Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 111

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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 111

 

 

Yeongsan County in Hubei Province is a village located at the border with Anhui.

In fact, the administrative boundaries aren’t clearly defined.

Since administrative boundaries are determined by lines drawn on maps, they would change arbitrarily whenever the ruler of the country or officials changed.

With the attitude of “mine when it’s good, yours when it’s bad,” it would be more accurate to say it doesn’t belong to any place at all.

Thus, Yeongsan County sometimes belonged to Anhui, and sometimes to Hubei. Some crazy officials even classified it as part of Hanam Province.

Even people who call Yeongsan their hometown – the grandfather says it’s Anhui Province while the grandchild says it’s Hubei Province, which shows what a complete mess it is.

With the administrative districts in such a state, the murim forces showed similar tendencies.

Truly a neighborhood punching bag.

Whether righteous or evil factions, they would each claim ownership from time to time, with this guy appearing to beat them up, that guy appearing to beat them up…

Who could endure it?

Therefore, Yeongsan never had any murim forces establish themselves there, and thanks to that, there was no better place for negotiations.

Since it was a neutral zone.

Since it was on the way back to the main house anyway, it would be fine to stop by briefly.

The Young Family Head had made a request as well.

‘That damn bastard! Taking the position and then ordering me around like this. Let’s see just how well you can negotiate – I’ll be watching closely.’

…It was purely for the Zhuge Family.

It wasn’t like it would take years anyway, just a few days’ detour.

But it was difficult to walk or ride a horse.

The wounds from the fight with that ascetic were more serious than expected.

When I asked Yacho, who had helped me cross the river, for a carriage, she brought back a cart.

An ox-drawn wagon.

It would obviously rattle constantly.

As expected of a beggar…

Would this be comfortable?

I politely declined.

I’m the former Heavenly Demon and current descendant of the Zhuge Family…

And it didn’t even have a roof.

So after parting with Yacho, I went to find a shabby escort agency nearby.

I still had plenty of money left from robbing the water bandit stronghold, so I could have looked for a more luxurious place, but since the village was small, that was the best option.

“Are you really the Violent Dragon?”

When I knocked vigorously on the door and showed my token, the agency owner Jo Yeongdal came running out barefoot, clasped his hands respectfully, bowed his waist, and asked.

Since he mentioned something about Violent Dragon, he seemed to have heard the name before.

“I am Zhuge Munhyeon. This is Mujin, first disciple of the Wudang Sect.”

“Wu, Wudang?”

Jo Yeongdal’s eyes widened at Zhuge Munhyeon’s introduction and immediately guided the two inside.

“How could such humble people come to such an honored place…”

He seemed quite flustered.

His words came out in the wrong order.

It was understandable.

Although northern Hubei was under the Zhuge Family’s influence, they didn’t yet control the entire region.

Just some major strongholds.

So the Zhuge Family’s power couldn’t possibly reach such a rural village.

Yet a member of the Zhuge Family had come to visit.

Even bringing along a Wudang Taoist.

You’d have to have nerves of steel not to be surprised.

“I’m heading to Yeongsan County.”

“Ah! It’s because of those negotiations, isn’t it?”

Even though it was shabby, an escort agency was deeply involved in martial arts, and sometimes classified as a murim force.

The negotiations between the Zhuge Family and Namgung Family had been the center of recent attention, so he seemed to have heard about it.

Then this would be quick.

“That’s right. Could you possibly provide escort services?”

“Of course… Pardon?”

“Escort services.”

“Ah, um…”

Jo Yeongdal couldn’t continue speaking for a while and just blinked his eyes.

Originally, escort agencies don’t just transport goods but also transport people.

That’s called escort services.

It’s the job of protecting clients from external threats when traveling long distances.

Naturally, it was puzzling.

Since he’d heard about the Violent Dragon alias and the negotiations, he would also know who the main figure leading the Zhuge Family’s recent rise was.

