Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 297

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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 297

The warriors of Yeongajang, who had lost their fighting spirit after witnessing the divine power displayed by Zhuge Munhyeon, were subdued without much difficulty.

A few died, and the majority who were injured knelt down and bowed their heads.

However, those on the victorious side seemed to maintain their guard as they divided into two groups.

Huashan, and the bandit gang.

Zhuge Munhyeon stood at the center of it all.

At the place where the Bloodmaster had died.

Having withdrawn his spiritual energy, he looked down indifferently at the corpse.

“Young Master Munhyeon.”

“Master.”

Mujin and Dan Yeonhwa approached.

Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been looking at the Bloodmaster’s corpse, put aside his regret and turned his head with a smile.

“Is everyone alright?”

“We’re fine.”

“Me too.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s words, Mujin and Dan Yeonhwa smiled brightly.

“You’ve worked hard too.”

“Ah, well…”

Jin Yalim, who had come with Mujin, fidgeted and scratched his cheek awkwardly.

And then.

“Um… Young Master Munhyeon.”

“…?”

It was Deng Fei.

Approaching with his shoulders hunched and a somewhat servile attitude, he wore an ingratiating smile.

This was because he had directly witnessed the scene where light came into being when commanded to exist.

In that moment, Zhuge Munhyeon had appeared as sacred as a heavenly deity manifested from the sky, making it difficult to maintain the same attitude as before.

Now he didn’t even seem human…

Should he say that for some reason he felt intimidated and found it difficult to approach?

The greatest person under heaven.

At least that’s how it appeared to Deng Fei’s eyes.

Also, though he had briefly doubted whether the Blood Explosion Technique was real or not, now he knew.

If he had harbored other intentions, he would have truly died.

It was truly fortunate that they had fought together.

Who knows what this violent and tremendously powerful fellow might have done to him.

But being awed and fearful was a secondary concern.

Time was running short.

“I… I know this isn’t the right time to say such things, but if you could release the Blood Explosion Technique you placed on my body earlier, I would consider it the glory of my three lives.”

“…”

At Deng Fei’s extremely polite words, Zhuge Munhyeon couldn’t help but chuckle.

Three lives, what nonsense.

Past life, present life, future life.

People often express it that way, but do you even know your past life?

Acting like you know when you’ve never experienced it.

Anyway, it meant he would be that grateful.

Well, he did contribute to resolving the Yeongajang matter.

Whoosh.

A lightly extended touch reached several of Deng Fei’s pressure points.

“Eep!”

Deng Fei flinched in surprise and blinked his eyes.

Just a touch.

He didn’t particularly feel any change.

“It’s released.”

“…Thank you.”

But when the revered Young Master Zhuge Munhyeon said it was released, how could he doubt it?

Though the blood release process was so simple it made his previous anxiety seem foolish, he was simply grateful to be spared.

“Go on now. Don’t even come near Hubei.”

“Of course? Don’t worry about that. I won’t even turn my head toward Hubei.”

Deng Fei bowed his head several times in greeting and then left with his subordinates as if fleeing.

“Huh? What about me?”

“Why would you?”

“What?”

“I told you. You were kidnapped by me. Why do you keep asking useless questions?”

“This…”

Jin Yalim, who had been hopeful while watching the Daebyeolsan bandit gang leave with delight, immediately contorted his face.

Mujin consolingly patted his shoulder calmly.

They are them and you are you.

Above all, it was better to send the bandits back quickly.

He didn’t know himself, but since Huashan, who had clear distinctions about orthodox factions, was with them.

He should at least greet them first.

When Zhuge Munhyeon turned his steps, Mujin hurriedly followed and introduced him.

“Young Master Munhyeon, this is Hyeonmuk Daejang, the Silent Sword of Huashan.”

Mujin was really quick-witted at times like this.

His introduction made what could have been an awkward greeting natural.

“I am Munhyeon of the Zhuge Family. It’s an honor to meet Hyeonmuk Daejang.”

“Ah… I am Hyeonmuk.”

Though by rank he was equivalent to an elder of the Zhuge Family, his state of mind was the same as Deng Fei who had left.

His surprised heart had not yet settled.

