Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 3

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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 3

Father sat solemnly across from me, while Mother, who had been embroidering flower patterns with her embroidery frame beside him, focused on her son’s spotlessly dark eyes.

Both of them looked at their target with tense expressions.

Me, small and cute, kneeling properly in front of the study desk.

I had finally turned three years old.

At last, I had gotten rid of those tedious diapers, could ride the wooden horse by myself, and though I toddled, I could walk quite dignifiedly. I was even getting good at walking with my hands behind my back.

Most importantly.

“Munhyeon. Would you like to try reading this?”

Father’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he fidgeted impatiently.

Looking at the paper on the study desk, countless characters were written in a flowing calligraphy style like dragons and snakes soaring.

Father had written it himself for his son.

It was masterful calligraphy.

Even Wang Heeji, the calligrapher of the fallen kingdom, would weep in admiration.

“Try reading it.”

Mother also urged me with interest, so I couldn’t pretend not to know.

Even though my mind wasn’t that of a baby for some reason, I couldn’t ignore Mother’s words.

Having been born from her womb, we were connected by an invisible thread of fate.

Besides, since she had the surname Baek, it wasn’t unrelated to me.

Perhaps in some generation, we were surely connected by fate.

Anyway, the paper before my eyes.

Long ago, a man named Ju Heungsa, facing the emperor’s wrath, created 250 phrases of four characters each in one night… called the Thousand Character Classic.

And I had to read this.

I felt self-loathing.

Though I looked three years old, with my mental age easily exceeding a hundred years from this life and that life combined, what on earth was I doing?

I naturally sighed, but now that I had felt the affection between parent and child…

Fine, since they embrace me with such love, I should repay them.

“Heaven cheon, earth ji, dark hyeon, yellow hwang…”

As I read naturally like a monk chanting sutras, my parents enjoyed boundless joy.

“Ah, I just read it for fun… Good! Well done. Oh, how precious!”

“House u! House ju! Wide hong! Rough hwang!”

Father became proud from the praise and Mother’s admiration, his voice rising.

Indeed, where was it common for a three-year-old to recite the Thousand Character Classic?

Even in the Zhuge Family, where geniuses who would grab you by the collar if you said they were second-best in intelligence gathered, this was unprecedented.

Of course, it was possible because it was me.

Though my martial talent was too outstanding, I was someone who had read up to Elementary Learning in my youth. After earning the title of Heavenly Demon, I had also studied various classics.

I thought there might be other enlightenments within the texts. For someone like me, what was the Thousand Character Classic?

“Munhyeon seems to be clever, taking after his lordship.”

Father, the third younger brother of the current family head, was in charge of the Military Strategy Hall of the Zhuge Family.

A place that researched strategy and tactics.

The name Zhuge Doyun, the Eight Gates Genius, was quite well-known even in the Murim. He had perfectly recreated the Eight Formation Diagram of our distant ancestor Zhuge Muhu…

“Oh my, wife. How does Munhyeon resemble me? He takes after you with such outstanding looks.”

“Oh, you really…”

Baek Suhyeon, who had been embroidering beside them, covered her face with her sleeve and laughed as if embarrassed, her face reddening.

Baek Suhyeon, the greatest beauty of Dangang.

In her time, there was no one who could match her beauty near Dangang District.

‘Hehehe.’

Of course, now her beauty had faded a bit with time, but so what?

I was satisfied because Mother liked it.

But somehow… the atmosphere between the two was strange.

I was three years old, knowing everything I should know.

It was quite burdensome at my age to watch my parents being lovey-dovey.

Wait!

Based on my usual experience, in this kind of situation?

“Ahem! Are you outside?”

“Yes, my lord.”

Sohye answered Father’s voice, who suddenly cleared his throat and became solemn.

“Since it’s late at night, take Munhyeon away and put him to bed.”

“Yes.”

At Father’s words, Mother’s cheeks flushed, and Sohye, who had been waiting outside, soon entered the room.

I knew this would happen, seeing that look in their eyes.

What was late about the night?

It was still early evening.

What would they do after putting me to bed at that hour?

Of course, the answer was obvious.

A second child was not acceptable.

Even old people long for love.

I was just now feeling their affection regardless of wet or dry places, and already a sibling?

Such selfish parents!

I should receive plenty of parental love until at least ten years old. That was proper. I was reborn without achieving Ascension to Immortality, so I deserved at least that much compensation.

So I couldn’t just watch my parents’ behavior, still passionately loving each other even in middle age.

Most importantly, Mother was already forty, so how hard would it be if she conceived?

I had to protect Mother.

Zhuge Munhyeon shook off Sohye’s touch and clung to Baek Suhyeon’s skirt with toddling steps.

“I want to sleep with Mama.”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to sleep with Mama.”

“No, Munhyeon. You should sleep in your room…”

“With Mama! I’m going to sleep!”

“…”

“Servant Uncle said so. After forty, married couples sleep separately.”

“Se, Servant Uncle?”

“Yes!”

Zhuge Munhyeon did his best as a baby and deployed interference tactics while pretending to know nothing.

“Munhyeon, Mother will be tired. Don’t do that…”

“I’m sleeping with Mama! Father should leave!”

When I screamed, Zhuge Doyun made a troubled expression.

“Yes, our son. Let’s sleep with Mama. My lord, let’s do that. Tonight, let’s sleep together as a family of three.”

“Sh, should we?”

“The child wants it so much.”

As expected, she was a loving mother. She didn’t take her son’s words lightly.

Of course, at that moment, Father’s eyes were filled with strange loss and resentment.

Servant Uncle was probably going to be in danger.

I was sorry.

But to never give up the love I couldn’t receive in my previous life, I had no choice.

The problem came after that.

