Chapter 117 - The Black Flame Dragon Wearing Golden Clothes (2)
15 min read ·
"What is the reason the elders, who should be busy all day with legislation at the Alliance, have come all the way here?"
Moyong Cheong stepped forward in place of Daoist Myeonghyeon, who was already too agitated to speak properly.
"Issues have been raised regarding the treatment of that child, Jin Sowoon. You are aware of this as well, Chief Strategist, are you not?"
"Not only I, but the Murim Alliance Leader is also aware of the severity of this matter. And I am currently on my way here after receiving the Alliance Leader's opinion."
"...!"
"...!"
The fact that the Mantong Bureau and the Alliance Leader's Pavilion—which divided the Murim Alliance's power into thirds—had gathered their opinions as one meant that they would ultimately handle the matter that way.
"The issue at hand regarding the current situation is whether or not Jin Sowoon committed cheating. Is that right?"
"That is correct."
Zhuge Somyeong spoke after scanning the elders of the Murim Alliance one by one.
"If there was no cheating, he will pass, and if cheating is revealed, he will be failed."
He then turned his head and looked at me.
"As you said, the Murim Academy's standard exam is for the future peace and stability of Murim. That is all. It is not a place that lines people up by being influenced by any individual's interests. If you insult the Murim Academy's standard exam one more time, I will personally imprison you in the Golden Jade Prison. Do you understand?"
At Zhuge Somyeong's stern words, the atmosphere in the venue sank coldly.
"... I understand."
"Good. Speak on the most important matter."
The Director of the Murim Academy stepped forward holding a scroll and said.
"There are two main issues. The first is that he colluded with the Underworld, as mentioned earlier."
The Director paused for a moment, glancing toward Elder Myeonghyeon, before continuing his words.
"And the second is that, regardless of whether the collusion is proven or not, he received help from more than the limited number of personnel. It is these two things."
For whatever reason, it was no different from saying he would ultimately fail.
A perfect checkmate.
Someone who had risen all the way to the Elder's Hall within the Murim Alliance—where schemes and cunning plots ran rampant—could not possibly be a pushover.
"If this is the case... there is no room for reconsideration."
As Zhuge Somyeong said that, Daoist Myeonghyeon formed a smile on his lips for the first time.
"Since you came wedged in the middle of the Underworld's procession, you wouldn't possibly spout nonsense saying that isn't receiving help, would you?"
At Zhuge Somyeong's words, everyone's gaze now converged on me. Now that even Zhuge Somyeong had spoken like that, it was clear that feigning ignorance and claiming I didn't know the Underworld would no longer work.
I had no choice but to meekly admit it.
"If participating in the funeral procession is considered help... That is correct. I received help."
"As expected...!"
"Exactly!"
Small exclamations burst out among the elders who were supposed to maintain their solemnity.
"However, since it is a matter that has nothing to do with the rules, there is no problem with my passing."
"No... What in the..."
"That bastard is a real lunatic."
"Drag that bastard out this instant!"
As complaints erupted from among the elders, Zhuge Somyeong let out a sharp shout.
"Be quiet! Keep doing that, and I will kick you out!"
"..."
"Speak. You haven't forgotten that you are currently in front of the Murim Alliance's Chief Strategist, have you?"
"I have not."
"As far as this Chief Strategist remembers, according to the standard exam rules, the limit on the number of people one can hire or receive help from is one hundred. And the Underworld's procession far exceeded that number. If we are to argue right and wrong, not only you, but all the disciples of the Taiyi Sect, the children of the Namgung Clan and the Moyong Noble Clan, and the disciples of the Iron Sword Sect would all fail."
I pulled out the Murim standard exam rulebook from the archive in my head.
"But according to those rules, my companions and I have not failed."
"What?"
"'Murim Standard Exam Rule Article 3, Clause 7: Examinees may not receive help from alliances, ronin, or warriors of the entire Orthodox faction!'"
It was the standard exam clause in question.
However.
"The rules here do not include any statement forbidding one from receiving help from the 'Underworld', which is explicitly designated as an 'enemy'."
