Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 15

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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 15

 

 

After the martial duel with Zhuge Munho, seven-year-old Zhuge Munhyeon achieved the remarkable feat of being banned from both the Ten Thousand Books Pavilion and Cheonseong Pavilion.

Thanks to this, his notoriety grew even higher.

Damn it, they said martial duels would be fine…

In the process, he ended up gaining another useless master.

It wasn’t even something he wanted.

But he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Because he had learned of Zhuge Munho’s circumstances.

And.

 

-Munhyeon, this mother is truly proud. To have so many people who care for you…

 

Mother had wept.

It was probably because she had suffered all along due to her origins.

Being from a musician family – what was so wrong with that…

And perhaps because he was born borrowing this body and received so much love, now just seeing Mother cry made his heart swell with emotion. Was this what sharing feelings meant?

Even if he turned away, no one would blame him, but why pretend not to know when there was something he could do?

Fine, I’ll do it. I will!

What’s the big deal about filial piety?

When Mother spoke like that, what did it matter if he had one useless master or two?

After gaining two personal masters, except for occasional outings to the market with Mother or Sohye, he rarely had reason to leave the manor.

It was like entering secluded cultivation without actually doing so.

Thanks to this, Zhuge Munhyeon was able to devote a bit more time to his training.

 

* * *

 

Enough time had passed for even the rumors about the Military Strategy Division Head’s worthless son’s natural talent to fade.

The ginkgo tree planted in front of the pavilion to commemorate his birth had grown to over six meters tall, creating shade that covered one side of the pavilion.

And beneath it.

Han Siheon, whose sideburns had turned gray, was looking at the formation he had constructed after much deliberation with a satisfied expression.

He had struggled with it for three whole days and nights.

He had tried reverse calculation but found no problems.

Thunk.

The stone he threw into the formation was sucked in and disappeared.

“Hehehe, it’s done. It’s done.”

Laughing with satisfaction, he turned his head.

Thwack!

Just then, with a heavy impact sound, Yu Ganghu fell to his knees.

“Tsk tsk, lost again. Lost again.”

He couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Han Siheon looked at Yu Ganghu with pitying eyes, then turned his gaze to Zhuge Munhyeon standing before him in a snow-white scholar’s robe.

Now fifteen years old.

The seven-year-old child had grown as sturdy as an adult, and his appearance, resembling his mother who was called the greatest beauty of Dangang, became more radiant as he grew, handsome enough to cause ripples in the hearts of countless women.

“Master, I told you to take one more step forward in the True Phantom Wandering Form, didn’t I? If you stop like that, you’ll allow attacks just like now.”

“Hmm. L-like this?”

“That’s right. From there, you use Swift Change again.”

“Ah…”

Yu Ganghu nodded at the words of Zhuge Munhyeon in his snow-white scholar’s robe.

It was a strange sight.

A disciple teaching his master.

But he had been surpassed long ago, and now it was unclear who was the master and who was the disciple.

Thirteen years old? No, was it even earlier?

Zhuge Munhyeon had taught his master the Small Heavenly Star Technique he had improved himself.

Yu Ganghu had initially burst out laughing, but after hearing the incantation formula, he had to grab onto his trouser legs begging to be taught.

The more he saw, the more amazing his talent was. It would be fitting to call him a genius of the ages.

But such praise never crossed the manor’s walls.

Because there was a secret oath made when becoming Zhuge Munhyeon’s master.

Never reveal what you see and hear to the outside world.

Of course, it wasn’t just martial arts.

Han Siheon was also seeking to learn from Zhuge Munhyeon.

“Ahem! Munhyeon.”

“Ah, are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, another Nine Palace Formation?”

“No! It’s the Nine Palace Myriad Forms Formation!”

“The basics are the same anyway, so adding one more name and making modifications doesn’t change anything.”

“Hmph! You’ll have to try it to know. I stayed up for several nights making this! This time will be different.”

“I’m telling you it’s pointless. It would be better to spend this time reinforcing additional training formations.”

At Han Siheon’s confident declaration filled with fighting spirit, Zhuge Munhyeon sighed and entered the formation.

It had been seven years since he started learning formation techniques.

At first, he thought it was completely useless, but the more he tried it, the more interesting it became. While it didn’t have the satisfaction of direct combat, fighting illusions helped martial arts become ingrained in his body.

