Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 249

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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 249

“Young Master, the herbal medicine is ready.”

“Oh! Thank you.”

Zhuge Munhyeon received the medicine bowl brought by the physician.

The medicinal scent is strong.

The light seen in his spiritual vision is even denser than that.

Naturally, it’s bound to be suspicious.

What exactly is Hwangbo Gaju aiming for?

“But what kind of medicine has such a good fragrance? It seems like quite a lot of good ingredients went into it.”

“Have you heard of Nine-Branch Purple Leaf Grass?”

“N-Nine-Branch Purple Leaf Grass?”

“Yes, the Family Head specially bestowed it for Young Master Zhuge Munhyeon.”

“Oh! Such a precious thing!”

Zhuge Munhyeon visibly widened his eyes and stared at the herbal medicine.

Nine-Branch Purple Leaf Grass, you say.

You crazy physician bastard, say something that makes sense.

Though it is a precious medicinal herb, he had directly seen it being artificially cultivated at the Tang Family before.

So he knows that feeling.

At that time, it was before he learned the breathing technique or his spiritual vision opened, but the feeling was completely different.

You should deceive someone who can be deceived.

What went into the herbal medicine must surely be different ingredients.

It’s not… poison.

Just then, the physician dipped a silver testing rod into the herbal medicine to reassure him, showing the verification.

Well, there’s no way they’d poison someone so openly.

With even the Young Master of the Tang Clan present, if he were to be poisoned by medicine bestowed by Hwangbo Gaju, that would become a big problem.

So it’s not poison then…

“If it cools down, the effectiveness drops significantly. Please drink it quickly.”

“I suppose I should. When such precious medicinal herbs have been carefully brewed with sincerity, how could I not see their benefits?”

At the physician’s urging, Zhuge Munhyeon drank the medicine in one gulp.

“Kyaa, it’s so bitter that I’m already anticipating the medicinal effects.”

While exclaiming in admiration, he circulated his spiritual energy to prevent the energy from penetrating.

It wasn’t too difficult.

The spiritual energy in the herbal medicine had a sinister feeling, but it wasn’t a particularly great amount to begin with.

Fortunately, the physician didn’t notice.

Well, unless one is an immortal, they wouldn’t know about breathing techniques, and if internal energy doesn’t exceed a certain level, they wouldn’t even feel the flow of spiritual energy.

“As soon as I drank it, strength is surging through me. Indeed, a spiritual herb is a spiritual herb.”

“That’s fortunate. Then I’ll take my leave now, so please enjoy the banquet.”

“Yes. Please tell the Family Head once again that I’m grateful.”

“I understand.”

The physician packed up his things and left.

Afterward, Zhuge Munhyeon continued to enjoy the banquet as if nothing happened, and while pretending to go check on Sophie, he vomited up all the herbal medicine.

“Ugh!”

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, a bright blue light swirled in his eyes.

“Well, if it’s not poison, then it means an attack, right? Then I should go to sleep early?”

Returning to his seat, he whispered quietly to Zhuge Munho.

“Elder Brother.”

“What?”

“Let’s eat moderately and break up the gathering.”

“What?”

“And tell everyone to keep their wits about them. Something might happen tonight.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“There might be an attack.”

“An attack? By whom? Who would dare attack the Hwangbo Clan Estate?”

“Perhaps it might be that very Hwangbo Clan.”

“What?”

“Anyway, be prepared. I still need to observe more, so I’ll tell you the details later.”

“…Damn bastard, understood.”

* * *

Dawn, after the banquet ended and everyone had gone to bed.

Hwang Wol-hyang, the leader of the Lotus Rain, gazed at the now-quiet lodging of the Zhuge Family.

The musicians and dancers had also withdrawn.

Inside the lodging were only members of the Zhuge Family.

“What about Zhuge Munhyeon?”

“He stayed at the drinking table until the end and went to bed about half a hour ago.”

“How long has it been since he took the medicine?”

“It’s been over three hours.”

“Hmm…”

Nodding her head, the person she looked at next was the physician who had brewed the herbal medicine for Zhuge Munhyeon.

“You used it properly, right?”

“That’s correct. There should be a reaction starting about now.”

“Good.”

Nodding again, Hwang Wol-hyang’s gaze turned to a servant girl who looked very frail.

“Yang Yeo.”

“Are you mentally prepared?”

“…Yes.”

“This is for the main house. You’ll be sufficiently compensated for defiling your body, so steel your heart. Even if you lose your life, that compensation will go to your family.”

“Please don’t worry.”

“Go.”

“Yes.”

The woman who received the order, Yang Yeo, carried a water service on a tray and headed toward the lodging where the Zhuge Family was staying.

“Gwak Soon.”

“Yes.”

