Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 37

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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 37

 

 

The Heavenly Workshop is an organization under the Military Strategy Hall.

The very last position in the hierarchy of palace, hall, pavilion, hall, and workshop.

Under the Grand Forge Master, it consists of earth excavators who do groundwork, mechanism craftsmen who make components for devices to be installed, construction workers who build, and vein readers who read the energy of the land and install mechanisms.

Grand Forge Master Baek Mu, who oversees all this work, said that mechanisms, along with formation techniques, are one of the two great disciplines that form the foundation of the Zhuge Family and represent the essence of engineering.

Did he really say that?

Hmm… I’ve only ever broken mechanisms, so I wouldn’t know unless I learned about them.

Anyway, automatic or semi-automatic structures precisely designed for specific purposes.

Like hidden steel needles firing when you step on the floor, or something collapsing when you touch it, stones rolling down, formations activating…

And the beginning of all these mechanical devices is.

Thunk, thunk, thunk!

Swinging a pickaxe.

Shovel, shovel, shovel!

It all starts with shoveling dirt.

When I asked if we don’t learn the engineering behind designing mechanisms, Baek Mu chuckled and looked at me with eyes that said… ‘You?’

The design is done by other people.

Someone just starting to learn mechanical devices should first properly master how to dig the ground.

“Damn it, calling this engineering…”

When learning formation techniques, I thought it made sense to be well-versed in mathematics, the Book of Changes, astronomy, geography, and such as foundations, but all this talk about mechanisms being based on precise engineering knowledge sounded like bullshit.

It sounds nice calling it earth excavation, but it’s just endlessly repetitive labor.

This really had no end.

No wonder that old man who supposedly doesn’t train separately has such a good body for his age.

Damn Zhuge Family, thinking this kind of thing is one of the great disciplines representing the family.

“Ha ha ha! That’s right, that’s right. Now you’re starting to look like a proper craftsman! You’ll shed that apprentice label soon.”

Baek Mu said with a laugh toward Zhuge Munhyeon, who was diligently shoveling.

Ten days’ time.

Throughout my shoveling, Baek Mu sat beside me muttering about types of soil and kinds of rock.

I learned for the first time.

That even when shoveling, there’s ground that digs easily and ground that doesn’t, some ground has many stones while other ground crumbles easily and needs reinforcement or retaining walls.

I also learned to understand soil softness based on the depth and shape of tree roots and the moisture they contain.

Gravel, sand, loam, mud.

I thought it was all just dirt, but there were many types, and I learned that each requires different handling methods.

Thanks to that… my shoveling skills improved.

Much more than when repairing formations in Joyang…

Now I could fill a dirt-carrying stretcher without taking many scoops.

Baek Mu praised me, saying he’d never seen anyone improve this quickly.

I’m naturally good at anything physical.

Calling it engineering, what nonsense. Just call it methods for good shoveling.

This is the first time in my life I’ve received such joyless praise.

But I didn’t get angry or slack off.

In case I might be dropped from the Wudang repair team for making a bad impression on Baek Mu, whom Father respects.

Sigh, I feel the regrets of life.

The Heavenly Demon doing manual labor.

What is this…

It was while I was mulling over this bitter life.

“Munhyeon.”

“Yes, Grand Forge Master.”

“You’ve done very well all this time. You’ve learned enough earth excavation, so you can stop the shoveling.”

“What?”

At Baek Mu’s words, Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes lit up.

Shoveling is over?

Then now I can finally…!

“You’ve learned about assessing the terrain where mechanisms will be installed, where to dig, and where to reinforce.”

“Ah… so the shoveling had that meaning…”

They say skilled physicians can make medicine even from weeds, so was it something like that?

I did learn various things besides shoveling, but I let a lot go in one ear and out the other, so I didn’t understand much.

“Since you’ve mastered all the basic work for installation, now you should learn about the devices that operate mechanisms.”

“Operating devices?”

“Precisely, gears. You could say they play the most important role in mechanisms.”

“I see.”

“There are many types of gears. They come in all sizes and various materials from wood to stone and metal. The number of teeth ranges from as few as three to as many as hundreds. Gears are the core of what makes mechanisms work. Making them is the job of a mechanism craftsman.”

I listened attentively.

The shoveling was a test, and now I’m finally learning real mechanisms. The ten days of sincere hard work paid off.

“Here, these are the tools.”

