The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 10

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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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Episode 10.
“You needn’t shout so loud. I can hear you perfectly well.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong, who had come out to greet him, furrowed his brow and replied curtly.
“Haha! You’re well past sixty, and you still haven’t lost that prickly disposition of yours!”
Nam Gung Cheon laughed with easy familiarity.
Though his tone was light, the deep impression he gave—his impressive frame, the long beard he’d cultivated—lent weight even to his jest, much like a tiger whose very presence commands respect.
But Je Gal Cheon Seong, his friend of decades, paid such things no mind.
“And what of you? Did you eat something that sharpened your ears? I said not to shout.”
“The louder the greeting, the warmer the welcome!”
“Since when is the volume of one’s voice a measure of affection?”
“Guffaw! How could one like you, who speaks in whispers thin as an ant’s footfall, ever understand!”
The two men bickered at a level that bordered on outright quarreling, yet their faces held not a trace of displeasure.
Quite the opposite—both wore genuine delight.
“In any case, you’ve had a grueling journey. Were the roads kind to you?”
“From Anhui to Hubei is hardly a thousand li. The journey was uneventful.”
Even so, arriving in Hubei three days after a letter had reached him was no easy feat.
“Well then, today I’ve laid out generous stores of Jian Nan Chun, your favorite—you’ll have much to look forward to.”
“And surely Hubei’s pride, the Tian Zhang Yu, as well?”
“Would I forget the delicacies of my own home? Put such worries to rest.”
“Haha! Truly worthy of the Martial Alliance’s commanding strategist!”
Nam Gung Cheon made no effort to demur, and Je Gal Cheon Seong was assured of the finest hospitality.
This was the manner of relationship two masters had cultivated over decades.
“And Hee Bin—it’s been far too long. Have you been well?”
Je Gal Cheon Seong turned his gaze to Nam Gung Hee Bin, the eldest daughter of the Nam Gung Clan.
Nam Gung Hee Bin brought her palms together in answer to his inquiry.
In her bearing dwelt both nobility and unyielding strength—the distinctive demeanor of the Nam Gung house.
Added to this was a beauty that none could deny: an elegant nose and large eyes that seemed to brighten the very air around her with each gesture.
“Nam Gung Hee Bin, eldest daughter of the Nam Gung Clan, pays her respects to Patriarch Je Gal. By your gracious care, I have remained unharmed.”
Her courtesy was flawless, and Je Gal Cheon Seong smiled with approval.
“Ah, what a transformation in the time since last we met. You have grown into a bearing truly worthy of the Nam Gung name. Splendid.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong’s tone now differed markedly from the banter he’d shared with Nam Gung Cheon—he spoke with genuine respect for Nam Gung’s legacy.
The name Nam Gung deserved such regard.
This mutual respect was precisely why Je Gal and Nam Gung had maintained their bond across the years.
“And Seo Ryong… ah, I see.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong’s eyes took on a note of interest as he regarded Nam Gung Seo Ryong, the second child and eldest son of the Nam Gung house.
“Nam Gung Seo Ryong, eldest son of the Nam Gung Clan, pays his respects to Patriarch Je Gal.”
Seo Ryong offered his greeting with courtesy no less refined than his sister’s.
He bore his sister’s large eyes and elegant nose.
Add to these a set of dark, commanding brows, and the impression of masculine strength was unmistakable.
Most of all, his gaze held a piercing intelligence—a bluish light that seemed to contain hidden knowledge—and it drew the eyes of all who beheld him.
Je Gal Cheon Seong nodded, his expression showing pleasant surprise.
“Indeed. It’s been barely a year since last I saw you, yet your martial prowess has made remarkable strides.”
Seo Ryong offered a characteristic bright smile and bowed his head.
“I have received instruction from my father and gained some small insight.”
“To receive such instruction means you possess the aptitude to warrant it.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong gave a slight nod.
“Admirable. My congratulations.”