The corners of Zhuge Somyeong's eyes trembled.
He gave a look to the Vice Director, and the Vice Director quickly flipped through the thick rulebook to show him a page.
"..."
Looking back and forth between the rulebook and me, Zhuge Somyeong stared at me with eyes of disbelief.
While Zhuge Somyeong was at a loss for words and stayed silent, Daoist Myeonghyeon shouted sharply.
"What utter nonsense! Isn't it common sense that a disciple of the Orthodox faction shouldn't receive help from the Underworld?!"
"Then you should have put that common sense into the rules. Isn't it the Elder's Hall's fault for not doing so?"
The authority of the Murim Alliance was built upon absolute rules.
Rules might be created and disappear with the flow of time, but while they exist, they are the standard for everything.
"The Second Gate's exam was a test to obtain a spiritual pill. By common sense, anyone would see this as a test to hunt a spiritual beast or a demonic beast to obtain a spiritual pill.
However, in reality, most examinees bought a spiritual pill to obtain the Second Gate admission token. Because it did not say 'hunt personally' anywhere on it. By that logic, shouldn't most of the people here fail?"
"..."
"Among the successful candidates here, those who personally hunted a spiritual beast or a demonic beast, step forward."
The people who had been keeping their distance, treating my group like a plague, ground their teeth with sharp glares.
"Y-You..."
Daoist Myeonghyeon gasped like a goldfish.
Honestly, if we were talking about forcing logic, those bastards had forced far more absurdities all this time. Me forcing this much wouldn't even leave a dent.
Furthermore, I had even informed them of the Demonic Cult's existence in advance and given them an opportunity to draw in the Underworld Murim; while Daoist Myeonghyeon might not, was there any reason Zhuge Somyeong would let this slip by?
This debate was a fight I had already won before it even began.
"Stop it, Myeonghyeon."
"... But."
"Did I not tell you to stop? How long will you continue to overstep your authority?"
"..."
Zhuge Somyeong looked at Myeonghyeon, whose head was bowed deeply, and muttered to himself.
"... How ridiculous. To pass the exam in such a manner."
Zhuge Somyeong looked at the Director and asked.
"The results of the exam seem to have been decided, but do you have anything to add?"
"... No, I do not."
"Do the individuals from the Elder's Hall have anything to add?"
The members of the Orthodox Council gave no answer, wearing expressions as if they had chewed shit, and Moyong Cheong of the White Path Council answered in their stead.
"If we dig any further, it seems only more of our flaws will be exposed. I believe you may proceed as is."
Zhuge Somyeong gave a light nod.
"I shall announce the exam results."
Though it was clearly nothing more than a low murmur, his voice echoed into every corner of the training ground and the spectator seats.
"I announce this in the name of the Murim Alliance Leader. The top rank of this Murim Academy standard exam is Jin Sowoon of the Taiyi Sect!"
------------!
-----------------!
Everyone gathered inside the academy dropped their jaws in shock.
My companions, without exception, rushed at me with screams of joy.
But the rejoicing companions stiffened their faces and looked around.
No one was clapping.
"..."
"..."
"..."
I might be from the Taiyi Sect, but weren't they being too stingy with their applause?
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
In one section of the spectator seats, the big shots of the Underworld were clapping while exuding killing intent.
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
And only then did people start clapping one by one, following their lead, and coming to their senses, my companions shed tears on the spot and threw themselves at me once again.
* * *
"This is the place."
The place I was led to by the maid was like a detached house with a small garden and a training ground.
Based on the standards of inns or expensive taverns, the facilities were quite lacking, but considering this was a dormitory, it was a jaw-dropping facility.
Inside the house, I could eat food cooked by a chef, there was a maid waiting on standby all day long, and it came with a separate private training ground where I could train alone and a bathhouse.
It was a special official residence given only to the admitted student who earned the top rank.
"What color do you prefer for your martial arts robes? Or do you have something you originally wear in your sect?"
"Nothing in particular. I originally only wear black."
"We wash them anew every day, so you don't have to be restricted by color."
