Episode 206
“hmm…….”
“uh…….”
“Ahem…….”
An awkward silence falls over the room.
The person who actually caused the awkwardness was just sitting quietly, rolling a rosary.
“I told you not to smash my head in… is this like tearing out my heart instead?”
People unconsciously nod their heads at Nam Hwa-seong’s rough sentiments.
And I look at Jin So-un, who committed this absurd act.
Eyes demanding an explanation.
However, Jin So-un merely shrugs his shoulders after glancing at Ilgak’s sparkling head once.
Well, since that’s how it turned out. Please stay on good terms from now on.
“…….”
Jin So-woon glosses over the situation with a far too inadequate explanation.
Shouldn’t there be at least a basic explanation regarding how Gak came to be an executive of the delegation?
Eunho looked at Ilgak with a face full of conviction.
With eyes filled with compassion, as if fully aware of your situation.
“Monk… did Senior Brother perhaps use wicked schemes to exploit your weakness and threaten you?”
Eunho, who did not want to go to hell for committing a sin against a monk, asked politely, but the answer actually came from Jin So-un.
“Am I some kind of blackmailer…? Well, I mean, I do threaten people if necessary, but…”
The group members each nodded with a look that seemed to say, “So you really know,” but then they could only clear their throats at Jin So-un’s fierce glare.
“Anyway, they came in ‘voluntarily’ to settle their karma, so rest assured.”
Why should I be relieved just because they said they didn’t threaten me?
The members of the leadership team swallow their fundamental questions and all look on with eyes asking, “Is that statement true?”
However, in reality, Il-gak was merely rolling the prayer beads quickly as if trying to drive away his worries.
“Oh, right! And there is no need to suspect him of being a spy.”
That’s obvious!
No matter how much of an idiot Jeong Do-hoe acts, would there be any reason for him to bring in someone like Il-gak as a spy?
Ilgak’s finger, which had been rolling the prayer beads, twitched slightly, but soon began to move regularly again as if nothing had happened.
“Damn it! I came here of my own free will, so why do you always suspect me of being a spy?”
Jin So-un wore a look of disbelief at Nam Hwa-seong’s question.
You’re not that big of a deal.
“What, what?”
If you feel wronged, become a big shot.
“Damn it!”
As Nam Hwa-seong scowled and left the room, Eun-ho muttered to himself, “I’m going to be tormented again,” and slumped his shoulders.
Just as Jin So-un’s delegation was surprised, the joining of some of the executives caused enormous controversy within the academy.
“Monk Ilgak joining the leadership team…! This is absurd!”
Didn’t you hear “representative unification” incorrectly?
“Is that even a reasonable thing to say! Why on earth would Monk Ilgak unite with Jin So-un!”
From the very beginning, Il-gak was a figure who represented the current generation of students, going beyond the symbolic significance of being the president.
As there were many students in the academy who acknowledged and respected Gak beyond their own affiliations, Gak’s actions felt unconventional to them.
“Then we should consider that Monk Ilgak has acknowledged Jin So-un, shouldn’t we?”
Beyond acknowledging it, wasn’t Jin So-woon originally the representative of the current academy?
“Then we must assume that Jeong Do-hoe has also acknowledged Representative Jin So-un?”
The sudden joining of some to the leadership caused confusion within the Jeongdohoe as well.
Arguments began to break out between those who support the choice and those who criticize it.
“What on earth is going on? Suddenly, isn’t the atmosphere shifting so that everyone believes our Jeongdohoe supports Jin So-un?”
“Since Venerable Ilgak has joined the delegation, it can’t be helped.”
“What do you mean it’s unavoidable! At this rate, our Jeongdohoe’s spirit might be crushed.”
“……
Then go and drag Monk Ilgak here by the hair or something.
“No, how can I catch something that isn’t there…!”
Even harsher words than those of the Demonic Cult were exchanged.
As Jeongdohoe was digging in Sacheon, there was considerable backlash against the existing vested interests within the organization, and as a result, the vested interests of Jeongdohoe were unable to unite and act as one while playing it safe.
But did Baekdohoe gain any benefit from this? That is not the case either.
The Baekdohoe members, who had thought they could sneak into the empty space left by the Jeongdohoe and shake it up, were startled by a sudden action from one side and stammered in confusion.
Should we interpret this as an expression of the Jeongdohoe’s intention not to join the Baekdohoe under any circumstances in the future?