“To hear such words from the Patriarch is a true honor.”
Nam Gung Cheon, who had been watching the exchange with satisfaction, nodded with visible pleasure.
“Haha! Cheon Seong! The future of Nam Gung shines so brilliantly!”
“Tsk, I’ve told you not to shout. But yes, it does gleam with promise.”
At Je Gal Cheon Seong’s words, Nam Gung Cheon broke into a radiant smile.
Seo Ryong’s features, inherited from his mother’s side, differed somewhat from Nam Gung Cheon’s—a man whose very form seemed the embodiment of masculine strength—yet that same bright smile made his lineage unmistakably clear.
“Why should the main house have all the brilliance?”
Nam Gung Cheon’s gaze shifted to Je Gal Mu Young.
“It’s been too long, Mu Young. You’ve been well?”
Je Gal Mu Young received the greeting with a fist salute.
“Je Gal Mu Young, minor patriarch of the Je Gal house, pays his respects to the Alliance Lord.”
“Haha! There it is! Still that brilliant talent shining through! The day you surpass your father draws near, I should think!”
“You are too kind.”
Je Gal Mu Young continued, glancing sideways at Nam Gung Seo Ryong.
“Seeing Seo Ryong, I finally understand what Father meant when he said the martial world is vast.”
Je Gal Mu Young could tell at a glance.
Nam Gung Seo Ryong, three years his junior, had already reached the Peak Realm that he himself occupied.
“I’m ashamed to have been even briefly conceited about it.”
“Don’t be ashamed.”
At Je Gal Mu Young’s self-deprecating words, Nam Gung Hee Bin suddenly spoke up.
“…Pardon?”
“Your martial prowess is at the same level, but you surpass Seo Ryong in strategy and formation design, do you not?”
Nam Gung Hee Bin met his gaze with unwavering eyes as she continued.
“You have every reason to be proud of yourself.”
As Nam Gung Hee Bin spoke with conviction and offered a smile, Je Gal Mu Young returned it.
“It’s been too long, Mu Young.”
“Indeed it has, Hee Bin.”
Standing nearby, Je Gal Mu Hun’s expression grew warm.
‘Ah, so Elder Sister was on Brother’s side from the beginning.’
Je Gal Mu Young and Nam Gung Hee Bin.
For Je Gal Mu Hun, who already knew of their betrothal, the sight was impossible not to smile upon.
“Ha-ha! That’s right! Hee Bin speaks truth! Then surely the Je Gal Clan’s future is equally bright!”
Nam Gung Cheon, laughing heartily in agreement with Nam Gung Hee Bin’s words, then turned to Je Gal Mu Hun.
“Yes, and this other pillar of that future is… how is… hmm?”
Nam Gung Cheon seemed about to say something to Je Gal Mu Hun with a smile, but something caught in his throat and he stopped.
Having seen each other frequently, Nam Gung Cheon knew Je Gal Mu Hun’s Severed Meridian Disorder well.
It was in that brief moment that he sensed it—a trace of Qi present in Je Gal Mu Hun’s body, something that should not exist.
Knowing that to be impossible, Nam Gung Cheon found his words suddenly failing him.
At this, Je Gal Mu Hun smiled and performed a Fist Salute.
“Je Gal Mu Hun, second son of the Je Gal Clan, pays his respects to the Alliance Leader.”
Decades of meeting countless individuals had lent Je Gal Mu Hun’s greeting both propriety and ease.
“Hmm… yes, so Mu Hun has… weathered it all, it seems.”
“I am grateful for your recognition.”
Nam Gung Cheon turned to Je Gal Cheon Seong with a bewildered expression.
“Did you… find a method? How?”
Je Gal Cheon Seong answered with a grave expression.
“I didn’t find it.”
“You didn’t find it? Then did you locate some Divine Physician whose whereabouts have been a mystery?”
“Nothing of the sort. In fact, the very reason I summoned you today was because of what you’re seeing now.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong then let out a hollow laugh tinged with doubt and relief.
