Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 105

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 105

 

 

“This was probably the true identity of the flute sound.”

What the Gaebangdo found at the place where jade flute sounds were reportedly heard was a rock that appeared and disappeared with each wave at the waterside.

“Here, look at this.”

The Gaebangdo who entered the water created wind pressure with his hand and struck the rock hard when it was exposed.

Whiiiii…

It was a flute sound.

Looking closely, wind was flowing in and out of small holes in the rock, creating the sound.

“The water behind the rock is deep. It seems there were people who came into the water looking for the source of the flute sound and drowned in the deepened water.”

“Hmm…”

That made sense.

It really did sound like a flute.

The identity of the ghost fire was similar.

A cemetery located nearby.

According to the Gaebangdo, while he didn’t know the exact cause, strange lights often appeared near graveyards.

Someone who had handled corpses said that certain components emitted by bone fragments of rotting bodies sometimes glowed blue in moonlight.

Thus, the mysterious legends around Dongho Lake were being debunked one by one through the Sect Members’ investigations.

“People are naturally like that. Rather than investigating the causes like we do, they often just see phenomena and speak in amazement… That’s how various legends are born in different places.”

“I see.”

At the consoling words, Zhuge Munhyeon nodded slightly and sighed.

Already five places had been debunked.

As the legends were analyzed realistically through the Gaebangdo’s searches and turned out to be nothing special, he felt bitter.

The Immortal of Dongho Lake.

Was it ultimately just something the fake Taoist made up?

Thus, at the last place, Zhuge Munhyeon’s steps reached a bamboo forest located on the southern edge of Dongho Lake.

Wind was blowing.

The bamboo swayed and the leaves rustled against each other, making a swishing sound.

It almost sounded like human voices.

The Gaebangdo who had thoroughly searched inside the forest shook his head with an apologetic expression.

It was understandable since he looked devastated at not getting the desired results again this time.

“I’ll, I’ll search a bit more.”

“…Yes.”

The Sect Members scattered again.

“Haah…”

Sighing, Zhuge Munhyeon slumped down on a rock near the bamboo forest.

Had he thought too easily?

When he heard the words “Spirit Body Formation,” he thought he would surely discover something at Dongho Lake…

In the end, there was nothing.

“Young Master Munhyeon, please don’t be too disappointed. Even if there were Immortals, how could they be easily spotted by human eyes? Perhaps if we search a little more…”

“Well.”

Was it because his expectations had been high?

Rather than disappointing, his heart felt empty.

However, Munhyeon, who had been sitting for a moment, soon dusted himself off and stood up.

Well, quite some time had passed.

Disappointment?

It was only once.

If he was going to collapse from just that much, he wouldn’t have started in the first place.

Even if he couldn’t find anything at Dongho Lake, there would surely be traces left somewhere in All Under Heaven.

And it wasn’t like he gained nothing from Dongho Lake.

Yacho and his subordinates.

Since he managed to have them join the Yungjoongsan Beggar’s Sect, he now had eyes and ears to observe all of Hubei.

He should be satisfied with that.

Also, wouldn’t he be able to examine many more places through them in the future?

He wouldn’t give up.

Absolutely not…

Steeling his resolve and jumping up, Zhuge Munhyeon returned to his usual expression and said to Mujin.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes… But is that gold engraving?”

“Huh?”

Just as he was turning around, Mujin said something strange.

Gold engraving?

What was he talking about now?

There were only bamboo all around, so he couldn’t see anything like gold engraving…

“Those are unusual characters. They’re not Sanskrit either… Hmm, I’ve never seen such writing before.”

“What?”

“That staff tucked at Young Master Munhyeon’s waist. It looks like some kind of iron rod… but its shape is unusual. Octagonal ones are rare.”

“…?”

At Mujin’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon blinked quietly.

He was talking about the Silver Cold Staff.

But while he understood about the characters… gold engraving?

There were no gold-engraved characters anywhere on the Silver Cold Staff.

Tilting his head in puzzlement, Zhuge Munhyeon took out the Silver Cold Staff.

“Huh?”

As Mujin said, some of the characters were glowing with a subtle golden light.

“Wh-why is this happening?”

This was absurd.

