Chapter 125

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 125

Chapter Title: Me? The President? Why? (1)

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Two days before Geum Sihyeon and his group left Chengdu.

The top floor of Amnya Tower, the most popular tavern in Chengdu.

"You've arrived, big brother. Come on in, Narang too."

"...Yeah, Woojun. Has Narin been doing well?"

It took spilling a ton of personal stories before the two brothers and two sisters could finally sit down together for the first time.

The biggest reason was that Dang Woojun, who was shouldering even the Supreme Family Head's responsibilities, could barely find time.

Myo Narang, with her naturally cheerful personality, had no trouble blending in, even calling Dang Woojun "Uncle" now.

"Try this. It's delicious."

"Y-Yes, Father..."

"How about this one too?"

"Y-Yes, D-Dad..."

The one having the hardest time in all this was Dang Narin, who was dealing with the father-duplication ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠phenomenon.

She'd always hidden in the fire hydrant back at the clan because dealing with people was tough for her, so it was only natural she'd find this setting uncomfortable.

And yet, she stuck it out resolutely.

The biggest reason?

'This... must be what family feels like...'

Unlike her grandfather, who had always treated her harshly.

Unlike Dang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Woojun, with whom she'd always kept a strange distance.

She could feel the warmth shared only between blood relatives in Dang Uryang's and Myo Narang's eyes.

Of course.

That warm feeling didn't last all that long.

"Narin. It's about time you joined the academy too."

"Right! Sis, our years won't match, but... let's go to the academy together! I'll take good care of you!"

"Ah, uh, eek, ugh."

Dang Narin faced the greatest crisis of her life.

The future sect members of Geumhyeon Gate.

Dalam and Mirinae enjoying their ding-ding happy beast life.

Narang and Dang Narin enjoying their ding-ding happy Xi'an life.

The elders and the divine doctor enjoying their ding-ding happy clinic life.

I was the only one swamped.

Dang Narin wasn't a sect member candidate, but lately, it felt easier to bundle her with Narang as a set menu.

The biggest chunk of my busyness was the housing project.

Sure, it was convenient to just throw a massive sum at it and buy up land and buildings wholesale from some mid-tier sect.

But even if it was a paper sect with no real roots... I didn't want to half-ass it.

I'd taken one character from "city" and one from "fortress" for the name, after all.

Had to live up to the name.

As Juseokseol, who was currently descending from the upper galleries with full-blown winter mania, might have imagined.

It wasn't some impure motive like building a legal harem as the sect leader.

Well, there was a little of that.

Anyway.

If I was going to keep living in the martial world, I'd keep racking up entanglements left and right.

Like the matter with the Poison Clan, or the Tang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Family.

And though I'd slipped away behind Nangong Hwi's back, I was currently tied to the Nangong Family through bad blood.

Groups like the Azure Heaven Society or Blood Cult went without saying.

Of course, just as you can't sever blood ties with a sword, I couldn't deny the connections with Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress.

But the best way forward was to ensure that the martial world's entanglements I accumulated projected more onto me personally than onto the clan.

"Speaking of which, why hasn't he shown up yet?"

"Hahaha! Have I kept you waiting long?"

"Gah."

Speak of the tiger, and he appears.

The man I'd planned to meet today had arrived.

"Young Master Geum! Long time no see since the Nangong Family Head! You've gotten even more handsome in the meantime! Hahaha!"

This man pounding my shoulders and bursting into hearty laughter was Jang Deokpal.

...Judging by his bandit-like naming sense, he was the Construction Chief of the Green Forest—precisely, the Toll Road Gang.

He was also a muscular giant often used as teaching material in Chicken Master's unorthodox martial arts classes.

If you named the places in the Central Plains most closely tied to construction, there were two big ones.

The Hao Clan's Construction Gate and the Toll Road Gang's Construction Division.

Just think: carving roads through rugged terrain, laying down foundation stones, building paths sturdy enough to withstand carriages. Easy stuff?

To borrow Teacher Chicken's analogy, even the steep paths of Jian'ge were a feat of the Toll Road Gang.