“Yet judging by your reaction, it seems I was mistaken.”
“Haven’t I told you for forty years not to speak as though only you know the answer?”
“Even a dog at a village school can recite poetry after three years—surely forty years is long enough for you to understand?”
“Is your tongue made of verse? Fine, then summoning me means you’ll at least offer an explanation, yes?”
Je Gal Cheon Seong nodded and turned away.
“Since the introductions appear complete, we’ll continue this inside.”
“Excellent. I’ll get to taste the delicacies of Hubei after all this time.”
The two patriarchs walked slowly toward the Je Gal Clan Residence’s reception hall.
Nam Gung Hee Bin exchanged light courtesies with Je Gal Mu Hun before attaching herself to Je Gal Mu Young’s side and following behind.
As Je Gal Mu Hun watched their retreating figures with contentment, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Watching others’ love is a joy, yet why does Elder Sister’s love feel so awkward to witness?”
At the sound of this familiar voice, which he hadn’t heard in so long, Je Gal Mu Hun felt his lips curve upward of their own accord.
“Is that how you see it? I thought they looked like a perfectly matched pair.”
“Ha! It’s you! Last time, even when I asked you to drop the formality, you wouldn’t stop calling me brother—but it seems you’ve changed your mind?”
Nam Gung Seo Ryong, who had appeared at Je Gal Mu Hun’s side, laughed brightly.
Unlike the phantom Je Gal Mu Hun had last seen, both his arms were intact, and he looked even younger than he had during the Complete Physical Transformation.
“It’s been a while, Seo Ryong.”
“Yes, it has been, Mu Hun.”
The same words, yet the weight of time they carried was different.
For Je Gal Mu Hun, it was one year in this life and half a year in the last.
Thus it was the face of his lifelong friend, seen after a year and a half.

At Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s teasing question, Je Gal Mu Hun let out a soft chuckle.
“I’m barely managing myself. How could I possibly meet another?”
“Is that so? Well, don’t you think it’d be interesting to adjust to each other?”
Seo Ryong clicked his tongue with a hint of regret.
“That’s a fair point. Only, it seems the time isn’t right yet.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that much, at least. I don’t know when it’ll be, but I’m looking forward to it.”
Seo Ryong nodded lightly and moved forward.
“More importantly, congratulations. Just as your father said, your health has clearly improved quite a bit, hasn’t it?”
“Thank you. My cough has lessened considerably these days—it’s quite refreshing, really.”
“Truly, you’ve found a Divine Physician, haven’t you? Your manner of speech has grown rather elder-like; is that from living under that person’s care?”
Mu Hun laughed heartily at Seo Ryong’s jest.
And yet, as expected, Seo Ryong had not changed.
A man who looked after those around him, who threw out careless jokes and put people at ease.
That had been Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s gift, long before he became the leader of the Martial Alliance.
“That’s not quite it. Your manner of speech changes naturally as you live, doesn’t it?”
“True enough. So what’s the real reason?”
Mu Hun shrugged lightly and smiled.
“It’s a bit long to explain in detail. Besides, aren’t we heading somewhere to hear it now?”
***
“…So, Mu Hun personally refined the Xiao Tian Sheng Gong of the Je Gal Clan?”
Nam Gung Cheon set down his cup with an incredulous look in his eyes.
Je Gal Cheon Seong also lowered his cup and nodded.
“Yes, they call it the Tian Shan Lian Gong.”
Nam Gung Cheon folded his arms and let out a small hum of consideration.
It was the first serious expression he’d shown since visiting the Je Gal Clan Residence.
“And because it resembles Nam Gung’s secret transmission, you suspected me for that reason?”
“…Yes.”
Nam Gung Cheon regarded Je Gal Cheon Seong with a grave expression.
“Cheon Seong. I may not know as much as you do, but I too am aware of Mu Hun’s Severed Meridian Disorder.”