The thing that showed no change even when infused with internal energy was suddenly emitting golden light on its own.

But the moment he held it pointing toward the bamboo forest, the golden light intensified.

Wooong-!

It vibrated finely and created a faint resonance.

“Oh! How truly amazing. It doesn’t seem like you injected energy into it, yet it’s producing sounds on its own? Was it a divine weapon of the Zhuge Family?”

At Mujin’s appearance with obsidian-like eyes sparkling as if he found it incredibly fascinating, Zhuge Munhyeon couldn’t say anything.

He’d have to know something to speak.

But why had this metal rod suddenly gone crazy?

Why was this thing that showed no reaction even when internal energy was injected suddenly emitting golden light like crazy?

It was indeed a divine weapon.

Since it was an item obtained from the Third Hall, the innermost part of the Heroic Martial Armory, the Zhuge Family’s treasure vault.

But it was an unknown object with no recorded history other than the name “roadside find,” meaning it was picked up on the road.

“Hmm, I wondered why it was octagonal… It contains the Eight Trigrams.”

“What? Eight Trigrams?”

“Yes. Don’t you also learn formation techniques at the Zhuge Family? The Eight Trigrams from the sequence of One Origin, Two Extremes, Four Symbols or Five Elements, Eight Trigrams. Here, look.”

“…?”

Mujin, who had been examining the Silver Cold Staff with curious eyes, pointed to the end of the staff.

On each face, three short lines were drawn.

“This is the Eight Trigrams pattern used by the Taoist side, and here the three lines (☰) connected straight represent heaven. The one next to it with a break (☴) is the pattern indicating the Xun trigram that represents wind. Hmm, seeing the order of Qian-Xun-Kan going leftward, this is Fuxi’s Eight Trigrams diagram.”

My ears perked up and my eyes flashed open.

The Eight Trigrams diagrams of Fuxi and King Wen.

These two are extremely important for formation techniques as well, so the Zhuge Family also deals with them in depth.

The Eight Formations also originated from within that.

‘To think I’m only seeing this now.’

Each surface was filled with unrecognizable characters, so I had missed the Eight Trigrams, but Wudang Taoist Mujin had recognized it.

“Mm, it seems these characters probably explain each trigram.”

“They explain the trigrams?”

“I don’t know if you’re aware, Young Master, but in Taoism they say Fuxi’s Eight Trigrams were created to contain the principles of change in all things and all phenomena occurring in nature and the human world.”

“…”

“Qian is heaven, so the overlapping yang means it is robust, firm, and dynamic. Heaven is constantly moving, and though it seems empty, it is filled with the energy that becomes the source of all things… or so they say.”

These were difficult words to understand.

When I frowned, Mujin smiled and said.

“Actually, my level isn’t that high either, so I don’t really understand the meaning. I’m just telling you what’s written in Taoist scriptures… Immeasurable Life Buddha.”

“…”

At Mujin’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon fixed his gaze on the Silver Cold Staff and unconsciously nodded.

That’s how it originally is.

The words of enlightened ones sound like nonsense to ordinary people.

“Still, it’s a curious thing. If that weapon was made containing the principles of the Eight Trigrams as I suspect, it would certainly be originally Taoist, so I wonder how it came to be connected with the Zhuge Family.”

“…”

“Whatever the case, seeing that it’s now in Young Master Munhyeon’s hands, as you said before, this too must be fate. Immeasurable Life Buddha.”

Even at those words spoken with a smile while uttering the Taoist phrase, Zhuge Munhyeon’s gaze remained fixed on the Silver Cold Staff.

An old lost item.

Something someone had picked up.

And because they recognized its extraordinary nature, the Heroic Martial Armory must have stored it in the deepest Third Hall.

Even without knowing its origins…

Afterward, with no one able to interpret its meaning, it would have been left untouched by human hands.

‘Huh? W-wait a minute! This?’

Zhuge Munhyeon finally looked again at the glowing characters.

It was Kan (: ☵).

The Kan trigram symbolizes water.

The Silver Cold Staff that might be a Taoist item, the pattern symbolizing water glowing and resonating on its own… and they said there were Immortals living in the water at Dongho Lake.

“Could it be?”

Strength suddenly entered the hand gripping the Silver Cold Staff.