It was absurd for someone with the power to sweep away highway robbers and bandits to ask for escort services.

But don’t worry.

No matter how injured I am, I’m not someone who needs to be protected by you people.

What I need is a comfortable carriage to recover from my internal injuries and workers to handle various chores.

“Why? Do you have a busy schedule? Then I’ll look elsewhere.”

When I turned to leave with a reluctant expression, the startled Jo Yeongdal quickly blocked my path.

“Elsewhere? If you’ve come here, you should naturally use our services!”

“…”

“Please wait just a moment! I’ll immediately arrange a carriage and escort formation right now.”

Jo Yeongdal shouted with the determination to never let this humble(?) customer go.

Escort agencies should maintain close relationships with murim forces.

The sect backing them becomes their support.

It also creates opportunities to prioritize transporting goods for merchant groups that deal with that sect.

But who was the man before him?

A descendant of the Zhuge Family that had come to control Hubei Province, and a disciple of the traditional stronghold Wudang.

He wasn’t someone to test the waters with talk of schedules and try to negotiate down the transport fee.

Above all, Jo Yeongdal thought this moment was an opportunity that absolutely must not be missed.

Ah, how long had he dreamed of this day?

It had been long since he’d been oppressed in the shadow of evil factions, going on escort missions without receiving proper payment.

He had earnestly hoped for the day when the Zhuge Family would regain their former power, allowing him to stay under that name like his ancestors and proudly conduct escort missions.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

If he handled this escort mission well, Yongsan Escort Agency might grow dramatically in one stroke.

Zhuge Munhyeon was inwardly satisfied with that enthusiastic attitude and asked.

“How long will it take? I’d like it to be as fast as possible.”

“It’ll be ready immediately!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jo Yeongdal assembled all the escorts belonging to the agency.

Five in total.

Actually, there were more people, but they only had five horses.

And a carriage.

“Hmm…”

It was somewhat shabby, but compared to the ox cart Yacho had brought, it could be called a royal carriage without shame.

However.

“Excuse me, young master.”

“Why?”

“I’m sorry to ask this, but would it be alright to hang a flag?”

“It’s natural to hang a departure flag when setting out on an escort mission.”

That was their identity, after all.

However, despite receiving permission, Jo Yeongdal seemed hesitant about something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well… it’s not the escort flag, but this… I was hoping to hang this instead.”

What Jo Yeongdal held out was an old flag that had yellowed with age.

“What is this?”

“Ah, you might not know. This item is called the Seven Star Flag…”

True to its name, the flag had a constellation representing the Big Dipper embroidered on a white background.

So what was this about?

“Actually, the Seven Star Flag is something we received from the Zhuge Family long ago.”

“Pardon?”

“Well…”

Seeing his hesitant appearance, Zhuge Munhyeon realized something and smiled softly.

Originally, martial families often granted symbolic items to trading companies, escort agencies, or shops that formed connections with them. Flags were one such item.

The purpose was to show ‘this place has ties with us.’

In other words, it served as an advance warning to enemies who might threaten them.

If you touch these people, we will retaliate, so act accordingly.

The Demonic Sect was the same.

At one time, Zhuge Munhyeon had received audiences from prominent trading company heads and escort agency owners who came to him, paying large sums to receive flags.

‘His name isn’t Jo Yeongdal for nothing.’

He seemed like someone who wouldn’t miss an opportunity.

And the fact that he had carefully preserved that flag all this time meant he had hoped and wished for the Zhuge Family to rise again someday.

Thinking about it, it wasn’t bad.

It hadn’t been long since they gained prosperity from their point of decline.

This was a time when trading companies and escort agencies from all over Hubei were continuously flocking to Yungzhong Mountain.

If Seven Star Flags fluttered in every corner of Hubei like in the past, people would realize that the Zhuge Family had once again taken their place as masters.

Perhaps this flag fluttering at Yongsan Escort Agency might become the starting point.

“Very well. Hang the flag.”

