Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Tang Family's Friend (1)
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Thousand Poisons Pill.
The Tang Clan of Sichuan's spirit pill that enabled immunity to a thousand poisons.
To fully make it my own, the spirit pills received as injury compensation under the injury aid system had to be saved for now.
How much time had passed since I began sketching out a rough plan in my mind to obtain the Thousand Poisons Pill?
Misinterpreting my words as meaning he didn't need his own protector, Professor Nosam, stroking his swelling right cheek, turned to Yin Xia Lian and spoke.
"Well, you must have your own thoughts on the matter. Anyway, if you don't need my protection, there's no reason for me to stick around here any longer. Silver Girl, follow me. The Sword Queen is waiting."
At Professor Nosam's words,
Yin Xia Lian first gave a slight bow and cupped her fists toward Jin Kyung-ryong.
"Then, I'll be off for a bit. Chairman."
"Sword Queen Professor... I've met her a few times while serving as the head of Cheongjuk Hall. Unlike her cold appearance or the rumors circulating, she showed impeccable courtesy even to a mere cadet like me, so don't be too nervous and pay your respects well."
"Jin, you bastard. If you praise the Sword Queen like that, what does that make me when I go around calling you this one and that one?"
"A beggar of a professor. What else."
Hm.
I'd only thought it, but it slipped out.
"...?"
But Brother Kyung-ryong cleverly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Ha, haha. Professor Nosam has a straightforward personality. That's why Yong-un here and I can treat you so familiarly, isn't it? Isn't that right, Yong-un?"
"Yeah. Sure."
"Ahem. Is that so?"
"Of course, Professor. Ahem. Anyway, getting back to what I was saying, safe travels. Yong-un's judgment couldn't possibly be wrong. I'll wait here in comfort at Cheongjuk Hall for the good news that the Sword Queen's direct disciple has come from our hall. Silver Junior. No, our Chief of General Affairs."
"Yes."
As Jin Kyung-ryong's well-wishes concluded, Yin Xia Lian's gaze turned to me.
I spoke first.
"See you later. If I touch Cheongjuk Hall's ledgers with my petty temperament, I'll just have to redo them anyway, so I'll organize just what's written in this notebook. In the same format as last time with the Haryu-park incident?"
"Yes. That would be perfect. Then I'll be off, Eon Young Master."
And so, Professor Nosam and Yin Xia Lian left Dongyun Hall.
Following my instructions, Jeong Hyeon, Eun Ha-seong, and Woo So-rung each swallowed their injury compensation spirit pills and began meditating to circulate their energy.
Jin Kyung-ryong and I volunteered as their protectors while starting discussions on Student Council personnel selection.
"The most urgent is appointing Silver Junior as Chief of General Affairs, and she'll select her own deputy."
"Yes. Chairman... no, Brother Kyung-ryong."
"Haha. Yes, Yong-un. You know that if General Affairs is the left pillar supporting the dorm, then Discipline is the right pillar?"
"Yes."
"Today's incident and ongoing issues keep tarnishing my reputation, but there's no suitable candidate among the current students. The guy who was Discipline Chief last year was just carted off to the infirmary with Yang Geum-pyo, and while some didn't participate in today's face-washing ceremony fiasco, they only saved themselves—no one actively intervened."
This alone made Jin Kyung-ryong a decent fellow.
If he were the type hiding his lust for power and trying to use me like a hunting dog?
With my person Yin Xia Lian taking the position controlling the purse strings—one of the two pillars upholding the dorm's operations—he'd have insisted on filling the Discipline Chief role, which grips the cadets, with his own man.
"Plus, honestly speaking, aside from your group, no big-fish freshmen seem likely to join Cheongjuk Hall. Among these guys, if there's someone fit for Discipline Chief, great; otherwise, you could just take it on concurrently. What do you think?"
But Jin Kyung-ryong didn't.
He genuinely wanted Cheongjuk Hall to change and trusted me.
"Wouldn't Jeong Hyeon be perfect for Discipline Chief?"
And he wasn't the type to dump all decisions on me to take it easy.
"Hm? Jeong Hyeon Junior seems too kind-hearted. Ah, not saying you're evil or anything. D-don't clench your fist."