“The Jeongdohoe and the Baekdohoe walk their own separate paths, but in a way, they are also companions. What reason would the Jeongdohoe have to suddenly turn against the Baekdohoe!”
“Then, doesn’t that make no sense why the moment moved?”
“It’s as if Jin So-un grabbed me by the hair!”
No, where would I even get my hair grabbed… *cough*.
I spent a confusing time interpreting the political views implied by the actions of some.
Unaware that words were being exchanged over her hair, Il-gak sat awkwardly in the delegation room.
“Master Jin… then what task am I supposed to take on here?”
“What work? How would a monk know anything about worldly affairs…? Just sit still and nod your head like a sleepy chicken at everything I say.”
Jin So-un was busy dividing tasks one by one among the people Jang Woo-jae had recruited.
He said he was going to the Mantong Department, and he looked quite dissatisfied.
It wasn’t that the others were idle either.
The existing executives were in the process of handling their assigned tasks one by one, while Il-gak alone was sitting in his seat like a statue, having not been assigned any work.
No matter how accustomed you are to solitary meditation, what could be more agonizing than standing still next to someone who is working?
Some eventually stepped forward first.
“Since I have decided to join the leadership anyway, I will learn the ropes properly. Master Jin, please teach me what is necessary.”
At this, Jin So-un takes out the documents as if he had been waiting for this moment.
Well, if you go so far as to say that, then I…
Awesome.
number.
None.
I guess I’ll have to give him some work.
“What is this?”
These are the sects affiliated with the Baekdohoe that we must prioritize bringing into our delegation.
Gak took the documents and quickly tried to grasp the situation.
So, are you telling me to do the work of a spy right now?
Il-gak looked at Jin So-un with a look of disbelief.
“Why go around acting as a spy? We just need to go, have a chat, win their favor, and get them to leave the Baekdo Society.”
Isn’t that usually called ‘spying’?
“Hooo……!”
Jin So-un narrowed his eyes in surprise.
“To think you know so much about worldly affairs… I can entrust you with even more responsibilities in the future. I feel very reassured! Hahaha.”
What is this? I feel like I’ve been tricked…
Watching Jin So-woon burst into heaven-splitting laughter, Gak wondered if he had misjudged something in the past and mistaken Jin So-woon for an ‘enlightened one.’
Regret is always too late, no matter how soon it comes. #Surprising news reaches the ears, whether it is true or not.
For instance, news that Ilgak had joined Jin So-woon’s delegation. ‘Jin So-woon…’ At first, I dismissed it as nonsense, but after seeing Jin So-woon at the school cafeteria picking out only the meat from the side dishes Ilgak had brought, I had no choice but to believe it.
Then, a natural question follows.
How did Jin So-un get Il-gak to join the delegation?
One thing that comes to mind is having a weakness exploited.
However, this doesn’t make sense.
There is no way Baekdohoe wouldn’t know what Jin So-un knows.
Although the Baekdohoe and Jeongdohoe cooperate a lot within the academy, they eventually become rivals once they enter the Murim Alliance.
Therefore, trying not to let each other find fault is practically an instinct ingrained in one’s bones.
Moreover, it is not an ordinary person, but a corner.
He is not the type of person to move, even if threatened.
Ultimately, unresolved questions turn around and manifest as behavior that blames the other party.
And in a way that is advantageous to himself.
The reason some are acting this way is that they dislike the situation where Baekdohoe takes over the representative position.
The members of Baekdohoe naturally harbor doubts about Jegal Jeong-gi’s assertion.
“Even so, what benefit would Il-gak gain by joining Jin So-un’s delegation?”
And Jegal Jeong-gi was too smart to be speechless at such an obvious question.
Jeong Do-hoe is in danger of being evaluated as unfit to perform the duties of a representative due to the Sacheon incident.
In that case, wouldn’t giving the impression that Jin So-woon retained the representative position not because of their own incompetence, but because of his excellence, be their last desperate attempt?
One by one, people begin to nod their heads at Jegal Jeong-gi’s opinion.
“And above all, it must mean that our Baekdohoe’s power is so formidable that even a corner has to take direct action.”
Now, a faint light is beginning to appear on the faces of the temporary executives of the Baekdohoe.
Jegal Jeong-gi wears a satisfied smile.
“In the end, it is practically a foregone conclusion that the Baekdohoe will reclaim the leadership position from Jin So-un.”
