Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 144

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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 144

 

When people talk about the Tang Family, what they never fail to mention are poison and hidden weapon techniques.

 

Though they’re blood-centered, closed-off, and have many problematic personalities, the reason they’re evaluated as venomous as vipers and scorpions is precisely because of this.

 

What are poison and hidden weapons?

 

Being ambushed without awareness makes them sinister and cowardly…

 

But in reality, the Tang Family never uses poison and hidden weapons from hiding.

 

They use them openly.

 

Right in front of their opponents.

 

Those two things that should be used secretly to achieve maximum effect.

 

Also, in fact, the Tang Family isn’t famous for just poison and hidden weapons. Beyond that, from medicine to manufacturing to commerce, the so-called Five Gangs form the backbone of the Tang Family.

 

It’s just that one aspect became too prominent, so people who don’t know them well call the Tang Family a clan of poison and hidden weapons.

 

Moreover, their martial arts also have considerable depth.

 

Besides poison arts and hidden weapon techniques, the Tang Family has palm techniques and fist and leg techniques based on the Three Yang Divine Art, Golden Catching Hand, and countless martial arts ranging from whip techniques to swordsmanship.

 

The guys I met before also practiced truly diverse martial arts.

 

Even the Poison King I fought during my Heavenly Demon days used fist and leg techniques, not hidden weapons.

 

It’s just that they’ve regressed.

 

For the reason of lacking popularity, countless martial arts have been abandoned, just like the Zhuge Family’s Small Heavenly Star Technique.

 

Should I say that if you don’t use poison and hidden weapons, you’re not treated as part of the Tang Family?

 

That’s why I said it.

 

“The Tang Family has not only hidden weapon techniques but countless other martial arts. This means you don’t necessarily have to learn only hidden weapon techniques.”

 

“That may be true, but…”

 

“Can you catch up to them with hidden weapons?”

 

“…”

 

“Learn what others don’t practice, martial arts that are permitted to everyone. You might not become the strongest in Tang Family hidden attacks, but it means the path is open in Tang Family fist and leg techniques, swordsmanship, palm techniques, and so on.”

 

It’s difficult to succeed by doing what others do.

 

There are many competitors too.

 

So it means to walk the path others don’t take.

 

Though that path may not be smooth, wasn’t Zhuge Mungi already walking a path that wasn’t smooth?

 

“…Do you think I didn’t know that?”

 

“If you know, why do you insist on hidden weapons?”

 

“Because there’s nothing.”

 

“What?”

 

“Since few people learn it, even though secret manuals exist, there’s nowhere to learn beyond the basic level.”

 

At those words, Zhuge Munhyeon chuckled and said.

 

“Are you a child?”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“If you stand under a persimmon tree with your mouth open, will a persimmon just fall into your mouth?”

 

“Th-that’s…”

 

“If you need it, you should break off a pole and pick the persimmon. If that doesn’t work, you should climb the tree. Do you think it’s possible to obtain something without such effort?”

 

“….”

 

“Nothing in this world happens by itself. Even if you’re born with a good family, good parents, and good circumstances, if you don’t make the effort to protect and maintain them yourself, you’ll eventually collapse. That’s life.”

Zhuge Mungi found himself nodding unconsciously.

For that moment, even his rambling like an old master didn’t annoy him. His words had become a ray of inspiration, creating ripples in his heart.

The hardships he would never have experienced if he had lived in the Zhuge Family instead of the Tang Family had, for that moment, become medicine rather than poison.

Because it had been difficult and he had worried, each word that Zhuge Munhyeon spoke entered his heart, settled there, and became engraved in his mind.

“The alcohol’s gone.”

 

“….”

 

“What are you doing? Bring more. And tell them to hurry up with the meal on your way. All this talking has made me hungry.”

The harassment that had been repeated for the past few days.

His irritating tone of speech.

But Zhuge Mungi silently nodded and stood up.

“Bring whatever you want to learn. I can’t teach you the original source, but… I can watch and offer a word of advice.”

 

“….”

At the words casually spoken while turning around and lying down in the pavilion, Zhuge Mungi unconsciously smiled.

* * *

 

“Hmm. That’s not right.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“What power would there be in just extending both hands at the same time? Think about why the creator named this technique Yangdansu (Both Severing Hands).”

 

“You mean I need to cut?”

 

“I’m telling you to cut through.”