At Hwang Wol-hyang’s call, a martial artist with a sturdy build responded.

“Neutralize them as soon as you break in. You must prevent them from protecting Violent Dragon.”

“I will do so.”

“Wait secretly by the lodging wall and await Yang Yeo’s signal.”

“Yes.”

As soon as the order was given, the martial artist called Gwak Soon also headed toward the Zhuge Family’s lodging.

Dozens of martial artists followed behind him.

Their movement was as stealthy as night cats.

“Zhuge… how unfortunate this has become.”

Left alone, Hwang Wol-hyang wore a bitter smile.

* * *

In front of the room where Zhuge Munhyeon was sleeping.

“Young Master. Young Master.”

Yang Yeo, holding a small table, called out to Zhuge Munhyeon with a trembling voice.

No answer came.

Since the drinking had continued until dawn, he must be sleeping deeply.

For some reason, she gulped and approached with careful steps, opening the door even though permission hadn’t been granted.

A man lying on the bed covered with blankets.

It was Zhuge Munhyeon.

Yang Yeo, who had been quietly watching him, set down the small table on a nearby desk and approached the bed.

Even though she had steeled her resolve, her heart was pounding.

Because she knew what would happen to her when he woke up.

She extended her trembling hand toward the chest of the sleeping Zhuge Munhyeon.

“Young Master…”

“Why?”

When an answer that shouldn’t have come was heard, Yang Yeo’s eyes widened and she froze like stone.

Zhuge Munhyeon, who had suddenly opened his eyes wide, was looking at her.

“…”

Though she had intended to wake him, she hadn’t expected him to wake up first, and she couldn’t even move.

Why…

Was his condition completely different from what she had heard?

If the drug he had taken last night had spread throughout his body, his eyes should have been bloodshot from the surging yang energy.

“You, you?”

“What’s with that unfamiliar reaction?”

“How on earth?”

“What? How was it supposed to be? That’s getting interesting.”

“Why… are you perfectly fine…?”

Yang Yeo, who had become flustered instead, blinked her wide-open eyes.

“Hmm, you approached as carefully as a cat, so I thought you might be trying to assassinate me… but that doesn’t seem to be it. But to say you had no intention at all, you’re too flustered for that.”

When Zhuge Munhyeon, who had already gotten up from the bed and sat properly, tilted his head sideways to look at her, Yang Yeo couldn’t say anything and just gulped.

Last night.

Zhuge Munhyeon, who couldn’t understand Hwangbo Gaju’s intention at all, had grown tired of waiting and lay down on the bed.

How could he sleep when he was so curious he couldn’t stand it?

Given the flow of events, there had to be something.

If not poisoning, then assassination at least.

But no matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t get a grasp on it, so he turned off the lights and spent time lightly circulating his qi.

But as they say, sincerity moves heaven (?), and finally someone responded to his efforts.

Calling “Young Master,” and…

He deliberately pretended to be fast asleep, and she opened the door and entered without even asking permission.

But it was strange.

Just in case, he let his internal energy flow, but she didn’t notice at all.

She was a woman who couldn’t sense qi.

Then it wasn’t assassination either.

Did she just come to bring water?

Just when he was feeling deflated, didn’t she carefully approach?

What on earth was she trying to do?

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

The startled woman collapsed with a thud.

She’s really startled…

Just as he was about to ask with a furrowed brow, she muttered with a flustered expression.

“I definitely heard that you had taken the drug…”

“Huh?”

“How is it that…”

What is this about now?

Heard that I took a drug?

And why is she suddenly adjusting her clothes… huh? Trembling? Why? What did I do?

Suddenly, a hypothesis flashed through Zhuge Munhyeon’s mind.

A drug, and a woman?

“Ha, don’t tell me that was an aphrodisiac?”

“…”

It seemed he didn’t need to hear the answer.

Just looking at how she flinched.

An aphrodisiac is a drug that heightens sexual desire, and some make the user lose their reason so they don’t even know what they’re doing as they indulge in lust.

“This is ridiculous? You were trying to turn me into a lecher? Then you’re planning to have a mud fight.”

A hollow laugh escaped.

They gave him an aphrodisiac and sent a servant girl, so they must have been waiting for him to assault her.

No traces would remain.

Since it’s not poison, after sexual relations, when the yang energy is expelled, the drug’s effects would disappear too.

Then they would spread rumors on a large scale.

That the Violent Dragon of the Zhuge Family is a shameless person who assaults servant girls.

With public opinion already unfavorable due to subjugating the unorthodox factions, if such an incident were added, the rumors would spread like wildfire.

The Tang Family and Namgung Family couldn’t help but be concerned too.

As orthodox factions, they couldn’t ignore people’s gazes.