“…”
“I wouldn’t be so foolish as to teach martial arts to a child who cannot practice them. I carry the title of leader of the Martial Alliance, after all.”
“That’s a fair point.”
“And more than that…”
Nam Gung Cheon filled his cup generously with alcohol.
“Before I am the Alliance’s leader, I am the master of my own house, and I do not simply divulge the clan’s secrets out of pity.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong also slowly nodded and filled his cup.
“I understand. I apologize for summoning you on such a matter. Yet even so, I needed to confirm it.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong met Nam Gung Cheon’s gaze without wavering.
“Before I am the Alliance’s chief strategist and the master of my house, I am a father.”
Nam Gung Cheon chuckled softly and raised his cup.
Je Gal Cheon Seong also lifted his cup, and the two vessels clinked together in the air.
Without anyone going first, they both swallowed a mouthful of the potent Jian Nan Chun in one gulp.
“Ahh, yes! That’s the stuff! I’ll let your small mistake slide with this!”
“Thank you. If there’s anything else you wish to ask for, just say the word. Today I’m in a position to refuse nothing.”
“Haha! Excellent! I’m not a man who shies away from such things!”
Nam Gung Cheon, grinning in good spirits, turned his head to look at Mu Hun and Mu Young.
“Mu Hun! And Mu Young! Your father is a man who speaks his mind, whether as the leader of the Martial Alliance or as a member of the Nam Gung house! Isn’t that remarkable?”
“Tsk, what are you going on about now…”
“You speak truly, sir.”
Mu Hun performed a fist salute in acknowledgment of Nam Gung Cheon’s words.
“I am always grateful for my father’s concern for me.”
At Mu Hun’s words of thanks, Je Gal Cheon Seong poured alcohol into his cup as if a bit sheepish.
“…That’s enough.”
“Don’t be embarrassed! You’re old enough to know better.”
Nam Gung Cheon laughed heartily and refilled his own cup.
“But I must say, I’m curious. For even you to be bewildered…”
Nam Gung Cheon took a light sip of alcohol and spoke to Mu Hun.
“Mu Hun, can you show us that cultivation method you created?”
Nam Gung Cheon’s eyes were warm with affection, yet they burned with the curiosity of a martial artist.
It made sense.
He had just heard that a frail, sickly child who had never even learned martial arts had accomplished something difficult even for an ordinary martial master.
Could it be that it resembled the meditation technique he’d cultivated his entire life?
From Nam Gung Cheon’s perspective, this was the most restrained question his curiosity could manage.
Je Gal Mu Hun, understanding such a mind well, accepted Nam Gung Cheon’s request readily.
“Of course, Alliance Leader.”
Je Gal Mu Hun closed his eyes and sent his Qi flowing through the meridian networks of his entire body.
The Qi within him rushed through his veins and across his frame as if it had been waiting for this moment.
Operating the Tian Shan Lian Gong, already so familiar to him, made it appear effortless to observers despite its difficulty.
Je Gal Mu Hun felt warm Qi flowing through his entire body in an instant.
‘The speed has quickened even further.’
Je Gal Mu Hun smiled with satisfaction as he completed the operation of the Tian Shan Lian Gong.
“This is the meditation technique I use—the Tian Shan Lian Gong.”
The moment Je Gal Mu Hun’s demonstration ended, the others fell into stunned silence.
It wasn’t that they’d failed to notice because the execution was swift.
“…Ah, hah! Ha-ha-ha!”
Nam Gung Cheon, bewildered for a moment, burst into laughter.
“Exactly! Cheon Seong! Now I understand why you doubted me!”
Even to Nam Gung Cheon’s eye, it was identical to the Nam Gung Clan’s meditation technique execution.
No—it was more than that.
“The stability with which you channel Qi surpasses even mine! I never knew you possessed such skill, Mu Hun!”
“Skill, you say? You honor me too greatly.”
“Too greatly? Such refined execution surpasses even mine, I tell you! Are you showing disrespect to the Alliance Leader? Ha-ha-ha!”
