I Prayed for a Murim Reincarnation, But I Was Born as the Youngest Imperial Prince - Chapter 65

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 65
Seonwu pouted his lips because Lee Jun didn’t understand how he felt.
What do you know?
The Wulin is only interesting when there are various factions with a colorful mix of everything.
As it was, the news that the Beggars’ Sect and the Haoma Gate had become one was shocking enough.
‘The Eight Great Clans sounds much grander and better than the Five Great Clans.’
Honestly, right now, compared to the Nine Sects and One Gang, there are only five clans, so the balance of power is a bit tilted.
[Anyway, even if they aren’t part of the Five Great Clans right now, it’s not like there are no influential factions, right?]
[Well, just as you said, the Huangbo Clan and the Yue Clan have their own considerable power.]
They aren’t counted among the Five Great Clans, but they hover around the periphery, watching for an opportunity to rise.
It is human nature to envy those right above you, and ambition always aims for that spot first.
[I’m also thinking about who I should foster to fill the void if the Namgung Clan loses its standing because of this matter.]
[Oh, so you actually have a plan.]
[If you keep acting like this, I’ll take away your family’s share.]
[Ah, damn it, are you seriously threatening me with that? How petty.]
Squabbling like that, the three of them eventually passed through the Formations and stood before the main gate of the Zhuge Clan.
“Welcome back, Young Master.”
The martial artists guarding the gate immediately bowed at the waist.
“Are the two gentlemen beside you the two great heroes of the Eunhak Sect who were supposed to accompany you?”
“Yes. I intend to see my father and pay my respects upon returning.”
“As it happens, the Master mentioned you would arrive around today or tomorrow and told us to contact him as soon as you did. I will send word inside, so please head to your room first, Young Master. And as for the two guests…”
“Ah, we’re just going to have a brief chat in my room first, so just have the guest rooms prepared.”
“Yes, sir.”
Thus, the three of them headed toward Lee Jun’s room.
[Oh, is it really fine to take us straight to your room? Nothing you need to hide?]
[I’m bringing you, not a girlfriend, so what would I have to hide?]
[This bastard, quite confident, aren’t you?]
[You’re probably the one with plenty of embarrassing past memories, right?]
[You son of a bitch.]
Why didn’t I lock my room door back then?
At any rate, contrary to Seonwu’s expectations, Lee Jun’s room was very neat and well-organized.
Come to think of it, it was only natural.
While a direct descendant of the clan was away on an assignment, there was no way the maids would leave the room untidy.
[Tsk, how boring. No books hidden under the bed?]
[If I need to, I can just do the real thing right away, so why would I bother hiding books? Even in my past life, I barely watched videos.]
[……?!]
Seonwu recalled that in their past lives, unlike himself, Lee Jun had lived a highly successful life.
Though in this life, he was the one doing much better.
For some reason, it felt a bit frustrating.
While the two were bickering via Sound Transmission, Absolute Shadow checked the terrain and structures within the Zhuge Clan.
Though it was highly unlikely to happen, he had to protect his lord in case of an emergency.
In reality, his lord was much stronger, but he still had to be ready to throw his own body in front of an unexpected blow.
Seeing how exceptionally diligent Absolute Shadow was, Seonwu couldn’t bring himself to tell him to relax and make himself comfortable.
Because that was Absolute Shadow’s job.
‘Man, I’m grateful, but he’s really working hard.’
He himself was excited to visit a friend’s house, while his guard was only thinking about security.
I must take good care of him in the future too.
Loyalty is not an infinite resource.
The lord must give something back to maintain it.
Sometimes there are retainers who offer it in advance.
And there are even retainers who go so far as to sacrifice their lives, but…
Even that requires the lord to have done enough up to that point for a sense of duty to form.
‘Hmm, in that respect, what should I give to the Zhuge Clan?’
In a way, this would be his first time meeting Lee Jun’s father in this life.
Unlike their past lives, he was the one who was far more successful in this life.
‘Moreover, unlike the past life, the culture here takes it for granted to exchange gifts on a much grander scale.’
A gift.
Or a token of appreciation.
The scale of what they call and exchange as such is not at the level of swapping a few pieces of fruit like in their past lives.
To match that culture, he had to prepare abundantly.
Especially since he had received financial help from Lee Jun in their past life…
In this life, it was time for him to return the favor.
* * *
The Family Head of the Zhuge Clan did not dare to keep Seonwu waiting for long.