Zhuge Munhyeon raised his head and his gaze naturally turned toward the bamboo forest that was swaying left and right in the wind, making ‘rustling’ sounds.

The Beggar Sect members had already searched even the interior.

They said they found nothing.

But his steps headed toward the bamboo forest as if bewitched by something.

Wooooong-.

The Silver Cold Staff began emitting light while making an even longer and deeper resonating sound.

This couldn’t be a coincidence.

There was definitely something in that bamboo forest.

Something the Gaebangdo hadn’t discovered.

“Young Master Munhyeon? What’s the matter?”

Mujin was puzzled, but at this moment all of Zhuge Munhyeon’s attention was focused on the bamboo forest.

There was definitely something there.

That’s what it felt like.

Rustle, rustle.

With carefully placed steps, the dried bamboo leaves that had fallen to the ground crumbled.

There was no need to look around and determine direction.

The Silver Cold Staff was guiding him.

Zhuge Munhyeon continued forward as if his reason had been captivated by the light.

And when he reached the center of the deep, deep forest, the light of the Silver Cold Staff disappeared like a candle that had burned all its wick and flickered out.

His steps stopped.

Only then looking around, Zhuge Munhyeon realized once again that there was nothing in the forest.

Except for the rustling sound of dry leaves crumbling underfoot and the swishing sound of leaves bumping against each other…

“Huh? Mujin?”

The strange thing was that his figure was nowhere to be seen either.

He surely would have followed.

“Mujin!”

He shouted with all his might, but only his own voice echoed before being swallowed by the sounds created by the bamboo and disappearing, with no answer coming back.

What kind of trick was this?

It felt as if a boundary had formed between the place where he stood and Mujin’s world.

If it felt like this…

“Could it be a formation technique?”

That was the first thought that came to mind.

No, it had to be that for it to make sense.

The reason the Beggar’s Sect found nothing must have been because formation techniques were set up inside the bamboo forest.

His heart began beating rapidly and loudly.

At the thought that if someone had created formation techniques, perhaps their master might be the Immortals of Dongho Lake.

But he couldn’t just remain trapped forever.

With that thought, Zhuge Munhyeon began thoroughly searching inside the bamboo forest.

Seeing that no illusions arose to dominate his reason and no movements appeared to attack him, this was likely just a formation technique to prevent someone’s visit.

He needed to find the axis.

If it was a formation technique, there would definitely be artificial parts.

But nowhere could he see traces of human touch.

Well, if it might have been set up by Immortals, how could a person easily find those traces?

He searched and searched again…

When what felt like a tediously long time had passed, Zhuge Munhyeon looked with a puzzled expression at an object hanging from a thick bamboo standing tall before his eyes.

It looked like bamboo… no, like fruit.

While nothing hung from other trees, on that one standing like the master of the bamboo grove…

“Could this be what they call bamboo rice?”

Bamboo fruit that bears only once during thirty years, sixty years, or even a hundred years depending on the type.

According to one theory, it’s the staple food of the phoenix, a legendary spirit creature.

But what was this sudden hunger that came rushing in?

His face naturally scrunched up.

The hunger that had surged from the moment he discovered the fruit began growing stronger and stronger.

It was so painful he thought his stomach might have stuck to his backbone.

“Th-this…”

The pain that struck in an instant was so extreme it was difficult to control even with internal energy, and Zhuge Munhyeon instinctively reached toward the fruit.

It seemed to be telling him to consume it.

Pluck!

The plucked fruit entered his mouth.

The slight pungency transmitted to his tongue was brief… as it melted away smoothly, it soon flowed down his throat like water.

And then.

“Gasp!”

Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.

The hunger disappeared instantly, but tremendous heat flared up inside his body.

Wh-what?

Could this be… a fortuitous encounter?

It was an unexpected situation, but if it was a fortuitous encounter, how could it not be good…

However, his brief joy was short-lived as Zhuge Munhyeon quickly circulated his qi, and his complexion turned deathly pale.

It was a fortuitous encounter, but… this energy was spiritual qi.

Damn it all, I’m not ready for this yet… I haven’t even formed a spiritual body.

I’m screwed.

This is why you shouldn’t just pick up and eat random things.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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