“Thank you, Young Master!”

Jo Yeongdal bowed deeply with an expression as if he had gained the whole world, and the carriage raced cheerfully toward Yeongsan with the Seven Star Flag fluttering.

Of course, he didn’t pay the escort fee.

It wasn’t that he refused to give it.

Jo Yeongdal strongly opposed it, saying that being allowed to hang the flag was already an honor for his family.

He even said he would cover all the costs of using inns along the way.

He had unintentionally saved money.

It wasn’t that he particularly liked getting things for free.

Having abundant hair both in his previous life and now was proof of that.

 

* * *

 

The journey was peaceful.

Zhuge Munhyeon and Mujin, sitting in the cheerfully racing carriage, took turns recovering from their internal injuries.

Someone had to keep watch, and it had to be the most trustworthy person.

Of course, it was difficult to perform the Great Heavenly Circuit.

They could be affected by the carriage’s swaying.

While Mujin was circulating his qi.

“Hmm.”

Zhuge Munhyeon’s attention was focused on his own condition.

The family would handle the negotiation matters.

The Young Family Head was the main party anyway.

He just needed to go leisurely and participate in the negotiation process.

He didn’t necessarily have to go, but they said it would put their minds at ease.

Anyway, looking back at his body, he had reached a strange state.

Chung, Hyeon, Tan, Ui, Gang.

That’s how internal energy standards were typically divided.

Then through second-rate, first-rate, peak, supreme peak, and reaching the transcendent realm.

They were classified according to the degree of mastery.

His mastery had already reached the transcendent realm, but the level of his internal energy was the problem.

Between Ui and Gang.

But consuming the Death Tail had placed him in a stage he had never even considered.

If he had to express it, it would be half-Gang, or somewhere between spiritual energy and internal energy.

Most of the spiritual energy was confined and sealed in his middle dantian, but residual spiritual energy was affecting his internal energy.

He was probably the first among Murim people.

Since no one cultivated spiritual energy.

“How on earth could such a thing happen?”

The two energies that he had previously thought were completely different types were now living harmoniously together, making his body their home.

Of course, it wasn’t theoretically impossible.

Mujin right in front of him was achieving it.

The fusion of good and evil.

But he could teach that because he had already done it long ago.

It was a product gained through cultivation in Taiji Cave.

But in his case, he had no teacher, so how should he understand it, and how should he proceed?

“Should I also try unsealing and attempting the unity of spiritual energy and internal power?”

Such a thought suddenly occurred to him, but the risk was too great.

In the meantime, he had already tried it once.

When he consumed the Death Tail and gained spiritual energy, he had tried his best to somehow meld it.

But it wasn’t easy.

Rather, it seemed like his blood vessels couldn’t withstand the fusion of forces and would burst. The pain of muscles tearing strand by strand and bones twisting was a bonus.

To challenge once more…

“Hmm.”

That didn’t seem right.

In the end, he had to choose the second-best option.

“Eunhan.”

Zhuge Munhyeon looked at the Silver Cold Staff placed on his knees.

This thing had become the medium.

It was certain that he could control the residual spiritual energy because of the Silver Cold Staff.

In reality, without using the Silver Cold Staff, the spiritual energy wouldn’t move. No matter how much he tried to call it forth, it sat somewhere in his body like a heavy-bottomed fellow and wouldn’t budge.

“Where on earth did the Zhuge Family pick this thing up?”

He suddenly became very curious about its origin.

As Mujin said, it might be a Taoist artifact, so he thought about whether he should climb Wudang Mountain again.

“No, that’s not right. That’s not the right order. First, I need to find out who made it.”

All items are made by craftsmen.

The inscribed spell was probably done by the same person.

So if he found that person, he could naturally discover the meaning of the inscribed text.

“I should first make inquiries within the family, then investigate that direction.”

After the negotiations with the Namgung Family were finished.

Just as he was thinking this, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Yeongsan.

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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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