Finding interest in this way, the formation studies he had so disliked came naturally.

Just as Father had hoped…

From then on, he continued the confrontations.

Against Yu Ganghu, against Han Siheon’s formations.

“Will it work this time?”

“Trust me. This is a formation I barely managed to create after staying up for three whole nights.”

“You’re really confident?”

“Of course! I mixed the life gates and death gates and reversed the eight trigrams, so this time it absolutely won’t be broken…”

It didn’t take long for Han Siheon’s confident expression to crumble.

“See? I told you it wouldn’t work.”

“…”

Half an hour.

Zhuge Munhyeon crushed his two masters’ expectations and leisurely emerged from the formation.

The two stared at him blankly.

“I’m going to train alone now, so you two should reflect on what went wrong. With such poor opposition, I can’t train properly. Tsk tsk.”

The sound of tongue-clicking flew like daggers into the hearts of the two masters.

Damn brat.

“Drinks…”

“…let’s go.”

Just as they were trudging out of the manor with heavy hearts today as well.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

“Well… please don’t ask.”

“It’s almost lunchtime though?”

“I have no appetite.”

At Baek Suhyeon’s words as she returned from buying groceries, the two responded glumly.

“It seems you two have been defeated again, Miss.”

“Really, you shouldn’t say such things carelessly.”

“But you always lose to our young master like that, don’t you?”

“Sohye. Even if it’s true… Oh my, I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking.”

Baek Suhyeon, who had been scolding Sohye for whispering and stabbing at their hearts, startled and apologized.

She was even worse.

How she managed to pick only the most accurate words to say – like mother, like son, and even the servant girls were on the same side.

But since it was true, the two couldn’t even argue back, and their shoulders drooped even more than before.

There was really so much to learn that they couldn’t even quit…

 

* * *

 

It was one evening after dinner had ended.

“Oh? What’s the occasion for alcohol?”

“Is it so surprising? I heard you occasionally drink with your masters.”

“Those masters really have loose tongues.”

“Hey, you rascal. If you wanted to drink, you should have told your father first…”

It was a rare intimate drinking session between father and son.

“You have something to say, don’t you?”

“Indeed.”

“Is it about my future path perhaps?”

“Correct. Now that you’ve turned fifteen, you can’t just spend all your time at home forever, can you?”

“That’s right.”

Zhuge Munhyeon nodded at his father’s words.

He understood.

As a father, he must have found it frustrating to have a son who stayed cooped up at home doing nothing but cultivation. Mother, who had even arranged this drinking session despite him not yet being an adult, probably felt the same way.

Well, it seemed they already knew he had been drinking secretly.

A future path…

It was indeed time for that topic to come up.

Typically, descendants of the Zhuge Family would undergo apprenticeship experiences at fifteen, during their final period at Cheonseong Pavilion, to choose their future path.

Scholarship, mechanisms, formation techniques, martial arts.

They would rotate through each hall to gain experience, and upon completing their coming-of-age ceremony, they would choose a place suited to their talents to carry out their duties.

Even Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been banned from entering Cheonseong Pavilion and had only cultivated day and night at the manor, couldn’t ignore the family’s customs.

He had already decided to live as a child of the Zhuge Family.

“Do you have any place in mind?”

“Not yet…”

“I heard from your two masters that you’ve reached quite an impressive level in martial arts and formation techniques?”

“It’s a crude level.”

“Crude?”

“Yes.”

“Ha! That’s different from what your masters said.”

“The masters were exaggerating.”

“Exaggerating…”

Father chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re evenly matched with Maengkwon, and thanks to you constantly breaking Han Siheon’s formations, his formation-crafting skills have improved significantly? And recently, you broke a formation he created by modifying the Nine Palace Formation in just half a hour?”

“Ah, that…”

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Evenly matched? Half an hour?

These people…

Even though they had sworn to keep quiet about his true abilities, they were exaggerating far too much despite losing every time.

“Maengkwon is a martial artist skilled enough to have served as Chief Instructor at Cheonseong Pavilion.”

Merely first-rate.

If he fought seriously, it would end within ten seconds.

“If you solved the Nine Palace Myriad Forms Formation in half an hour, your mastery of formation techniques is quite remarkable.”