More than qualified for construction work.

"Ha! So this is the place?"

"Yes. That's right."

"Hmm..."

Jang Deokpal narrowed his eyes, surveying the entire plot.

The site I'd ultimately chosen wasn't in downtown Xi'an but a bit east, toward Mount Li.

In more modern terms.

It was right on top of where the future Terracotta Army would be unearthed.

Real estate investment is always long-term, after all.

Later, when bored, I could dig it up myself, claim the discovery, and snag the contents for free.

"Heh heh..."

"Hm? Something wrong?"

"Nothing at all."

Anyway, ignoring the minor issue of building over a colossal tomb, I'd secured a plot big enough to rival a strong minor sect with its scale.

As I mulled that over.

Jang Deokpal clapped his hands and laughed boisterously with his quote.

"Ha! Off-season right now, so hmm, seven weeks and we'll have it done!"

"...You can level this entire plot in seven weeks?"

"We could even build your honeymoon suite with Chief Nangong!"

"Don't even joke about that. Deadly sin."

"Hahaha! Fair enough! If it reaches Chief Nangong's ears, my head's on the chopping block, so keep this joke between us!"

Anyway.

True to his ex-bandit mercenary roots, the cost was cheap.

And since the Toll Road Gang had built the Nangong Family Head's place, the workmanship should be solid.

"Good. Let's sign the contract."

"As expected of Young Master Geum—so straightforward! Hahaha!"

I entrusted the Geumhyeon Gate construction project to Jang Deokpal.

Truth be told.

There weren't other options anyway.

Geumhyeon Gate's official partners: No. 1 Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress, No. 2 Toll Road Gang, and only at No. 3 the Sichuan Tang Family.

Had to throw some work to the partners I'd designated, right?

They'd do a good job.

If things go south, I can grab Teacher Chicken and whine until he fixes it himself.

That's a master's grace.

Once the construction wraps up nicely, I should build him a private villa as thanks.

The Hundred Flowers Academy was unusually quiet, having entered its long graduation exam period.

Just like in the modern world, breaks weren't just for students—they were more a guarantee of extended legal vacations for the faculty.

Not everyone had left, of course; from the academy head who'd returned to Shaolin on down, about a third had departed.

Still, some folks were bustling about in their own way.

"Looks like the graduation ceremony prep is solid enough..."

"Have we compiled the applicant list for next year's entrance exams?"

"The Beggars' Sect deputy is coming the day after tomorrow to submit the exam results, so we need to be extra careful there..."

The education administrators handling the paperwork.

And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠alongside them, a handful of students sticking around the academy during this harsh winter instead of heading home.

The Student Council.

Geum Sihyeon might not even remember it existed, but it was the (not-so-)secret organization managing the academy's big and small affairs behind the scenes.

Though Geum Sihyeon wouldn't recall it.

The Student Council President who'd given an inspirational speech to the freshmen at the start of the year.

Go Nahuu was lost in thought again today.

It was about time to elect a new president, but the position at Hundred Flowers Academy was politically hyper-sensitive.

It required extremely delicate maneuvering.

"President. What about Unhak, the deputy from the Beggars' Sect?"

"No good. The families would riot that it tilts the balance toward the Nine Great Sects."

"Then... how about Simen Jaoyeong from a mid-tier family?"

"That junior caused a controversy with her female martial artist superiority complex. Her skills are top-notch, but personality matters more."

Three days into reviewing candidates floated by the other execs.

Personal grades and character were key, but background influence was the most sensitive factor.

After two more hours of heated debate.

Go Nahuu and the Student Council narrowed it down.

In truth.

There'd only been one real choice from the start.

Top grades.

Broad network of friends.

Affiliation leaning neither toward Nine Great Sects nor Ten Great Families, utterly unassailable.

Geum Sihyeon of Ten Thousand Gold Treasury Fortress.

He was the perfect pick for next president.

...The only slight wrinkle: rumored close ties to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's young leader.

But on the flip side, it was an excellent choice for mending the long rift between righteous and demonic factions.

Go Nahuu finished deliberating and picked up his smartphone.