Interpreting that Ilgak had spurned the move to join Jin So-un’s delegation out of fear of the White Dao Society’s power, the temporary leadership was motivated and gained greater confidence in the event they were hosting. #While outwardly feigning composure, Zhuge Zhengqi was actually in turmoil. ‘A truly unpredictable lord.’ Jin So-un’s actions were difficult for him to fathom.
It is not limited to just a few isolated incidents.
I could not figure out his intentions from the moment I heard the story that he had caused a serious problem in the clan and released Zhuge Tianqi, who was imprisoned in the Golden Jade.
What do you intend to do with a child whose heart is captivated by vulgar machines like the mechanical formation?
Furthermore, the fact that Jin So-un received an entry pass from his grandfather, Jegal So-myeong, went beyond mere suspicion and even evoked a sense of betrayal.
To think he would give the title of “Entrance Tomb,” which he would never have given even to his own grandsons, to a disciple of an unknown, third-rate sect.
He thought that Zhuge Xiaoming, whom he respected dearly, would never do such a thing, but when he heard the inside story—that Zhuge Xiaoming had actually received the admission pass and handed it over to Moyong Zaihua to have him pass—he felt a sense of bewilderment.
A person whose actions are completely unpredictable.
A being like a thunderbolt that could go anywhere.
To Jegal Jeong-gi at that moment, Jin So-un was exactly that kind of person.
And, an unpredictable human came to find him at an unexpected time.
“I heard that Monk Ilgak joined the leadership team?”
Jin So-un, far from answering his own question, just stared blankly at the teacup containing the seven-colored flower.
Huh? Oh, yes. That is how it turned out.
As expected, he is an inscrutable person.
That’s great.
“Not at all. Now that we can’t have company dinners at bars and have to order without meat even at regular meals, there are just so many things to worry about.”
And… no matter how I look at it, he seems like a person who isn’t in his right mind.
“How did you persuade Monk Ilgak?”
“Persuasion?”
“Monk Ilgak isn’t the type to be swayed by money. Did you find some kind of weakness?”
“Hoho, I see you always make sure to find a weakness when persuading people.”
“If that weren’t the case, there’s no way it would move, is there?”
Jin So-un shrugs his shoulders as if it were no big deal.
“I didn’t do anything else. I simply asked them to join me. If there was any motivation, wouldn’t it be because of my ‘character’ rather than anything else?”
“crazy…….”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
Jegal Jeong-gi tried hard not to get drawn into his nonsense and changed the subject.
By the way, what brings you here today?
Hmm, I wonder? I wonder what brings you here today?
Jin So-un, with his eyes still fixed on the teacup where the seven-colored flowers were rippling, presented a Zen riddle and said nothing.
That sight made Jegal Jeong-gi certain of his thoughts.
If power is concentrated in the hands of such an unpredictable person, it is impossible to know what will happen.
The academy can improve only if there is a fair and just representative who does not abuse power.
That is why Jegal Jeong-gi could not simply let the opportunity provided by the clan slip away.
Chilseongchilgeumjin.
The Zhuge Clan’s strongest Qimen Formation, which every renowned clan in the world installs.
The world used to distinguish between a massive breakwater and a non-massive one based on whether or not this Seven Star Seven Gold Formation was installed.
And a new formation created by the greatest geniuses of the Elder Council and the Technical Institute within the Zhuge family, who have put their heads together over the past twenty years, will soon be announced.
Yangyi Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Symbols Formation
While the existing Seven Star Seven Gold Formation had only about 5,000 formation paths, the Yangyi Eight Trigrams Ten Thousand Formations had as many as 12,000 formation paths.
It is truly a death trap from which one cannot escape until death once they enter.
Some might say that the myth of the Zhuge family was shattered by the Infinite Invincible Soul-Slaying Formation.
However, wasn’t it proven through the school events?
The Infinite Invincible Soul-Slaying Formation is a death formation that humans cannot control.
If the Gimunjin intended to block the enemy ends up swallowing up even our own allies, that is truly a case of the tables being turned.
That is why the world is still searching for the Seven Star Seven Golden Formation.
Furthermore, as the Dark Path martial arts world formed an alliance and the Green Forest Alliance showed suspicious movements, the Blood Cult appeared in the Jianghu, where tension was already rising.
The world will be unable to conceal its curiosity regarding the emergence of the Qimen Formation, which is even more powerful than the Seven Star Seven Gold Formation, and the academy students, who are essentially representatives of each martial arts sect, will have no choice but to participate in the academic event demonstrating it.