“…”

What Baek Mu handed over was a very sharp saw, a chisel good enough to split the head of someone annoying, hammers of different head sizes, and… a plane?

“Why these?”

When I tilted my head with a puzzled expression, Baek Mu smiled broadly and tossed me a thick wooden log, saying:

“Cut and carve.”

“…”

From that day, I became a carpenter carving gears.

Since martial arts are originally based on precision, my skills improved rapidly.

But is this really right?

Doing carpentry after shoveling?

But! Having already started, would I give up?

Giving up means defeat.

I might not know about mental work, but I didn’t want to experience defeat in physical labor.

After another ten days of repeatedly cutting, carving, and planing, Baek Mu looked contentedly at the piles of various gears and said:

I’d learned enough basics to move on to advanced courses.

Who knew there were advanced courses for shoveling too.

The angle at which the shovel penetrates the ground and efficiently distributing strength from legs to waist to arms to shovel all day without getting tired.

…Should I just kill them all?

After barely enduring a month dreaming only of an unprecedented Military Strategy Hall massacre, the news I’d been waiting for finally came.

“Munhyeon.”

“Hm? Mungi?”

Yeo Mungi had come to find me.

“Is it manageable?”

“Manageable my ass… damn it, really.”

What I’d gained was shoveling skills and sun-bronzed copper-colored skin.

I used to be like white jade… I inherited something good from Mother but used it too roughly.

“But what brings you here?”

“What brings me? I came to get you.”

“What?”

“It’s the Wudang Sect dispatch.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It seems Baek Mu praised you a lot. He said it’s the first time he’s seen someone like you recently, that you seem born to become a master craftsman. He even went to see the Family Head and pestered him, asking if he could have you assigned to the Heavenly Workshop.”

“…Really?”

What a surprise from someone who only nagged.

But feeling recognized, some of the accumulated complaints disappeared.

I endured well.

I almost killed him… Ahem.

“Anyway, the Family Head told me to bring you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Hehehe.”

The efforts of the past month paid off.

Though Father came up with a strange reason, he won’t be able to make other excuses anymore.

“Oh, I’ll be going with you again this time.”

“What? You know mechanical engineering too?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“Huh?”

“Formation techniques and mechanisms are basics for Military Strategy Hall scholars.”

“Ah… Then by any chance, those designs?”

“Of course the Military Strategy Hall scholars do them.”

“Huh?”

I suddenly felt puzzled.

If Military Strategy Hall scholars design mechanisms, what exactly have I been doing all this time? Couldn’t I have just… learned design from the start?

“Mungi.”

“What?”

“Did you also learn work at the Heavenly Workshop before learning design?”

“No, I’m a scholar’s son.”

“…”

“Why would we learn that work when there are craftsmen?”

Come to think of it, it was the same when installing formations at Yanghyeon Branch. The formation master only gave instructions according to blueprints. The one who did the digging was… only me.

Hmm…

Ahem…

Damn it! Just wait and see.

From now on, I’ll only be filial to Mother!

‘Ugh! So frustrating.’

How do I resolve this anger?

This rage…

A suitable target came to mind.

And that day, screams echoed through the training ground.

It’s all for your sake!

At least I’m not making you dig!

 

* * *

 

“Munhyeon, do you really have to go?”

“Ah, well…”

The day of departure for Wudang.

Mother, who came to see me off, asked with a frowning face.

Her reluctance to let me go was obvious.

At times like this.

“It’s the Family Head’s order.”

“But who knows what trouble you’ll encounter again. You suffered so much in Honyeon Territory…”

A mother’s instinctive concern for her child’s safety made it hard to respond.

“Come on, what trouble could there be? It’s not just anywhere, it’s Wudang. It’s just repair work on a collapsed secret cave, so it should be fine.”

“That may be true, but…”

“Don’t worry too much. Munho and Gwan Hwiping are going together too.”

I was trying to say something reassuring. But Mother’s expression stiffened slightly.

“Munhyeon.”

“Yes?”

“How can you address your elder brothers like that?”

“…”

“You should call them Elder Brother.”

“Ah, well…”

“I’ve been meaning to say this, but there are proper things to observe between brothers. This mother was lacking and couldn’t give you real brothers…”

This is trouble.

Once she caught onto something, she’d definitely nag endlessly.

“I’m sorry. I’ll call them Elder Brother from now on.”

“You promised.”

“Of course. I’ll definitely call them Elder Brother. Really.”