‘The noble personage has finally arrived.’
After checking the pre-arranged room one more time, he immediately ordered them to be brought in.
“Tell Jun to come here along with the guests he brought.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
Since he and his son were the only ones in this clan who knew that person’s true identity.
He was tense, and tense again.
‘Surely there won’t be some idiot blocking his path and picking a fight for no reason, right?’
In truth, it wasn’t that there were no other factions keeping Lee Jun in check and eyeing the succession.
Since that level of competition was natural, he had chosen to leave it be as well.
If one couldn’t even overcome such limited strife within the clan, how could one survive the far more intense conflicts outside the clan to preserve the family?
But today was not the day.
‘I heard that the Namgung Clan claimed to be the Emperor of Anhui in front of him, only to be called sacrilegious by his guard.’
And yet, far from showing proper shame, they displayed insolence once again by leaving the place half-heartedly.
‘That’s why they are in that miserable state right now.’
Intelligence was being updated daily that the Golden Dragon Guard and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner were sealing off and thoroughly ransacking various businesses of the Namgung Clan.
It was literally a deliberate, blood-drying audit.
The Zhuge Clan could not afford to suffer the same fate.
‘I don’t care if they check and compete with Jun, but I repeatedly warned them that I would be greatly disappointed if they showed an ugly side in front of guests from the outside.’
If there was anyone causing trouble, he intended to break their legs.
* * *
Because the Zhuge Family Head had taken precautions in advance, the situation where rival siblings who disliked Lee Jun blocked the group’s path and picked a fight did not occur.
However, they were plotting in the shadows.
“It’s a bit strange.”
Lee Jun’s older brother and another candidate for the next Family Head.
Zhuge Junye was also clever enough not to bring shame to his family.
And he felt that his father, the Family Head’s reaction toward the two young masters of the Eunhak Sect brought by his younger brother was peculiar.
‘My younger brother is an unappealing competitor, but he isn’t a fool…’
Cultivating a friendship with the masters of two nameless sects who have a strained relationship with the Namgung Clan?
Isn’t that strange?
Generally, in relationships between people, the most important thing is mutual interest.
Of course, it could be a pure exchange of emotion and affection, but it is rarely the case from the very beginning.
In such an association, it is basic to weigh whether adding this new relationship brings profit or not.
‘If those two were simply promising young masters, it would be worth taking the time to cultivate a relationship, but…’
The problem was that those two had a very awkward relationship with the Namgung Clan.
For now, Namgung Hyeok-in, who was defeated in the Martial Duel, seemed to have undergone Secluded Cultivation after being humiliated, but there was no way the Namgung Clan would truly forget this grudge.
It was just that bringing it up right now would backfire and damage their reputation, so they covered it up for the moment, but who would keep them close knowing when they might become a source of calamity?
‘Yet Father says he will meet those two personally and treats them as distinguished guests.’
Furthermore, whether it was a coincidence or not, the Namgung Clan was struck by the lightning of the Imperial Court.
‘Hmm, no. The order is reversed. The Namgung Clan being struck by lightning came first.’
Only after that did his brother head toward their family with those two.
Does that mean Father, seeing that Namgung would lose its power, decided to deepen the relationship with the promising young martial artists without any burden?
‘It makes sense, but…’
It’s strange that his brother had taken the side of those two long before that.
Unless he knew things would turn out this way, it means he chose those two over the Namgung Clan at that time…
‘Hmm, of course, that fellow has shown a foolish side since he was young, prioritizing loyalty over self-interest.’
Just looking at how he made the payment terms for small sangdans to be three months, which is shorter than other clans, how much of a loss is that?
‘From that perspective, if they happened to share the same mindset and he made the foolish choice to become close with those two even if it ruined his relationship with Namgung, it makes sense, but…’
Still, a certain sense of incompatibility that couldn’t be clearly put into words lingered in the sequence of events.
Though it couldn’t be precisely explained what it was.
Since there was also his father’s warning, he wouldn’t step forward to interfere immediately, but he would have to watch closely.
* * *
Whether his friend’s brother was agonizing over something or not, Seonwu did not know.
In fact, even if he knew, he wouldn’t have cared much anyway.
What did it matter if a mere candidate for the Family Head of the Zhuge Clan was worrying?
He was the youngest prince doted on by the Emperor, and a figure who had received the investiture of King Wuryong.