So he could only stare blankly at the bandits leaving.

‘Violent Dragon, he’s far more remarkable than what I heard.’

Hyeonmuk recalled the situation from a moment ago.

How should he describe it?

It was a level that couldn’t dare be called the realm of martial arts.

Just light…

“But what brings Huashan to this place?”

“Ah, that is…”

Originally, it should have been the older Hyeonmuk who asked first.

There were too many puzzling points.

But he answered Zhuge Munhyeon’s question as if it were perfectly natural.

“An investigation into the kidnapping incidents was also proceeding in Shaanxi, so I followed the traces and came all the way here.”

“I see.”

“But who exactly are these people? It seemed like Zhuge Gongja knew them…”

Zhuge Munhyeon looked at Hyeonmuk, who had revealed his curiosity, for a moment.

It wouldn’t matter if he told him.

This was already happening across the entire Central Plains, and the matter was too big to handle alone.

They needed to join forces.

In such a situation, Huashan would be a very good ally. Moreover, he had originally come to persuade them for the unity of the Nine Sects.

“It’s the Blood Sect.”

“Bl-Blood Sect? Then these people are from the Demonic Sect?”

“Not the Demonic Sect, but the Blood Sect.”

“Yes?”

“The two are clearly different categories.”

Zhuge Munhyeon emphasized that point.

You have to compare things that can be compared.

No matter how much the descendants of Mado had lost their identity and fallen into corruption, they couldn’t be equated with the Blood Sect.

Whether I like it or not, they are my roots and descendants.

“The Blood Sect… I’m not sure how to accept this.”

“You can accept it exactly as I said.”

“…”

“The Blood Sect is the Blood Sect. They’re different from Mado. They are far more vicious and cruel. They’re also filled with malice toward Mado.”

“Hmm…”

Though it was still difficult to understand, Hyeonmuk had no choice but to nod.

It seemed Zhuge Munhyeon knew far more than he did.

“But how did you recognize them as the Blood Sect? Have you perhaps encountered them before?”

“That’s…”

Though he had explained the separation between Mado and the Blood Sect, that question wasn’t easy to answer.

How should I explain this?

Should I tell him about the strange things they were doing after kidnapping people?

But I still don’t know why they were boiling people in cauldrons…

It was then, while he was pondering.

“He probably encountered it through books.”

“Huh?”

“Young Master Munhyeon reads a tremendous number of books.”

At Mujin’s sudden interjection, Hyeonmuk blinked with an even more complicated expression.

You call that an explanation…

And what’s with that pride on your face…

But as always, I’m grateful he covered for me.

Sometimes when others speak for you, it carries more credibility than speaking for yourself.

“Anyway, the situation is quite serious. At first I thought it was just bandits making money, but that wasn’t the case.”

“Yes?”

“To hide their tracks, they were using assassin organizations as middleman distributors. They even bribed officials to avoid inspections and sent them here disguised as food supplies.”

“I see.”

“Most of the kidnapping incidents in the Central Plains seem to be carried out this way.”

“It won’t be easy to catch their tail, will it?”

“No. But we should be able to stop the bandits’ kidnapping for now. If we do well, we might even gain the cooperation of the Green Forest.”

“The cooperation of the Green Forest?”

“Yes.”

“No, how is such a thing possible? The Orthodox Faction and they have maintained an irreconcilable relationship for a long time. Moreover, they fight whenever they meet… Does Zhuge perhaps have some clever plan?”

“It’s not Zhuge’s clever plan… That friend will make it possible.”

“Yes?”

Following his glance, Hyeonmuk looked at Jin Yalim and tilted his head.

About thirty years old?

Just who is that young man?

“He’s the Heavenly River Star of the Green Forest and the son of the General Escort Leader.”

“What?”

“He achieved great merit helping me in this kidnapping case.”

“Ah, no… wait a moment. What are you saying? The heir of the Green Forest? A Heavenly River Star? How could that be?”

Hyeonmuk’s eyes couldn’t help but widen.

He had just thought he was Zhuge Munhyeon’s comrade, but his status was more impressive than expected.

Most importantly, those who committed kidnapping helped solve the kidnapping case?

