“Young Master Jin must also belong somewhere. If he does not want that, it would be better for him to step down on his own. If not, we will drag him down.”
“……”
“……It may not be pleasant, but enjoy the banquet.”
After saying that any further conversation would likely lead to shouting, Jegal Jeong-gi turned his head away.
I stopped Namgung Seon-hwa as she tried to rush in even more agitatedly, and we returned to our seats.
“……”
“……”
The atmosphere had sunk even further than before.
No one could carelessly open their mouth.
“……I am sorry, Young Master Jin. I could not help.”
“Why is that something you should apologize for, Lady Namgung? Please do not take it to heart too much.”
Either I would be dragged around by the Nine Sects and One Gang, the Five Great Clans, and the One Hundred Eight Peaks, or I would give up the representative position.
“Academy student Jin So-un.”
At the voice calling me, I turned my head and saw one of the lecturers approaching our table.
I rose from my seat and looked at him.
“As expected, my prediction was right.”
He was Lee Ja-gon, who had visited the Taeul Sect as an Appraisal Envoy.
“Were you not affiliated with the Education Pavilion?”
“The Regular Exam has ended, so there will be no work as an Appraisal Envoy for a while. I was recently appointed as a lecturer and came here.”
The children of the Taeul Sect already knew him, so they all met his eyes and gave small clasped hands greetings, but there was nothing beyond that.
No, our situation was not comfortable enough to brightly greet someone we knew.
“Looking at the situation, things do not seem very good.”
“……Lecturer, did you not only acknowledge us now?”
“Haha, did you see?”
“If I said I did not, that would be a lie.”
“Please understand. Unlike an Appraisal Envoy, a lecturer has many people whose reactions he must watch.”
“Still, at the very least, is your position not better than that of the Instructors?”
A lecturer was practically a martial arts Master for the Academy students.
Only someone who possessed not only martial strength, but also a background and career that did not fall behind the Academy students, could take the position of lecturer.
“That tongue of yours is still poisonous.”
“I apologize. My mood is truly not good today.”
“Well, I suppose it would not be.”
Lee Ja-gon looked around as if he understood.
“Do you know this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know that you deliberately yielded the Special Admission.”
“……”
“Well, it is not completely unheard of. Among the One Hundred Eight Peaks, particularly among those belonging to the Twelve Peak Citadels, there are occasionally such people. But there is no case where someone with nothing like you makes such a choice.”
I had no choice but to agree with his words.
The choice I had made was an act close to suicide from a third party’s point of view.
“Still, for some reason, when you gave up that special privilege, I expected that I would see you again at the Academy.”
“……What do you mean?”
“I knew it when I watched you resolve the Blood-Explosion Pill matter. You do not do things that other people would normally think of.”
“……”
“I do not know how you feel about it, but even now, I do not really think someone else will become Representative. I feel that you will probably continue as Representative. Though I do not know by what method.”
After saying that, Lee Ja-gon patted my shoulder and headed to another table.
The place he headed to was the table where the Twelve Peak Citadels were gathered.
“……”
I quietly looked around and reflected on myself.
I felt as if I had run forward while blindly looking only at entering the Murim Academy, and my field of vision had narrowed.
‘Haa……’
When I thought about why I had been unable to focus on the present, the answer came surprisingly quickly.
“Young Master Jin?”
I walked into the center of the banquet hall.
Then I stood there without saying anything and slowly looked around.
When I did, the noise inside the hall faded, and the number of people gazing at me increased one by one.
“What is he trying to do?”
“Is he going to step down from the representative position on his own?”
“Is his clothing not too splendid for that?”
“Hahaha.”
Perhaps I had been holding expectations for this life, which was different from my previous life.
Watching Namgung Seon-hwa, Seong Mo-ran, Murong Jae-hwa, Jegal Cheon-gi, and others, perhaps I had thought that other people might also be able to change like that.
I infused inner arts into my voice and spoke.
“Greetings, fellow Academy students. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Jin So-un, who has become the Academy Representative of this cohort.”
I looked around and gave light clasped hands greetings in every direction.
“There may be some among you who know me, and some who do not. There may also be some who like me, and some who do not. However, I do not intend to concern myself with such things, and I intend to do my utmost in work befitting my duty as Academy Representative.”
No one responded.
I continued speaking.
“Historically, the Representative of the Academy was probably usually one of the children of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Five Great Clans. Recently, Representatives have occasionally emerged from the Twelve Peak Citadels as well, but that history is not very long. And this time, it has become me.”
Even if they did not change, what did that matter?
Even that was merely their choice, and the behavior they were showing now was nothing more than the petty behavior I had so despised in the past.
“As all of you think, I am, from the beginning, merely a disciple of a powerless sect. I belong neither to the Nine Sects and One Gang, nor the Five Great Clans, nor the Twelve Peak Citadels. Nor do I have any intention of belonging beneath them.”
Hostile gazes flew toward me.
Sneers saying, ‘How much can you really do?’ burst out from every side.
“So I have decided to set such things aside and think only of the Academy students of this cohort.”
I merely gave them a chance.
Because I believed that was my duty as someone who knew the tragic future, I would do so.
“I will do my utmost so that when all of you graduate from the Academy, you can leave in forms that are on a completely different level from when you entered. Furthermore, I will move in a direction that does not lean toward any one force.”
“The best method seems to be for you to disappear.”
At something someone said, the people nearby giggled.
I obediently nodded.
“Of course, according to the order all of you like, the best method would be for me to leave. But if I did that, all of you would simply settle into your current state.”
“A mere disciple of the Taeul Sect is saying all sorts of things.”
“First, I will appoint some members of the executive staff here.”
“……”
“First, Lady Namgung Seon-hwa of the Namgung Clan. Lady Seong Mo-ran of the Iron Sword Sect. And my Junior Sister Hong Sa-ryeon and Junior Brother Lee Eun-ho. I will appoint these four.”
“He is insane.”
“Yes, go play house among yourselves to your heart’s content. It will end before long anyway.”
The backlash was no ordinary thing.
Even those who had actually been appointed as executives could not hide their agitation.
“And now there are four seats left.”
“Is there any need to leave four seats? Just scatter them all as you please.”
“The remaining four seats will be filled by people who can sacrifice themselves for the other Academy students.”
“……”
“For your information, it will be first come, first served. The first person to come will become the fifth executive.”
“He is insane……”
I was merely fulfilling my duty.
And whether they followed or not was their part.
“It seems no one will follow you. Will that be all right?”
“It does not matter.”
“……”
If they followed, they would live.
If they did not.
“I do not have the authority to force anyone. Everything is your choice.”
They could only die according to the original history.