Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 143
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 143
Ever since Zhuge Munhyeon had been staying at the Unjangru Rear Garden.
Zhuge Mungi, who was enduring all sorts of hardships(?), felt like each day was ten days, no, a whole year.
Why is the water so lukewarm when you bring it, just bring alcohol instead, the food doesn’t taste right, and so on.
This damn bastard…
Avoiding Tang Yung’s eyes when he occasionally visited, he scratched at his insides twelve times a day.
No matter how much he came as a guest, he was privately three years older as an elder brother.
Just as he was thinking whether he should use a killing technique.
“Advisor, here is today’s patrol report.”
“…Yes.”
“Is there anything specific you’d like to instruct?”
“Nothing. The delegation will arrive in a few days, so please be careful that no unpleasant incidents occur.”
“Understood. And this is… something my wife gave me.”
“What is this?”
“Well, it’s water boiled with dodder seeds, and they say it’s really good for men…”
“…”
Dodder seeds, a medicinal herb that treats erectile dysfunction.
His wife was probably not satisfied, that was certain.
But her thoughtful heart was touching.
It seemed like generosity shown because he hadn’t been kicked out or punished.
“Something like this should be taken by the Family Head who does hard work.”
“Oh no, not at all. I’m overflowing with energy like this. Haha!”
Cheon Giju smiled more brightly than ever and flexed his arm muscles.
That’s not the right muscle…
This is the problem. This is.
Because the one who created this change was Zhuge Munhyeon.
“Advisor, are you coming out?”
“Nothing unusual, right?”
“Yes.”
After parting with Cheon Giju and entering the rear garden, the patrol unit warriors he encountered greeting him first had become familiar enough by now.
It’s good, too good…
Since the treatment had changed overnight, he couldn’t help but acknowledge Zhuge Munhyeon’s contribution.
Even though he was the one who knelt down for the patrol unit warriors, it was Zhuge Munhyeon who drove the point home.
And once he passed through the main gate of the rear garden.
“What? You didn’t bring alcohol? Why are you so thoughtless?”
“…”
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had finished his morning meal, suddenly stuck out his hand and spoke.
Here we go again.
The petty bastard’s revenge for past grudges.
But did you leave it to him?
But let’s endure it.
Just carve the character for ‘patience ‘ in my heart and wait for departure.
What could be so difficult about that?
Ten days remained until the delegation’s arrival.
Having endured years living like a stranger in the unfamiliar Tang Family, there was no way he couldn’t endure that time.
That guy has his own life, and I have mine.
Just endure this humiliating time and live well like strangers afterward.
“…Ahem! It’s still morning.”
“So what?”
“What? Are you planning to drink alcohol from morning?”
“I enjoy drinking from morning. Go and bring it. I heard Geomnamchun is so famous at Unjang Pavilion.”
Even though it was still early, the harassment had begun.
Damn bastard…
A guy from the Zhuge Family should be learning academics and building cultivation, but alcohol? Alcohol! Without paying a single penny, Geomnamchun! Do you know how much you’re bankrupting the Branch Office finances?
…is what he wanted to say, but he suppressed it and had Geomnamchun brought.
However.
‘Strange. Why did he set up a formation?’
Having left the Zhuge Family long ago, he hadn’t properly learned the family studies, but he possessed basic knowledge.
Large and small stones arranged in one corner of the courtyard.
These were the axes called pillars that support formation techniques.
‘Is he doing research? Though annoying, he’s impressive in many ways. The Bang Leader said his martial arts alone might rival or even surpass his own, and now he’s continuously training in formation techniques too.’
He couldn’t help but acknowledge it inwardly.
Also, though he had taken refuge with the Tang Family, his true nature was born of Zhuge blood, so he couldn’t help but be interested in formations.
As he was observing carefully, he was startled by something suddenly popping out through the air.
“Ugh… so tiring.”
It was Mujin.