In short, whether a weakling far below his level worried or not, it was impossible to cause any actual harm to Seonwu.
Even so, he did care about the meeting with his friend’s father.
‘Hum hum, what kind of gift should I give? As expected, this would be best, right?’
Seonwu sent a Sound Transmission to Lee Jun.
[Does your family like Spiritual Medicine too?]
[Is there even a single martial family that doesn’t like that?]
[I guess there wouldn’t be.]
[Why? To give as a gift?]
[Well, it’s my first time visiting your house, so I should give some presents.]
[Your grace is immeeeeeense.]
Honestly, since it was something helpful, Lee Jun didn’t put up a stubborn front for nothing.
‘Anyway, Father knows this guy’s identity.’
And now, a kind of secret pact would be formed between his family and His Highness King Wuryong.
He was only arranging the meeting, while deciding the future of the clan was his father’s job.
‘I appealed so earnestly, surely he won’t make a strange judgment, right?’
He absolutely had to prevent the worst-case scenario where his friend and his family opposed each other.
Though there was no way he would do that.
Seonwu was also slightly worried about the same thing.
‘Surely Lee Jun’s family won’t stand against me, right?’
Then Lee Jun would be caught in the middle, not knowing what to do.
‘Oh, no way.’
How absolute is the power of the Imperial Family right now, specifically his royal father?
Why would the Zhuge Clan bother to oppose that?
It wasn’t like he was going to make the Zhuge Clan do anything bad either.
If he presented the Spiritual Medicine as a gift, they would gladly accept it and say, “Please look after my son.”
It wasn’t a major worry, but feeling a casual anxiety for no reason, Seonwu entered the guest reception room where the Family Head was waiting.
“Father, your son has returned.”
Lee Jun greeted him in a formal tone that the Lee Jun of his past life would never have used.
“Welcome. Your mother is waiting as well, so go see her as soon as this is finished.”
“I shall do so. And these are the two friends from the Eunhak Sect whom I have newly befriended this time.”
“It is an honor to meet you. I am Seonyeong of the Eunhak Sect, who has become friends with Jun.”
Seonwu greeted him politely.
“I am Absolute Shadow.”
Contrary to his words, Absolute Shadow greeted him with a subtly insolent demeanor.
“Hum hum, nice to meet you. I am that fellow’s father.”
“Are you not the Zhuge Family Head, who is called the Heavenly Strategy and Divine Calculation! It is an honor to meet you like this.”
Seonwu exclaimed so politely and joyfully that he truly looked like a Jianghu Novice nameless warrior who was delighted just to meet a Renowned Senior of Jianghu.
Therefore, the Family Head secretly sent a Sound Transmission to Lee Jun.
[Is that person over there…]
[He is indeed His Highness King Wuryong. He is acting that way because there are many watching eyes right now.]
[Still, he humbles himself too naturally…]
[He really is the one, so don’t have strange thoughts and how about dismissing the surroundings quickly?]
The words asking if he had been scammed rose up to his throat, but the Zhuge Family Head swallowed them down.
Instead, he spoke to the surroundings.
“I wish to have a deep conversation with my son who has returned after a long time, so everyone withdraw.”
The maids and guards quietly withdrew.
Seonwu also spoke to Absolute Shadow.
“I also wish to speak with the Family Head about the future of the Eunhak Sect, so could my junior disciple wait outside?”
“But…”
“Oh, what are you worried about?”
[This is an order.]
Receiving Seonwu’s Sound Transmission, Absolute Shadow had no choice but to bow his head.
“Understood, senior brother. I will wait outside.”
Seonwu, the Zhuge Family Head, and Zhuge Jun.
Only the three of them remained.
In that state, the Family Head activated a Formation to completely cut off the inside from the outside.
Now, it would be impossible to see or hear anything inside from the outside.
“There will be no listening ears now.”
“Then, we should start by proving that Jun’s words are true, right?”
Seonwu, whose attitude changed immediately, pulled a seal from his robe and proferred it to the Zhuge Family Head.
“Feel free to look. You may touch it as well.”
The seal with the name [King Wuryong] engraved on it.
Unless it was a forgery, it was an authority granted to only one person in this country.
A dragon with four claws was carved upon it, and it was made of a mysterious substance filled with an auspicious aura.
Though he was told to touch it, who would dare to touch it recklessly?
The Imperial Seal revealed a terrifying presence inside the room.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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