And if public opinion shifts, the bridgeheads will also be able to lend a hand in condemning Jin So-un.
No matter what desperate struggle Jin So-un put up now, the victory of the White Dao Society was practically a foregone conclusion. ‘Will I finally be able to see a dazed expression on that despicable face?’ Jegal Jeong-gi smiled a vile smile as he watched Jin So-un, who still could not take his eyes off the teacup containing the Seven-Colored Flower. As the event schedule drew closer, the White Dao Society abruptly revealed the true nature of the event they were hosting.
It is none other than the Qimen Formation newly introduced by the Zhuge Clan.
The appearance of a new Qi Gate Formation, never before seen anywhere in the world, caused a stir not only within the academy but also in the nearby Martial Arts Alliance and even further throughout the Jianghu.
People were desperate to find out the true nature of the Yangyi Eight Trigrams and Ten Thousand Symbols Formation by any means necessary, and everyone mobilized their connections to try and uncover information about it.
At this point, the number of letters the students received from their schools or close relatives increased significantly.
The pressure to find out information about the Jegal family’s new Qimen Formation faster than anyone else intensified.
However, there was a small problem.
The Baekdohoe event overlaps with Representative Jin’s schedule.
“I heard that Representative Jin So-un formally invited the Hyungsan Sect and prepared a lecture on exorcism and spirit control.”
“I was also thinking of taking the lecture after hearing about the Jeongdohoe this time.”
Both were excellent events, but unless I had two bodies, it was impossible to attend both events held at different times in different places.
Moreover, one was an event related to his own life, and the other was an event related to the survival of his sect.
This tense tug-of-war-like situation was enough to plunge the students into anguish.
At that moment when the entire school building was in a frenzy.
“Huff! Damn it. Why, why am I the only one digging a hole?”
“What are you talking about? I’m doing it too.”
Nam Hwa-seong, who had been digging the ground while going around the entire arena, asked Jin So-un, who had dug a larger area than himself.
“Is it okay to be doing this?”
“No way, you bastard! If you want dinner, dig it up quickly!”
At Jin So-un’s immediate answer, Nam Hwa-seong asks back, looking frustrated.
“I mean, Baekdohoe said they’re holding a new Gimunjin experience event, didn’t they? Shouldn’t you at least set up that Muryangbulgwae something-or-other formation you installed before?”
“Do you know how much money it costs to cast the Infinite Invincible Soul-Slaying Formation just once?”
“Do you think people would come to our event just because of this crappy Nine Palaces Beauty Formation?”
Jin So-un shook his head as if finding it pathetic.
People are naturally weak to freebies.
“Bonus?”
“Right. A bonus. Participation in the Hyungsan Sect’s events is standard, and joining the Qimen Formation we are creating now is a bonus.”
Do people really consider Qimen formations like the Nine Palaces Beauty Formation to be a nice bonus?
Nam Hwa-seong, who usually dislikes using his head, racked his brains and weighed his options carefully, but
It certainly isn’t the case.
Even he himself thought that it would be better to experience the new Qimen Formation created by the Jegal family rather than studying the Pasa and Jeryeong techniques that he could learn at the Murim Alliance.
And public opinion seemed to be flowing in a direction not much different from Nam Hwa-seong’s. ‘What on earth is he thinking?’ A reprimand flew at Nam Hwa-seong, who was standing all alone in the middle of the arena.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you shoveling faster?”
Nam Hwa-seong decided not to harbor any further doubts about the Nine Palaces Beauty Formation or Jin So-un’s plan.
Because a more urgent and practical question lies right before my eyes.
So, that’s my question. Why am I the only one wasting my time? There are so many people in the delegation.
Those people are working.
“I, I work too!”
“What right do you have to do work, you spy… Just hurry up and shovel.”
Although he feels anxious that his digging might really turn out to be a waste of time, Nam Hwa-seong finds himself doing as Jin So-woon tells him to without even realizing it.
“Hmph.”
Nam Hwa-seong, who was watching Jin So-un working hard, decided to simply follow him rather than agonize shallowly as he had done in Sichuan.
At least I never lost anything by trusting him.
“Ganja! Why aren’t you shoveling faster!”
Of course, the treatment I receive is extremely unfair, though.
“D-Damn it! I’m not a spy!”
Seeing how you’re not working hard, you’re definitely a spy.
Nevertheless, Nam Hwa-seong could not bring himself to throw away the shovel.