"I've had it clenched since earlier. I've been like this from the start."
"Oh, really? Like the saying, 'Frightened by a young bamboo, startled by a pot lid.'"
"...?"
"...Anyway, my point is, if a first-year takes Discipline Chief, they'll inevitably clash with senior cadets, right?"
He had a point.
For now, I'd stamped them down, but humans are forgetful creatures. Over time, tensions ease, and discontented seniors could raise their heads again.
"I haven't known him long, but at first glance, Jeong Hyeon doesn't seem the type to wrangle seniors."
"Indeed, Jeong Hyeon isn't the type to dominate seniors."
"But?"
"He can't stand seeing others bow down. He'll call out wrongs no matter who it is, steps in without hesitation against injustice, and has the skill to make anyone who underestimates him regret it big time. Good guidance. Isn't he the one to guide Cheongjuk Hall onto the right path?"
- Isn't that Jeong Hyeon acting all fired up lately? His intensity is dialed way up.
'You think?'
It had been about five days since I joined Cheongjuk Hall.
You can't know a person's heart even if you know the depths of a thousand ri of water, so I didn't know what the seniors were truly thinking, but after the Dongyun Hall incident, they at least superficially acknowledged me as Vice Chairman.
The first thing I did upon taking office as Vice Chairman was to apply my usual morning training to all of Cheongjuk Hall's members.
For all five days of morning training sessions, Jeong Hyeon had been out swinging his sword over half a shichen earlier than me, drenched in sweat-soaked training clothes, waiting to greet me.
'No way. If even a genius works this hard, how are us mortals supposed to survive the resentment?'
When and where did he catch fire like this?
- It's a valid point, but hardly one for you to say, disciple. Look at poor Cheongjuk Hall souls dragged out early like you and Jeong Hyeon competing. I rarely pity anyone, but muscle aches and sleep deprivation make them look like reanimated corpses—truly pitiful.
'I know a bit about reanimated corpses, and the seniors and peers are far from that level.'
- ...?
How much did the late-generation talents selected from Baekdo Murim neglect training that even a little exercise leaves them like this?
'While I'm at it, starting tomorrow, add sandbags to ankles and wrists.'
- Tsk tsk. Poor bastards. Be reborn next life as my disciple or from another dorm.
Anyway.
Starting with making morning training a dorm commandment, I handled two more public duties.
The first was accepting thirty-seven new initiates—my intake peers—bringing Cheongjuk Hall's first-years to a total of forty-two.
'Given Cheongjuk Hall's reputation, bluntly put, all thirty-seven were rejects from other dorms.'
That's why the numbers were high.
'Other dorms took exactly forty each.'
But unlike the defeat-accustomed seniors, these freshmen had pride as survivors of what was rated the toughest entrance exam in history.
And the motivation to make other dorms regret overlooking them.
'A bit embarrassing to say myself, but...'
Having the current top scorer with them seemed to boost their drive too.
With such motivated freshmen arriving, even the seniors couldn't stay idle.
'Master says it's because you and Jeong Hyeon lit the fire.'
But to me, aside from Jeong Hyeon and my Eon brothers, it seemed the psychology of not wanting to lose to freshmen was also at play.
Cheongjuk Hall's atmosphere began a slight positive cycle.
'Just need one first victory to prove Cheongjuk Hall can win, and this cycle solidifies.'
Personnel for the Student Council to plan that first win was mostly settled.
General Affairs Chief to Yin Xia Lian as planned.
For deputy, I let her pick: one senior and one peer, both honest number-crunchers, and they started full operations.
Next, Discipline Chief.
As intended, Jeong Hyeon was appointed.
'Ah, is Jeong Hyeon this enthusiastic because he became Discipline Chief?'
Come to think of it, Jeong Hyeon was there when I recommended him to Brother Kyung-ryong?
'He didn't say anything?'
Anyway, Discipline went to Jeong Hyeon.
As unusual as a first-year Vice Chairman, a first-year Discipline Chief was unprecedented too. Given the department's nature, a higher-year deputy felt off, and all-first-year seemed impractical, so Jeong Hyeon ran it solo without one.