Just the Nine Palace Formation.

After digging into it for seven years in the name of cultivation, breaking it was nothing at all.

That level was sufficient.

After all, it was an ability he had developed as a side effect while learning martial arts.

“How about it? Would you like to gain some experience through apprenticeship?”

“Apprenticeship?”

“Yes. Though it’s somewhat late, if you’re going to choose your path after the coming-of-age ceremony, it wouldn’t be bad to gain some experience beforehand.”

“Hmm.”

The mention of experience made him laugh inwardly.

Was there anyone in the Zhuge Family with as much experience as him? At least in martial arts, you couldn’t find anyone like him even if you searched the entire world.

As he chuckled and emptied his cup, Father continued speaking.

“I’ve long known your heart isn’t in scholarship, so I won’t recommend that direction.”

“I’m eternally grateful for those words.”

“You rascal.”

Father smiled bitterly at the jest, then after a moment of contemplation, spoke in a subtle tone.

“It would be difficult for you to immediately enter the Hyeonho Unit, the main house’s martial force, as an apprentice, so start with apprenticeship at the Military Strategy Hall.”

“Pardon?”

This was absurd.

Why was the conversation flowing in that direction again?

This was like a story with a formation technique twist.

“Don’t tell me you still haven’t given up on your dream of raising me as a formation master?”

“How could I give up on you? My son has enough talent to break the Nine Palace Formation at fifteen?”

“Sigh, you’re really stubborn.”

“What can I do? Your talent is such… But being a formation master isn’t necessarily bad. There’s no law saying formation masters can’t practice martial arts. It seems you could do well at both?”

“That may be true, but…”

“Son. I understand your feelings, but the Military Strategy Hall is no different from the heart of the Zhuge Family.”

“Of course I know that. Strategy, formation techniques, and mechanisms play the most important role in the main house.”

“Correct. But do you know why that is?”

“The reason? Wasn’t it something like our identity?”

“That’s not wrong. But the more practical reason is that the Military Strategy Hall is the main house’s biggest source of income.”

Father’s eyes gleamed cunningly. He probably thought I’d be interested if it involved money.

Well, who doesn’t like money?

But!

What’s money so important to a martial artist?

I’ve been detached from material wealth for so long…

Perhaps because of my indifferent attitude, Father changed tactics again.

“It’s not just about money. Sometimes you can experience various martial arts as well.”

“Pardon? Various martial arts?”

This was somewhat intriguing.

“The current political situation is turbulent, and though divided individually regardless of orthodox or unorthodox, there’s no sect that doesn’t use formation techniques and mechanisms. Whether creating secret manuals or constructing defensive or offensive formations, it’s impossible without our help. Therefore, we sometimes serve as advisors when creating sword formations for various sects. Each time, we get to observe the martial arts of different sects.”

“Ah…”

A short exclamation.

But Father.

I understand you’re trying to stimulate your son’s interest in martial arts to somehow raise him as a formation master, but you’ve chosen the wrong target.

I’m someone who has traveled the world, met every master worth meeting, and witnessed every martial art worth seeing.

And it sounds nice to say I construct mechanisms and formations and provide consultation, but really… I’m just getting paid to go to other people’s homes and work for them.

“You’ve heard of the Wudang Sect, haven’t you?”

“…”

His face hardened beyond stiffness, turning to stone.

Wh-what did he just say?

“Oh? You seem somewhat interested in the Wudang Sect?”

“…”

Father seemed to be giving an example to spark his son’s interest, but the moment Zhuge Munhyeon heard that name, his blood felt like it was flowing backwards.

How could he not know those bastards?

They were the very ones who caused his birth instead of ascension to immortality…

“I have tremendous interest in them, Father.”

Once he regained his strength like in the past, that would be the first place he’d visit to wreak havoc.

“Hehe, you rascal. Though the martial world has scattered due to the turbulent current situation, we might be going there soon.”

“To Wudang?”

“That’s right. I heard that the recent rains collapsed the secret cave of Hyeoncheonja, who ascended to immortality long ago. They’ve requested help, so I’m studying the mechanisms and formations installed at the Wudang Sect.”

His heart nearly burst.

Hyeoncheonja, Yu Gilcheon…

That damned bastard’s secret cave?

Wait, hold on—that bastard achieved ascension to immortality…?

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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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