Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 59

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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 59

 

 

A triumphant general returning home in glory.

Who, you ask?

That would be me.

I should have done things in moderation.

Even I think I went too far.

Merit, merit, merit, merit…

How many have I accumulated when others struggle to achieve even one?

“Munhyeon!”

It was understandable that the Family Head would run out barefoot.

Dignity? Authority?

How could such things matter now?

I had stopped by my maternal family home and expanded our territory to Dangang District, received some payment for Grasping Hand and went to repair a Secret Cave, forming friendly relations with Wudang.

The Family Head, elders, and senior members all gathered to praise my achievements.

Banquets followed one after another.

With good fortune piling upon good fortune, the grandeur was beyond description.

However.

“Why are you leaving already?”

“I’m tired. You drink plenty.”

Though Zhuge Munho, already slurring his words, grabbed my sleeve, Zhuge Munhyeon left the banquet a bit early.

Everyone saw him off with regret, but now wasn’t the time to play around drinking.

The Hyeoncheon Records.

How long had I endured wanting to read it…

Unfortunately, the Wudang Taoists had escorted me all the way near Yungzhong Mountain out of gratitude, so I couldn’t even sneak a peek.

With the reputation I’d built up, if I were caught hiding the Hyeoncheon Records, it would needlessly hurt our mutual trust.

Besides, every family elder I met said the same things while drunk, so there was nothing more to hear.

You’re the future of the Zhuge Clan, how admirable, and so on and so forth…

No matter how good it felt, how many times could they repeat the same words?

So I declined their enthusiastic praise, coldly shook off their grasping hands, and quickly returned home.

“Huh? Why are you back so early? Today’s banquet was practically held for you, Confucius?”

“I want to read a book.”

“Pardon?”

“I need to concentrate, so if people come, tell them I’m sleeping. Got it?”

“…I’ll do that.”

Zhuge Munhyeon gave a vague excuse to the puzzled Sohye, then immediately went to his room, firmly locking not only the door but also the windows, and sat at his desk.

“Confucius is really something. Does he like books that much? He could rest for just one day…”

Sohye shook her head with a smile and settled down in front of Zhuge Munhyeon’s tightly closed door with some work.

He had asked her to prevent people from disturbing him, so naturally she should do so.

Wasn’t he her source of pride?

Thinking about how to boast about our Confucius again made her feel pleased.

Of course, unaware of Sohye’s feelings, Zhuge Munhyeon opened the Hyeoncheon Records with trembling hands.

 

The disaster has disappeared.

 

Though not as much as the first time, it still pissed me off.

Even though I’d already read this content.

The following text contained Yu Gilcheon’s emotions intact from when he had been terrified during my visit to Wudang Mountain.

How angry must he have been to write curses in his diary?

But it was quite entertaining.

Is this the pleasure of secretly reading someone else’s diary?

And the next page…

 

I altered a few characters in the important parts.

 

Huh?

Did I read that wrong?

That’s nonsense…

Zhuge Munhyeon blinked and carefully read it again slowly.

But.

“This, this… damn bastard!”

I finally learned why it became a birth method instead of Ascension to Immortality.

Yu Gilcheon, that crazy bastard!

I was so angry I almost tore the Hyeoncheon Records I was reading to shreds.

He altered the characters?

So I failed at Ascension to Immortality because of that?

This was infuriating.

My hands holding the book trembled violently and my breathing became rough.

But the target of my surging rage was someone I had confirmed dead with my own eyes.

Without knowing any of this…

I had sat face to face with that dead bastard, conversed like friends, and even collected his remains to have them properly interred in the memorial hall!

“Damn it! Really!”

With no target for my anger, my fury wouldn’t subside in the face of such helplessness.

“Confucius, what’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

“…No, no. It’s nothing.”

My voice must have been too loud, as startled Sohye asked from outside.

“Just bring me a glass of cold water.”

“Yes.”

After her cheerful response and drinking the refreshingly cold water, it took quite a while before I finally calmed down.

“Sigh, what a damn bastard. How did he think to change the characters? A person’s life was at stake… And you still call yourself a Taoist?”

In one way, it was impressive.

Not knowing whether it was a real Ascension Method or not, he probably didn’t know that altering a few characters would turn it into a birth method.

Regret couldn’t change anything.

Even knowing the birth method, I don’t know how to return to the past…

Zhuge Munhyeon barely suppressed his anger and turned the page again.

 

Facing the time of return to heaven, I too created a Secret Cave and learned the Ascension Method.

 

“Damn bastard.”

How could a Taoist do such a thing?

Giving me a fake while learning the real one himself.

My fists trembled with rage.

“Fine, good. So you achieved Ascension to Immortality, is that it? Just wait and see. I’ll definitely achieve Ascension to Immortality later and come find you.”

Zhuge Munhyeon gritted his teeth and made this vow.

Another reason for Ascension to Immortality had been added.

I’ll destroy it, without fail!

With hands that had barely calmed down, he turned to the next page.

Inside contained Yu Gilcheon’s regrets.

 

Alas, how painful. They say life’s affairs are like the old man of Sai’s horse, and those words were exactly right. I thought everything would improve once he died… but the atmosphere in the Central Plains is ominous. The alliance has crumbled and everyone has become enemies.

 

He couldn’t help but sneer at the condensed account of events from after his death as the Heavenly Demon until he entered the secret cave.

Yu Gilcheon seemed to believe that the martial world had become chaotic because of his own death.

“How satisfying! Absolutely serves him right.”