They even took care of things like this?
"It's fine. Black is comfortable, so please keep preparing that."
"Understood. Should you need anything else, please call for me at any time."
The head maid said that and left the pavilion.
Left alone in the room, I looked back on the things I had experienced over the past while.
"Phew... Have I passed a major hurdle now?"
There had truly been so many events, and there were many moments in between where I almost gave up on the exam.
Fortunately, I overcame all those trials and made it to this position.
"Still, it's going roughly according to plan."
The Murim standard exam that had seemed nothing but impossible, and entering at the top of the class.
Having achieved even this, my chest swelled with an overwhelming emotion I was feeling for the first time since my regression.
"At this rate, there shouldn't be much to worry about for the things ahead."
In the first place, the reason I aimed for top admission wasn't because of this luxurious lifestyle.
If I maintained the top rank and continued to keep the highest grades, I would gain the authority to nominate my assignment location after graduating from the Murim Academy.
That was what I had worked so hard for.
Most would choose the Dragon-Phoenix Summit, but I had no time to play along with such child's play.
Entering the White Wolf Pavilion, preparing to receive the disciples of the Taiyi Sect, and ensuring the low-ranking warriors of the White Wolf Pavilion established proper defenses. Those were the plans I had set.
KNOCK, KNOCK.
Lost in thought, I raised my body.
The Geum-eun-dong Brothers and the other companions had gone out to check the dormitories they were assigned to, so there was no one who would visit this place.
"What is it? Did you already finish looking around the dorms and come... Who are you?"
Outside the door stood a scholarly-looking man I had never seen before in my life, smiling amiably.
He was smiling, but the hollow, dark circles around his eyes made him look quite pitiful.
"Ah, Young Master Jin Sowoon? It's been a while... No, it's our first time meeting. Nice to meet you."
The man with the hollow eyes opened the door without hesitation and entered the pavilion.
"Wow, do you get to use a space like this all to yourself at the Murim Academy? I heard a maid and a chef are attached to you to take care of all your food and clothing?"
"Ah... Yes. But who are you?"
"I'm truly envious. When I joined the Alliance as a low-ranking civil official, I shared a room with eight people."
This talkative man ceaselessly spat out his words while beginning to touch this and that item inside.
"No! Hey! I'm asking who you are! Who are you to just barge in here as you please?"
"Uh... You. How could you say that to me..."
The man looked at me with the expression of a parent hurt by their child's words.
I mean, who the hell are you?
"Do you know thanks to whom you were able to enter the Murim Academy without failing?"
What kind of dog shit nonsense was this?
"That's all thanks to me, I'm saying. Thanks to me."
"Hah... I'll ask one last time. So who are you?"
"As for who I am..."
"Get out."
"I am Maeng Ju-won, Manager of the Mantong Bureau."
My rough hand that was dragging his body out came to a sudden halt.
"Maeng Ju-won?"
A name I could not forget even if I tried.
The general manager of the Mantong Bureau and the staff officer who had been called Zhuge Somyeong's right arm for a long time.
"Yes, I am none other than Maeng Ju-won."
Another genius—who had died right around the time I entered the Mantong Bureau—was smiling amiably right in front of me.
* * *
The Murim Alliance officially announced the end of the Murim Academy's standard exam, and scattered the list of admitted students to the world.
Firmly etched into the name of the top-admitted student was the name of the Taiyi Sect—which had been slowly fading even from people's memories—and due to this incident, the gossips of Jianghu greedily scraped together stories about Jin Sowoon as if possessed by starving ghosts.
"Do I know the stories... about the Taiyi Sect? Of course I do!"
"This is exactly that village under the protection of the Taiyi Sect. Jin Sowoon and I are like grandfather and grandson."
Since the world was in upheaval, it was an obvious fact that an uproar had occurred within the Murim Alliance as well.
"You idiots, how could you lose the top spot to some mere nameless hack of a sect? You are a waste of the Nine Sects and One Gang's name!"
"Just what method did those bastards use to have all four of them enter the academy?"