"Yong-un? Remember that Discipline Chief who can't stand others bowing?"
"Yes."
"...Now I get it."
"...? Did something happen with Jeong Hyeon, Brother Kyung-ryong?"
"Honestly, our Student Council's had a lot lately? Embarrassing for a martial artist, but with morning training added, my workload increased, causing muscle pain and such."
"And?"
"No, I had lunch with the Discipline Chief today. Feeling tired and off my appetite, I left some rice."
"...Ah."
"With that stern face, he started lecturing about how much sweat a farmer puts into one grain of rice, quoting the Four Books, Three Classics, Tao and Buddhist scriptures..."
"Chairman! Chairman, where are you?!"
"...! Vice Chairman—no, Yong-un! Please say I'm not here."
"Jeong Hyeon!"
"Yes?!"
"Brother Kyung-ryong's here!"
He was doing fine on his own.
Next, Public Relations.
Public Relations announces Student Council decisions to members and handles publications—like the dorm's mouthpiece.
The chief had applied for dispatch training to the Murim Alliance, so we left it vacant and gave deputy spots to Ha Seong and So-rung.
They only handled relaying decisions Jin Kyung-ryong and I made.
Not great at independent tasks but good at following orders. Ha Seong had cheek and eloquence; So-rung was fast on his feet, perfect for quick dissemination.
Finally, Athletics Chief.
Brother Kyung-ryong said General Affairs and Discipline were the two pillars.
From an operational view, yes, but for solid wins, especially the upcoming inter-dorm tournament, Athletics Chief was crucial too.
But we left this key spot vacant for now.
I had a perfect candidate, but approaching now was tricky.
'Can't say 'I read the original, you're perfect for Athletics Chief' now.'
So until an official chance to contact him, I had So-rung monitor his trends and schedule.
Thus busy digesting schedules, orientation day—the day before classes started—arrived.
Orientation.
Short for Newcomer Learning Grounds, but in the 'Murim Academy: Sword Genius' world, it was basically just sharing a meal.
Of course, with the headmaster, the four dorm supervisors and professors, Student Council executives, and all first-years attending, it was special enough without "just".
Anyway, this intake's orientation began.
All first-years in colorful training uniforms gathered at the staff cafeteria on the first floor of the main building.
Students assembled, but professors hadn't arrived yet. Orientation's purpose was for the four dorms' cadets to mingle, so exam comrades now split by dorm chatted warmly and joyfully.
"You went to Yun-guk Hall?"
"Yes. Lucky to pass. You got into Unmae Hall as hoped, Young Master. Ah, heard the news? Top scorer Eon Yong-un went to Cheongjuk Hall?!"
"Not news—official. Look over at Cheongjuk. Right there."
Of course, I couldn't join right away.
I was a Student Council exec before a freshman.
'Though I did drag all my old comrades to Cheongjuk.'
Still, there were people I wanted to check and chat with.
While tallying Cheongjuk's headcount, I scanned around.
'Yong-myeong and Cheon Jang-ho went to Unmae as in the original. That burly guy resembling Paeng Baek-bu next to them is Paeng So-cheon? Jeokgal Seolji glaring at me with fiery eyes is in Yun-guk as expected. Next to him, in yellow uniform chatting with someone, that bob-cut girl...'
With refined features yet oddly blunt Paeng vibe—Paeng So-jin?
'Paeng So-jin went to Yun-guk too.'
But Hyangran Hall kids sat rigidly, not mingling.
The prince-like one with sword-straight brows and nose was Namgung Family's eldest, Namgung Yun. And the most important now, Tang Ok-gi...
'Found her.'
As in the original, sitting at the far end.
'Was a bit worried if the plot twisted, but unfounded.'
Tang Ok-gi, alone without her only friend Jeokgal Seolji, propping her chin—humanly pitiful.
But actually good for me.
Her isolation meant, like the original, she was a loner in her dorm.
Which meant I'd be first in line for her "Thousand Poisons Pill friend" slot.
'Just stay lonely a bit longer, Tang Ok-gi. I'll gladly be your Tang Family friend.'
With Thousand Poisons Pill as friendship fee?