 

“Cut through?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

 

“This idiot… Where do I even start teaching you? Look. Cutting through means your extension and retraction must be light. Power only goes in at the end. In other words, you don’t let excessive force hinder your movements. So what does that mean? It means you strike briefly to deliver impact or block the opponent’s attack, then immediately transition to the next attack.”

 

“Ah….”

 

“If you understand, do it again.”

 

“Ah, got it.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s sharp criticism, Zhuge Mungi took his stance again.

Three Yang Divine Palm.

It was one of the martial arts that Zhuge Mungi had brought.

Martial arts that once flourished and every Tang Family warrior knew, but not everyone practiced.

That’s how martial arts are.

When fewer people practice them, they become obsolete.

But Three Yang is an exceptionally excellent martial art.

It was also very familiar to Zhuge Munhyeon since the Poison King he fought in his previous life used it frequently.

He had actually exchanged quite a few sword discussions with him.

Three Yang doesn’t simply mean three yang energies, but is a term expressing the realm of Three Yang Divine Arts.

The first is Taeyang , which emphasizes destructive power through simple and concise movements with intense heat and fire.

 

The second is Cheokyang , the burning fire.

 

It is a realm that inflicts fatal damage to the enemy’s interior.

 

The third is Hyeonyang , the heat of iron.

 

What could be considered the final chapter of the Three Yang, it uses internal energy as kindling to make the entire body like fierce flames, eventually reaching a level capable of creating the Samadhi True Fire.

 

“You idiot! I told you! What power is there if the fire that finally caught goes out? You need to burn it even more fiercely!”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Being called an idiot no longer made him angry.

 

What mattered was that his thirst to learn the Tang Family’s martial arts was being quenched.

 

Though his manner of speech was crude and his scolding was like fire, his teachings were like sweet rain during a drought.

 

Still, it would be nice if he spoke a bit more gently…

 

But what is this guy doing now?

 

When the constant scolding that had continued during his cultivation suddenly stopped, Zhuge Mungi turned his head to look at Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

He was picking up stones.

 

Then he carefully arranged stones of different sizes to surround himself in a circle.

 

A formation technique?

 

“Phew, that’s done.”

 

“What are you trying to do?”

 

“Does practicing martial techniques alone improve your skills? You need an opponent.”

 

“An opponent? You mean an illusion?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Will that actually be training?”

 

“Keheheh, experience it yourself.”

 

“…”

 

Just when he felt uneasy seeing that sinister smile, Zhuge Munhyeon moved a stone as if placing the final piece.

 

“Work hard. I prepared this for you.”

 

The moment he uttered those cringeworthy words that didn’t suit him at all.

 

Whoooosh!

 

Suddenly, as if a hazy barrier had formed, the world disappeared.

 

And then.

 

Swiiiiish!

 

Something came flying.

 

Thwack!

 

It struck.

 

“Gah!”

 

It’s an illusion, this is definitely an illusion.

 

Though no wound appeared, throbbing pain assaulted him from inside where he was hit.

 

“Wh-what is this?”

 

But there was no time to be surprised.

 

Swish! Crack! Whooooom!

 

As if standing in the middle of a battlefield, the phantoms began pouring out fierce attacks.

 

“Th-This is insane!”

 

He had to move diligently.

 

Though there were no Tang Family warriors there, Tang Family martial arts were present, along with one who taught halfheartedly and another who yearned to learn.

 

Of course.

 

“Hehehe, you brat, does that look easy to you? Go ahead and suffer a bit.”

 

For Zhuge Munhyeon, it was another means of revenge.

 

* * *

 

“Young Master Zhuge, have you been well?”

 

“Ah, Elder.”

 

A guest had come to the back garden.

 

It was Tang Yung.

 

Though he had come to this branch office to meet the delegation, as the Dark Bang leader, he couldn’t help but inspect the branch’s affairs.

 

After entrusting the hospitality to Zhuge Mungi and spending busy time inspecting the branch’s operations, he had finally come to visit the back garden.

 

“Were you drinking?”

 

“As you can see.”

 

“Then I brought this for nothing.”

 

Tang Yung looked embarrassed as he showed the wine bottle he had brought.

 

“The more alcohol, the better. There’s nothing else to do but wait anyway.”

 

“Oh! You know something about it.”

 

At the words that didn’t refuse his gesture, Tang Yung smiled brightly and came over to sit down.