“I don’t know how Hyeonmuk Daejang will take this, but the Green Forest also didn’t know this kidnapping was related to the Blood Sect.”

“…”

“Of course, I’m not trying to defend them. What they did wrong is a fact. But shouldn’t we give them a chance to repent for the sins they committed themselves?”

“A chance…?”

“Yes. A chance.”

“Infinite Life Buddha.”

Hyeonmuk seemed to be deeply troubled.

It wasn’t easy to accept.

They had been rejecting the unorthodox for more than just a day or two, and they had practiced righteousness by punishing them for hundreds of years.

“Daejang.”

“Yes.”

“It is said that the origins of the Three Teachings follow the same thing, and everything outside of this falls into crooked paths, called heretical side paths.”

“…!”

It was one of the teachings of Taoism.

The teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are called the Three Teachings, and what deviates from this is called heretical side paths.

Therefore, those who follow the Tao should strive not to deviate.

Hyeonmuk couldn’t help but be inwardly amazed.

Though Mujin had mentioned it, he hadn’t thought he would have read even Taoist scriptures.

‘Truly a Zhuge person?’

Since it was the family of wise men who knew everything under heaven, even though he was young, one couldn’t fathom the books he had read, so it didn’t seem strange that he knew about the Blood Sect.

“But I don’t think heretical side paths are unconditionally bad. The Tao originally has no fixed form, so if one has their own intentions, they can achieve enlightenment even in worldly life.”

“…Are you saying the Green Forest also has a Tao?”

“Not necessarily that, but I’m saying it’s not really for people to judge. Also, though they’ve lived as bandits, if they’ve realized they’ve strayed from the principles they should uphold, shouldn’t we watch over them as they return to their proper place?”

Hyeonmuk couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed.

Though he didn’t accept everything Zhuge Munhyeon wanted to say, one thing was clear.

The Tao does not remain still.

Also, the Tao is not in the mountains, but in abandoning worldly desires and connections and pursuing transcendence…

Most importantly, the divine power he had shown seemed like the crystallization of immortal energy.

He was a Zhuge, but one who had achieved more than himself.

How could he discard that intention by limiting it to the principles of the Orthodox Faction?

“Infinite Life Buddha, I am receiving teachings from Zhuge Gongja.”

“Not at all… Isn’t the Tao ultimately each individual’s enlightenment? It’s about moving forward righteously toward the direction each person desires.”

Though he couldn’t know what Hyeonmuk had gained, he came with an infinitely respectful attitude, cupping his hands and bowing his head.

Fortunate.

Actually, I don’t really know what I said either.

I just cobbled together various nonsense based on the Taoist scriptures I read in Taiji Cave…

But what does it matter?

Originally, the Tao was like Zen dialogue.

Whatever the intention, it was good that he understood perfectly.

“Anyway, it’s fortunate to meet you like this. I was actually on my way to find Huashan.”

“Huashan?”

“Yes. As you can see, isn’t the Central Plains in chaos? So I want to gather our intentions.”

“Hmm, you’re talking about establishing the Murim Alliance. I already heard about it through Wudang.”

“I see. Then the conversation will be quick. I plan to go to Huashan to meet the Sect Leader and also discuss how to handle the kidnapping incidents rampant in the Central Plains.”

“But why Huashan? From what I understand, the Zhuge Family has deep ties with Wudang.”

“Deep indeed. But Wudang alone cannot represent all intentions in the Central Plains. I just thought Huashan, which has maintained the position of Daomen’s leader alongside Wudang, should step forward together.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s words, Hyeonmuk’s face visibly brightened.

He likes it.

Indeed, Mount Tai and Big Dipper.

A great mountain that everyone respects and a place like the North Star that serves as guidance.

They call Shaolin and Wudang by that name.

Therefore, the majority consider Wudang as the leader and head of the Central Plains’ Taoist Sect.

But he said, ‘In my opinion, Mount Hua Sect and Wudang are no different. You are just as outstanding as Wudang.’

Since he said that to me, it’s natural that I’d be pleased.

Being born as a son of the Zhuge Clan, handling one stuffy Taoist is this comfortable.

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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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