"Hmph! It must be related to those Underworld bastards, just as the rumors say."
"Will you shut that mouth of yours? Are you denying the matter that the Chief Strategist cleared of any charges?"
"Ahem, when did I ever deny it."
In addition, there were many who were worried about the unprecedented record Jin Sowoon had set.
"I heard Jin Sowoon of the Taiyi Sect came in holding more Admission Tokens than Yong So-ah?"
"What's more, they say he didn't bring a single warrior with him. I'm worried our children will be undervalued in the future because of this."
"Our children will likely do fine even without those measly warriors. I am thinking of halving the number of supporting warriors starting from the next session."
Too many things were changing on a massive scale for it to be the result of just one person's actions.
"Phew, when I think about how much I suffered because of that guy..."
At Zhuge Somyeong's sigh, Hyuk Mugang let out a hearty laugh.
"Haha, still, it provided a good stimulus to the Alliance, so isn't it a good thing? You have done a great job, Chief Strategist."
"That's why I told you to go in the first place, Alliance Leader. Do you have any idea how much the Peak Master of the Four Emperors Peak glared at me there?"
"Right, did you try talking to those folks a bit?"
"Nothing much. They just asked me to take good care of Jin Sowoon. Saying he would become their 'Yong So-ah' or whatever, even though he almost failed to enter the academy because of them."
"So it eventually comes to this. The Underworld Alliance."
It was something that was bound to be created someday anyway.
The Underworld Murim was already torn to shreds and divided because of the Murim Alliance, and the chaos within the Underworld Murim was worsening.
Therefore, the necessity for the Underworld Alliance was constantly being raised among them, so it was something that could happen anytime given a trigger.
"That's what I mean. Does it make any sense in the world? An admitted student of the Murim Academy laying the foundation for the Underworld Alliance."
A secret known only to Zhuge Somyeong and the Murim Alliance Leader.
A story that would not be revealed to anyone suddenly slipped out.
"Still, thanks to that, didn't we establish a tie with the Underworld Alliance? I've always been worried because the anti-Underworld faction within the Murim Alliance was too strong anyway."
"In normal times, what would there be to worry about? I'm worried because the situation has become exceptional."
Even if they gathered, would it be any different from the existing localized skirmishes turning into large-scale battles?
Even so, they were currently expecting the founding of the Underworld Alliance to some extent.
"What about the traces of the Demonic Cult?"
The Heavenly Demon Cult.
Those terrifying demonic practitioners, whom they thought had disappeared 500 years ago, were aiming for the world once again.
"It turns out there have been many bizarre incidents scattered throughout Jianghu recently. If we hadn't known of the Demonic Cult's existence, there would be more than one or two cases we would have just glossed over."
"Isn't it truly a stroke of immense luck?"
"Indeed. That is true, but..."
Zhuge Somyeong somehow couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.
The fact that everything was fitting together perfectly only made him feel more uneasy.
"Still, surely..."
"What do you mean?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"Anyway, it is worrisome. This is the first time a child with no foundation has taken the top rank, after all. Will that child truly be able to endure it? Has there ever been a precedent like this?"
"The current Director of the Murim Academy, the Three Purities Formless Sword, once passed as the top rank."
"How long did he maintain that position?"
"He stepped down on his own after just half a year."
"That's far too short."
Although the Three Purities Formless Sword was a sword lineage maintained through single-disciple inheritance, as a symbolic existence evaluated within Murim, its weight was by no means small.
To think that even such a Three Purities Formless Sword couldn't wield much influence; it made one realize anew just how strong the power of the existing factions was.
"He only endured because it was the Three Purities Formless Sword. In contrast, the Taiyi Sect is..."
"Do you think that child, Jin Sowoon, will be able to endure it well?"
"I don't have much expectation regarding that point either. ... Won't he soon realize his limits and step down on his own? If he is greedy for the position, he will end up getting kicked out of the academy. I doubt he is that kind of child."
"... Then perhaps, to the Alliance Leader's Pavilion..."
"Ahem! I am busy with work, so I shall take my leave now."