 

“But where did your advisor go? I clearly told him to stay by your side. I don’t see the young master either.”

 

“They’re cultivating.”

 

“Cultivating?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hmm, the courtyard is so wide, they could do it here…”

 

“They are doing it here though?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Over there, and over there.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon raised his finger and pointed to two specific spots.

 

Of course, there was nothing visible.

 

All that could be seen were artificially arranged stones.

 

“Formation techniques?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon nodded with a smile.

 

His immediate recognition wasn’t because he knew about formation techniques.

 

He had sensed the subtle flow emanating from the formations.

 

Well, he was the leader of the Tang Family’s Dark Bang after all.

 

“Impressive. It must be a formation that conceals the interior, and it’s done quite seamlessly. Even with careful observation, it would be difficult to notice that a formation technique is deployed.”

 

At those admiring words, Zhuge Munhyeon chuckled softly.

 

Reading the flow just by looking at it.

 

“But cultivating with formation techniques – the Zhuge Family has quite unique cultivation methods.”

 

“Well, everyone has their own way.”

 

“That’s true.”

 

Tang Yung nodded his head, but inwardly thought what a strange cultivation method it was.

 

Formation cultivation?

 

What help could that possibly be?

 

“But what brings you here?”

 

“What brings me? I just came to see how you’re doing. I thought perhaps I’ve been too neglectful, having placed Violent Dragon in the back garden.”

 

“Ah…”

 

It didn’t seem that way at all.

 

The way he’d been trying to please him from earlier too…

 

Since they weren’t originally close, the words and actions of such a master always had a purpose.

 

But there was no reason to refuse.

 

He had his own purpose as well.

 

The Tang Family’s craft workshop.

 

He needed to visit there and ask about the Silver Cold Staff. In such a situation, becoming friendly with Tang Yung was one of the very important options.

 

Their nature was like a blocked alley.

 

There was a way in but no way out, and with the sides blocked too, if you couldn’t get through, you had to turn back and come out.

 

So rather than going in recklessly, it was better to go with a letter of recommendation, and if there was even a word from someone, you could become friendly a bit faster.

 

In other words, he needed to cooperate as much as possible.

 

“Shall I offer you a drink?”

 

“I was just about to ask for one.”

 

When he lifted the wine bottle, Tang Yung smiled and received the cup.

 

“By the way, your skills are quite considerable. I heard that Gang Mugakju of the Namgung Family was humiliated, and it seems it wasn’t just empty rumors.”

 

“It’s crude.”

 

“Oh my, this person. If you say that, what does that make me, who was pushed back?”

 

“Ah, is that so?”

 

“You have a talent for making people embarrassed.”

 

“I apologize.”

 

“Ha ha! No need to apologize.”

 

Tang Yung burst into hearty laughter and casually asked while filling Zhuge Munhyeon’s cup.

 

“If it’s not rude, may I ask what martial arts you’ve learned? Being a martial artist myself, I’m curious about the internal energy of an outstanding junior scholar. If it’s uncomfortable, you don’t have to say. I don’t particularly intend to pry.”

 

“…”

 

To anyone watching, it clearly looked like he intended to pry.

 

He would be curious.

 

The war with the Namgung Family had already spread as rumors, and he seemed to know that he was at the center of it.

 

“I learned the Small Heavenly Star Technique of the Main House.”

 

“Small Heavenly Star Technique? Not Great Heaven Star?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Ha! Truly remarkable. I heard that the most outstanding martial arts in Zhuge is Great Heaven Star. I also heard you have deep knowledge in Formation Techniques?”

 

“….”

 

“But what about your position? Someone of your caliber should hold quite a high position despite your young age.”

 

“I don’t have a position yet. I’m not particularly attached to such things.”

 

“Ah, I see. Well, there’s no need to rush. But your father is that Eight Gates Genius?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I heard your mother was once famous as the greatest beauty of Dangang, Miss Baek.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“What about siblings? Do you have any besides your cousin?”

 

“….”

 

Tang Yung asked questions like someone who died in his previous life from not being able to ask enough.

 

His eyes were full of curiosity.

 

As if he would dig into every detail about me.

 

Seeing how he didn’t speak indirectly, he seemed to have quite a straightforward personality.

 

But his questions were too focused on personal matters… Why does this feel like a marriage interview?

 

I’m not the one who’s supposed to marry a daughter of the Tang Family.

—————
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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