Rather than be seen as fruit from the same basket, they would choose to cut ties with the Zhuge Family.

Then the Zhuge Family would be isolated.

And it would collapse without being able to rebuild.

That’s the terror of rumors.

Above all, the woman before his eyes now is an ordinary woman who hasn’t learned martial arts.

“You, don’t tell me you came here… knowing everything?”

“…”

The woman couldn’t answer and just trembled.

With her acting like this, how could he not understand?

These crazy bastards… to achieve their goal.

They must have promised compensation.

But what could compensate for lost chastity?

“Wow, whoever devised this scheme is brilliant. Brilliant. You’re planning to make me into a shameless piece of trash, is that it?”

He couldn’t help but admire that baseness.

His teeth ground involuntarily.

He wanted to immediately kick down the door and tear through the Hwangbo Clan Estate.

But no, that’s not right.

Just because he learned what Hwangbo Gaju was aiming for doesn’t mean he can rampage around like thunder.

I’m not the Heavenly Demon, I’m Zhuge Munhyeon.

The angrier I get, the calmer I must become.

Let me think.

Think…

I need to come up with a way to use their scheme against them.

Zhuge Munhyeon, forcibly suppressing his rising anger, cooled his heated head and muttered.

“Hmm, with that intention, they wouldn’t have sent only you… let’s see…”

Spirit energy is good at times like this.

Perhaps because it’s the martial arts of immortals that doesn’t distinguish between good and evil?

The anger immediately subsides.

He becomes indifferent.

And another advantage is that unless one is of the same kind, they cannot detect that flow.

Zhuge Munhyeon expanded his spirit energy in all directions.

The thickly spread spirit energy slowly extended, crossing windows, passing through courtyards, and reaching the walls.

“Hooh? As expected….”

Countless energies clung to the walls like leeches.

They were waiting.

Zhuge Munhyeon immediately withdrew his spirit energy with a sense of foreboding.

“Child.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like you to explain what’s going on here.”

“….”

“Speak up, it’s your only way to survive.”

At the sight of Zhuge Munhyeon smiling with only the corners of his mouth stretched wide, Yang Yeo felt her breath stop.

Added to that were the blood-red radiance emanating from his eyes and the oppressive force crushing down on her entire body.

“I, I….”

It wasn’t an energy Yang Yeo could endure.

Above all, the clear malice contained in those eyes made fear surge from deep in her chest, causing her whole body to tremble violently.

In that moment, Zhuge Munhyeon was just like the reincarnated Heavenly Demon.

And shortly after.

“Kyaak!”

Yang Yeo’s sharp scream crossed over the walls.

Gwak Soon’s eyes snapped open as he had been waiting through the tedious time.

“Infiltrate! Suppress them quickly according to your assigned roles!”

Led by Gwak Soon, the warriors of the Hwangbo Clan all leaped over the walls at once. Simultaneously, they were about to storm various parts of the lodging according to their pre-assigned missions….

But before they could do anything, the door suddenly burst open and Zhuge Munhyeon came outside.

Their movements had no choice but to come to an abrupt halt.

Why, why was he there?

And why was Yang Yeo beside him in perfectly fine condition, with neither disheveled hair nor torn clothes?

“Well, this morning greeting is quite refreshing. Though the sun hasn’t even risen yet.”

“….”

“But… if you’re drawing swords and climbing over walls, I’d have to consider your intentions very impure, wouldn’t I? And it also means I’ll have to ask you step by step what this is all about from now on.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s words spoken with a grin, the corners of Gwak Soon’s eyes trembled.

They had been outmaneuvered.

And Yang Yeo’s scream hadn’t been a signal only for them.

The warriors of the Zhuge Family, who had been pretending to sleep at Zhuge Munhyeon’s warning, immediately rushed out and surrounded them with glaring eyes.

“Young Family Head, what are you doing?”

“Hm?”

“They climbed over the wall. Without permission. While we’re staying here, this place is Zhuge Family territory.”

“…!”

Zhuge Munho didn’t hesitate.

He had been curious all along about what Zhuge Munhyeon was plotting.

And since the answer was right before his eyes, it was proper to respond accordingly.

“Capture all the enemies!”

“Yes!”

Gwan Hwiping moved the moment the words fell, and behind him, the warriors of the Zhuge Family spread out like the ribs of a fan.

It was an almost reflexive movement.

Though they had been caught in a counterattack, the skills of the Zhuge Family warriors were not at a level that Gwak Soon and the Hwangbo Clan warriors could handle.

After all, Zhuge Munhyeon had trained them with great care(?) for precisely such occasions.

It was the moment when an absurd farce unfolded within the Hwangbo Clan estate, with the Hwangbo Clan’s own warriors being captured.

—————
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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