It had definitely been empty space…
“Oh? You’re here?”
Mujin, soaked in sweat, recognized Zhuge Mungi and offered a greeting.
“Ah… yes. Did you sleep peacefully last night?”
“Peace… what does that look like?”
“Pardon?”
“Sigh, this damn life has no time for peace.”
Mujin sighed, muttering with an expression full of irritation for some reason.
“Why are you crawling out? How long has it been since you went in?”
“I want to drink water! Water! Water!”
Mujin shouted irritably and gulped down water.
“Such a temper. It’s still far from mealtime, so hurry back in. There’s no time to rest.”
“I know. I know!”
As he consistently showed irritation and glared with fierce eyes, Zhuge Munhyeon unusually averted his gaze slightly.
Because he knew.
How difficult the cultivation Mujin was doing right now was.
Because he had been through it himself.
“Damn! Damn! Damn! Daaamn! Argh! Immeasurable…”
After venting his anger for a while by kicking the ground hard, Mujin disappeared into the formation.
Hmm, the fluctuation just now seemed somewhat different.
The slightly rippling air soon returned to its original state as if nothing had happened.
Zhuge Mungi just blinked his eyes for no reason.
Though he was also from the Zhuge Family, since he came to the Tang Family at a young age, he hadn’t learned formation techniques in depth, so he couldn’t calm his heart that was shocked by that mysterious sight.
“…What the hell is this?”
“It’s a formation.”
“I know that, but… did formation techniques have this kind of effect too? It only looks like empty space.”
“Huh? How strange. A member of the Zhuge Clan being surprised by formation techniques.”
“…”
It’s because I didn’t learn it, you damn bastard.
He really gets on my nerves about everything.
But Zhuge Mungi, whose curiosity was greater than his irritation, suppressed his anger and asked again.
“But why did Master Mujin enter the formation?”
“He’s cultivating.”
“What? Cultivating? He’s cultivating inside a formation?”
“That’s right.”
“No, what kind of…?”
Unable to understand, Zhuge Mungi just tilted his head.
“Sigh, a guy named Zhuge doesn’t even know formation techniques. Tsk tsk.”
“…”
“That’s something I devised… well, there was help from various people, but anyway, it’s called the Time Forgetting Formation, made for cultivation.”
“Time Forgetting Formation?”
“Right. There are various types from beginner to intermediate and advanced levels, but we just call it that.”
His head became dizzy.
Using formation techniques for cultivation?
He created such a thing?
“You look like you’re dying of curiosity?”
“Well, that’s…”
“Why, are you interested? Should I teach you?”
“Huh?”
“Life at the Tang Family isn’t easy, is it?”
“…”
As he spoke indifferently while pouring and drinking the Geomnamchun brought by a Patrol Unit martial artist who was standing guard, Zhuge Mungi’s eyes widened.
“Did you learn the Tang Family’s hidden weapon techniques?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“Your skills aren’t improving?”
“Huh?”
His eyes grew even wider.
Though he didn’t say it out loud, his expression clearly showed ‘How does this bastard know?’
“Why are you so surprised? I can tell just by looking at your hands.”
“…Hands?”
“Yes, hands. More precisely, the calluses embedded there. The location where calluses form differs depending on the weapon you frequently use. So just by looking at the shape of your hands, I can tell what weapon you use and how diligently you’ve practiced.”
“Ah…”
“You worked hard. Leaving marks, getting bruises, skin peeling off repeatedly until calluses formed, and then adding another layer on top.”
Zhuge Munhyeon spoke as if he had witnessed all the time Zhuge Mungi had spent at the Tang Family.
But why was there regret in his tone and worry mixed in?
He’s just a damn bastard though…
“But your direction was wrong from the start. That way, your hidden weapon techniques will never improve. Being stupidly diligent alone won’t work, tsk tsk.”
“…”
Anger suddenly flared up again.
Pick one thing, you little brother bastard.