“Sigh, alright. I should trust my son.”

Zhuge Munhyeon, who barely got through that, quickly changed the subject just in case.

“Oh, I’m thinking of stopping by my maternal family home in Dangang District on the way.”

“Your maternal family home?”

“Yes. It’s been a long time since I saw Maternal Grandfather.”

“That’s true, but…”

When I mentioned Maternal Grandfather as an excuse, Mother softened a little.

“My coming-of-age ceremony is approaching too, so I think it would be good to see him once before then. So don’t worry too much. I’m going as an apprentice again this time, so I won’t suffer much.”

“You were an apprentice last time too.”

“Well…”

At her accurate point, I made an awkward expression.

Our mother is quite sharp.

“Sigh, alright. What trouble could there be going to Wudang… Since you say you’ll visit your maternal grandfather too, I won’t stop you anymore.”

“Yes. I’ll definitely convey your regards to him.”

“You rascal…”

Baek Suhyeon smiled bitterly and nodded.

“I’ll be back.”

Zhuge Munhyeon bowed his head and quickly ran into the procession heading to Wudang.

If I lingered unnecessarily, who knows what else she’d worry about.

“Alright, let’s depart!”

“Yes!”

At the command of Grand Artisan Baek Mu, who became the leader of this repair team, the procession began moving.

The scale was large, but composed completely differently from the Yanghyeon Branch time.

Two Military Strategy Hall scholars to theoretically examine the mechanisms, and thirty craftsmen.

Guards weren’t necessary.

The north was Wudang Sect’s territory, so there was no threat from evil sects. No matter how fragmented Murim was, there weren’t many bold enough to cause trouble in Wudang Sect’s territory.

However, four.

Zhuge Munhyeon approached Zhuge Munho and Gwan Hwiping, who came along as minimal guards according to his argument.

“I’ll call you Elder Brother from now on.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll address you that way, so know that and accept it.”

“…”

Easy for him to say.

At least he didn’t add words like ‘damn’ or ‘fucking’ in front, but why is he speaking informally when he’s the elder brother?

And don’t just call me that—treat me accordingly too.

“Oh right, you’re wearing the iron rings?”

“Yeah.”

At Zhuge Munhyeon’s words, Zhuge Munho nodded, and Gwan Hwiping grimaced.

‘Can’t you see I’m walking?’

‘Ugh, even talking is exhausting.’

‘Damn, feels like my limbs are going to fall off. How am I supposed to walk all the way to Wudang?’

I could hear their grumbling, and though I knew they were doing it on purpose, I’d gotten used to it by now and cleanly ignored them.

You guys, that’s all part of cultivation.

When the procession to Wudang was being organized, Zhuge Munhyeon specifically asked Jeok Un, the third Group Leader of the Hyeonho Unit whom he’d become acquainted with, to include them.

Fortunately, Jeok Un readily agreed.

After all, even if they stayed at the Main House, there wouldn’t be any wars breaking out, so these guys had nothing to do but cultivate.

Of course I couldn’t leave them behind.

While the diligent Zhuge Munho might be fine, Gwan Hwiping would definitely slack off.

“Munhyeon.”

“What?”

“But do we really have to come along too?”

Zhuge Pyeong voiced their complaint as their representative.

“Are you stating the obvious?”

“No, we’re going to Wudang. It’s not like we need guards, and the guard martial artists are all composed of young guys…”

“Are you old?”

“That’s not it, we’re just somewhat different…”

Zhuge Pyeong stopped mid-sentence and pouted with a frown.

He must feel left out. I heard that his standing in the Hyeonho Unit had greatly improved due to the Honyeon Alliance incident.

Anyway, he can’t even remember his tadpole days. Tsk tsk.

“In any case, there’s nothing to guard, so why do we have to come along…”

“There’s work we need to do there.”

“Work to do?”

“Yeah.”

“What kind of work requires bringing all four of us? The Group Leader didn’t say anything special about it.”

Of course he wouldn’t have.

From now on, what you need to do as guard martial artists is precisely.

“Digging.”

“Huh?”

“Digging.”

Zhuge Munhyeon said with a bright smile toward the four.

I found out after trying it.

Martial artists are good at digging too.

The so-called Internal Energy Digging.

I even specially prepared iron shovels that won’t break easily even when Internal Energy is infused into them, just for you guys.

Most importantly, I can’t be the only one suffering, right?

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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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