If he didn’t take pleasure in this much, he felt like he might die from suppressed anger.

However.

The next part recording the changing flow of the times completely dispelled his anger.

 

One day while continuing my Ascension to Immortality cultivation, they came.

 

They?

What could this mean?

 

Beings beyond human.

 

“What?”

His heart began to pound.

Half-immortals?

Such beings existed?

 

They said that while one could achieve Spirit Body through the process of returning essence as known in immortal arts, the cultivation thereafter was the path of scattering destruction – dispersing and vanishing.

 

“…”

He was left speechless.

Not Ascension to Immortality but scattering destruction?

Then those half-immortals intended to kill me…

With trembling hands, he turned the page again.

 

In the end, the Heavenly Demon was destined to die from the beginning. And they took back the Ascension Method, no, the Scattering Destruction Method.

 

That’s where he read to.

Exactly that far.

Zhuge Munhyeon, who had been staring down at the book with an expressionless face, sighed and forcefully slammed the Hyeoncheon Records to the floor.

“Phew… Damn it!”

I thought there would be something!

These half-baked dragon wannabes created the Ascension Method to kill me?

What? For the greater good?

What about the world’s peace and tranquility?

“Aaaaargh!”

Overwhelmed by unbearable resentment, Zhuge Munhyeon smashed every piece of furniture in the room and thoroughly trampled the Hyeoncheon Records.

 

* * *

 

There are times when anything can be forgiven.

Such as when someone who has achieved great merit throws a tantrum.

Besides, no one was hurt – just the room’s furniture was destroyed and some walls were broken.

The physician Mother had called out of concern listened to his bloodshot eyes and heavy breathing, then spouted nonsense about how heart fire from experiencing many recent major events had caused an episode, requiring absolute rest.

That quack…

Since he couldn’t find anything wrong with the body, he blamed it on mental illness.

I should tell them not to call that guy anymore.

And under Mother’s watchful supervision, Zhuge Munhyeon, who was forced to take absolute rest, reopened the Hyeoncheon Records with clear footprints stamped on it.

Would he give up just because trials and hardships came?

“Half-immortals? What nonsense.”

They control Ascension to Immortality?

What do they think they are?

Why are half-immortals called half-immortals?

Because they failed to ascend and remain in this world, they can’t be called human and are thus named so.

They must have just been jealous.

Afraid that I might achieve what they couldn’t.

But what can they do?

Thanks to Yu Gilcheon changing a few characters, instead of scattering destruction, I achieved rebirth.

Of course, he couldn’t have predicted it.

That what he created would be a birth method…

Perhaps this is a new opportunity.

A fresh body with easily a hundred years of life remaining.

Just wait and see.

I will definitely find it – the Ascension Method.

And I’ll also find those half-immortals who tried to kill me and cut off all their heads.

But recklessness won’t do.

Didn’t they say these beings could crush mountain peaks with bare hands and leap across great rivers in a single step?

At my current level, I’d die without even getting to curse at them.

“No, that’s not right. It’s only fun to fight when they’re that strong.”

A hint of madness seemed to flicker in Zhuge Munhyeon’s eyes as he glared at the Hyeoncheon Records.

After all, you need competitors to make things interesting.

“Let’s see you try to stop me.”

This too is a competition.

At least they said the process from returning essence to Spirit Body was correct, right?

Then that’s enough.

I can just find what comes after from now on.

Since they call themselves half-immortals, if I capture and torture them, they’ll spill something.

Learning the hidden truth, Zhuge Munhyeon didn’t despair but began burning with competitive spirit.

Fighting strong enemies is much more enjoyable than fighting obvious ones.

“Does this mean I should even thank that bastard Yu Gilcheon?”

He gave me the chance for rebirth and informed me of stronger enemies trying to prevent my ascension.

Anyway, I’m changing my goal.

From now on, I’ll search for those half-immortals instead of the Ascension Method.

Well, the result will be the same in the end.

With a bitter smile, Zhuge Munhyeon began carefully reformulating his plans.

I can’t be the only one who gets stronger.

With enemies that powerful, could I handle it alone?

My allies need to become strong too.

Only then will they fight alongside me.

Setting a goal puts my mind at ease.

And.

“Damn, I was trying to save it…”

Zhuge Munhyeon took out the Jayang Dan he had brought from Wudang.

Though not as good as Taeching Bodan, it would surely be helpful.

Those idiots who complain about what good throwing one stone into the ocean would do are fools.

Not even knowing that at least one more stone has been added…

There’s nothing bad about taking it.

“Sohye!”

“Yes?”

“Don’t let anyone approach my room. Not Father, not Mother. You understand what I mean?”

When he spoke with a determined expression, Sohye, who had entered the room, looked at him with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

Her gaze was full of doubt.

He could guess why.

She was probably wondering if he might smash the furniture again while reading books in his room.

This girl, really…

“No, absolutely not.”

“…”

“I’m telling you it’s true? I’m completely recovered from my illness. Look, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Hmm…”

Zhuge Munhyeon barely managed to convince the still-suspicious Sohye and send her out, then sat in meditation and immediately swallowed the Jayang Dan.

Wooooong!

The Jayang Dan melted smoothly and went down his throat, beginning to emit intense heat.

Truly the essence of Wudang’s alchemy.

To have such an effect immediately upon swallowing…

Zhuge Munhyeon slowly began absorbing the nourishing energy.

To fight against those half-immortal bastards, he would need to reach at least the Gang Qi level.

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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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