Either worry or curse at me.
Why are you confusing people by mixing both together, damn it?
But direction?
That’s how he felt.
Since he spoke as if he knew something, curiosity arose.
“Direction? What do you mean by that?”
“You stupid fool, do you think the Tang Family’s hidden weapon techniques are such easy martial arts that you can master them just by throwing randomly?”
“…”
Zhuge Mungi’s body trembled as he clenched his fists tightly.
It wasn’t from anger.
It was surprise, and beyond that, yearning.
“Well, sure. You might improve little by little just by throwing. First hitting fixed targets, then hitting smaller targets, and eventually continuing training to hit just one grain among thrown rice…”
“…”
Zhuge Mungi’s face hardened stiffly.
This was exactly the training he had been doing.
He had watched others train, and this was also the method the Patrol Leader had taught him.
“All the Tang Family Warriors train that way. Both the Main House and the Branch Office…”
“Ha, have I ever seen such a stupid fool? Are you the type to claim you know the current just by looking at the water’s surface? The beginning is different, the beginning.”
“The beginning?”
“You fool, when will you become a master just by throwing like that? Do you want to achieve success in about a hundred years?”
“Th-that’s…”
“First is the eye technique. Second is the method of utilizing energy. Without those two things, no matter how much you throw hidden weapons, your skills won’t improve.”
“Eye technique and energy utilization method? This is the first time I’m hearing about that?”
“Of course you’re hearing this for the first time. The Tang Family wouldn’t have any reason to teach someone who’s practically an outsider like you.”
It was the Tang Family’s secret transmission.
There was no way they would pass on the core of their hidden weapon techniques, which was essentially their identity, to a branch member who wasn’t even a Tang.
All sects were like this.
If it leaked out, they could be turned against in reverse.
Of course, the martial artists belonging to the Tang Family did use hidden weapon techniques to some degree.
But they never taught the higher-level techniques.
How could it make sense for an outsider to possess hidden weapon techniques superior to the Tang clan members?
He himself didn’t know about the Tang Family’s hidden weapon techniques either.
He had seen them because he had fought against them, but he couldn’t know the detailed applications and training methods.
But hadn’t there been people in the Demon Cult who used hidden weapons?
The Demon Cult’s Poison Shadow Hall.
They were people who possessed skills that could truly rival the Tang Family, and Zhuge Munhyeon had learned hidden weapon techniques directly from that hall master in his youth.
When he was a lower martial artist, it was for missions; when he became the sect leader, it was because he had various interests.
“Th-then what should I do? How can I learn the Tang Family’s hidden weapon techniques?”
“You fool, you want to learn that?”
“I plan to live in the Tang Family for the rest of my life. I need to learn it.”
At the gaze and tone filled with longing, Zhuge Munhyeon couldn’t help but chuckle.
Whether he did or didn’t…
How that guy lived wasn’t my concern.
But the problem was being a Zhuge.
It had always been like this.
It was fine for me to curse, beat, and kill.
But being cursed at, beaten, and killed by outsiders was something I could hardly forgive.
Even if it was someone who had turned their back on the family.
“Hah, this damn blood is acting up again. Is this some side effect of reincarnation?”
“What?”
At the words he muttered while scratching his head roughly, Zhuge Mungi tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
“Let me ask you something.”
“…Yeah.”
“What do you want to do?”
“What?”
“Ah, the question was too vague. Let me ask again. What’s your goal in learning martial arts? Just to become the same as others and feel a sense of belonging? Or to become outstanding and grow stronger?”
“That’s…”
Everyone was the same.
A crane among chickens.
It was human nature to want to be superior to everyone else.
“If it’s the latter, don’t learn hidden weapon techniques.”
“Don’t learn hidden weapon techniques? Are you telling me to abandon the Tang Family’s martial arts?”
“I never said anything like that, did I?”
“…?”
“The Dang Family doesn’t only have hidden weapon techniques.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