When I showed my genius by reciting the Thousand Character Classic fluently just to get some affection, rumors began spreading that the Zhuge Family had produced a once-in-a-millennium prodigy.

Well, I did break records one after another… so it’s understandable.

I am indeed a Buddha-level talent.

And as a result.

“Elementary Learning?”

“That’s right. Since you’ve already finished the Thousand Character Classic, it’s fine to read this now. Heh heh heh!”

Father is quite mischievous too.

I’m only three years old…

“Come, let’s begin.”

Zhuge Doyun’s eyes were full of greed as he opened the book titled Elementary Learning on the study desk.

W-was he serious?

According to Mother, lately whenever the family elders gather, he’s been so excited bragging about me.

Didn’t he used to say that basic learning was enough and just wanted me to grow up healthy?

People’s hearts are truly so fickle.

When did he become so enthusiastic?

Somehow I could clearly see my future ahead.

“Son, what are you doing? Hurry up and read.”

“…”

“Try reading it. Hmm? If you read well, Father will take you to the market and buy you two of those sweet confections you like!”

“T-two?”

“Of course!”

Zhuge Doyun proudly held up two fingers and nodded.

Oh no, I unconsciously swallowed my saliva.

Damn this body.

Even though I’m trying to act like a child until I gain power, how can I be so faithful to my instincts?

My mind is an adult’s but my body is a child’s, so sometimes I can’t control it.

Who knew that just hearing about sweet confections would make me think of that sweet taste and make my mouth water?

How embarrassing at my age (?).

“Heh heh heh. Nice, right? Then hurry up and read.”

At Father’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon slowly began reading Elementary Learning.

“Good, well done.”

It wasn’t because of the sweet confections.

It was because Father was happy…

* * *

Sigh upon sigh accumulated.

Father’s greed became endless, and after I read Elementary Learning, now he brought the Bright Heart Treasure Mirror.

This won’t do.

Would that be the end?

After learning the principles a person should have through the Bright Heart Treasure Mirror, next comes the Four Books. And after that, Great Learning, Analects, Mencius, Doctrine of the Mean…

Is that all?

It’s obvious as fire that it will eventually lead to the Five Classics.

Meanwhile, how many books must be stored in the Ten Thousand Books Pavilion of the Zhuge Family, said to be the largest in the Central Plains?

If I read all of them, my black hair would turn white and there’d still be more left.

Most importantly, I never intended to become a scholar in the first place.

Things got twisted in an unwanted direction and I suddenly experienced the miracle of rebirth. At first it was absurd, but receiving my parents’ love, I’ve somewhat decided to live as a descendant of Zhuge.

But thinking about studying for my entire life made me feel like I’d break out in hives all over my body.

A pine caterpillar should eat pine needles.

If I eat indiscriminately, whether it’s what Confucius said or what Mencius said, I’ll surely get sick and have rainbow-colored diarrhea.

I decided to live as a Zhuge, but I’ll live as a warrior. Wouldn’t the family need at least one mutant-like guy?

It seemed I needed a plan.

I had to make Father stop having academic expectations of me.

“Sohye.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Who was the fastest at learning in the Zhuge Family?”

“That would be you, Young Master. You broke all the historical records. Reading Elementary Learning at three years old is probably unprecedented, right? Even having conversations with me like this is amazing. Sometimes you seem like a child, but other times like an adult. Even now it feels like talking to an adult.”

Well, because I am an adult.

This body is three years old, but considering my entire life, I’ve lived several times longer than Sohye… but that’s not really important.

No matter how hard I move these short legs, I can only go so far, and with my parents’ overprotection, I can’t even leave my quarters.

I have no choice but to learn about family affairs through Sohye.

“Excluding me, who was the fastest?”

“Excluding you, Young Master… Little Uncle’s Son was probably the fastest? Did he finish the Thousand Character Classic at four? Everyone said he was a genius and talked about it a lot. But lately he’s been having quite a hard time.”

“Why?”

“Because of you, Young Master.”

“Huh?”

“You broke his records. Being in the position of the chased is always like that. From what the maids say, he seems to be treating himself even more harshly… Anyway, right now the Zhuge Family is in an education frenzy. I heard that a literature tutor was already assigned to the son of the Cheonchaek Hall Master who was born recently?”

“A literature tutor? He hasn’t even been born for a month yet?”

“Don’t even mention it. They say the couple fights every day because it’s excessive.”

“Hmm…”

Cheonchaek Hall Master Zhuge Doeung is Father’s youngest brother, who had his second son a month ago.

But a literature tutor… somehow it seemed like I unknowingly raised the average expectation level for the Zhuge Family’s younger generation.

‘Tsk tsk, these parents comparing their children. How bad that is.’

The neighbor’s son is the problem.

At this rate, it seemed like I’d earn hatred from my peers in the family.

“Sohye. Then who was the slowest?”

“Hmm, I’m not sure about that? You know how it is. Everyone keeps quiet about the slow ones so rumors don’t spread.”

“That’s true.”

After thinking for a moment, I said.

“Could you secretly find out what Little Uncle’s Son was reading at what time? And also who was the slowest person and how far they studied at what time.”

“Why do you want to know that?”

“Just because.”

“Hmm, I’ll do that.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. What wouldn’t I do for you, Young Master?”

Her appearance, smiling brightly without deep thought, naturally made me smile too.

That’s the kind of woman she is.

Someone who would do anything I wanted without question.

There was a reason I liked her second only to my parents.

Anyway, from now on I’ll only do moderately well.

It’s good that my parents are happy, but if I attract too much attention and interest, I might lose time for martial arts training in the future.

‘Right, let’s just do it to an appropriate level. That should be enough.’

At three years old, Zhuge Munhyeon decided to become a slow learner who would learn everything sluggishly.

To escape from Father’s clutches (?).

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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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