Nam Gung Cheon, in good spirits, lifted his cup again.
“I offer you my congratulations, Mu Hun! And Cheon Seong, he’s your son indeed, with such natural talent!”
At Nam Gung Cheon’s reaction, Je Gal Cheon Seong, finally at ease, smiled gently.
“Much obliged. Skill, yes. Hearing you say so puts my mind at rest.”
“But that’s your problem! You worry over your children far too much, I tell you? Listen here, all of you, the things this fellow did when you were young….”
“That’s enough. Are you already drunk?”
Je Gal Cheon Seong and Nam Gung Cheon bickered back and forth, and the gathering grew warmer with each passing moment.
Though both were masters capable of dispelling intoxication with ease, they chose not to when meeting privately like this.
Je Gal Mu Young and Nam Gung Hee Bin likewise savored their long-awaited reunion and the pleasant drowsiness of wine.
Only two were excluded from the embrace of liquor: Je Gal Mu Hun, who couldn’t drink, and Nam Gung Seo Ryong, whose expression remained grave with some silent deliberation.
Je Gal Mu Hun found this moment pleasant.
How long had it been since he’d sat at ease in such company?
“But where did you draw inspiration for that meditation technique? Surely you didn’t sneak a look at the main family’s methods and steal from them? Ha-ha-ha!”
“Cheon! Would my son do such a thing?”
“No, sir. How could I ever do such a thing?”
Je Gal Mu Hun even found Nam Gung Cheon’s teasing, delivered in drunken jest, endearing.
Suddenly, a voice resonated in Je Gal Mu Hun’s mind.
-Mu Hun, could you step outside for a moment?
It was a private transmission from Nam Gung Seo Ryong, who sat across the way.
Je Gal Mu Hun glanced toward Nam Gung Seo Ryong.
His lips were curved in a smile, yet his expression was grave.
‘It must have shaken him considerably.’
Je Gal Mu Hun gave a light nod of assent, and Nam Gung Seo Ryong rose from his seat first.
“Je Gal family head, Father, I shall step out to the privy for a moment.”
“Hmm? Ha-ha, yes, go ahead.”
Then Je Gal Mu Hun also rose from his seat.
“May I also take my leave? I’m feeling somewhat fatigued….”
“Yes, do so. You’ve worked hard.”
The two men excused themselves and stepped outside.
Je Gal Cheon Seong, watching them go, opened his mouth.
“I was planning to send Mu Hun away anyway, so this works out well.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong drew upon his inner reserves to dispel his intoxication.
As a master of the Peak Realm, his speed was remarkable.
“Why must you dampen the mood so suddenly?”
“I don’t wish to, either. But something happened yesterday that you ought to remember.”
At Je Gal Cheon Seong’s words, Nam Gung Cheon exhaled softly and swiftly purged himself of intoxication.
“Mu Young, as the young family head you should know as well. Hee Bin will learn of this eventually, so hear it now.”
At Je Gal Cheon Seong’s words, the two who had been flirting playfully also cast off their drunkenness.
“What could have happened that demands such solemnity? And Nam Gung Seo Ryong isn’t even here.”
“But he’s not yet the Young Lord, is he?”
“He’ll be soon enough, and he’s already past his coming of age. I’d say he has the right to know.”
“Then have him hear it from you. What you know matters most in this affair.”
“Ugh, tsk. What kind of business warrants such a fuss?”
At Nam Gung Cheon’s curt remark, Je Gal Cheon Seong shook his head quietly.
“Word has come down from the Martial Alliance.”
Nam Gung Cheon’s expression tightened at those words.
“Word has ‘come down’? From the Martial Alliance?”
“Indeed.”
Je Gal Cheon Seong drew from his robe a crimson silk banner trimmed with gold embroidery.
“An imperial edict from the palace.”
***
At that moment, the two who had stepped outside paused in the courtyard of the Je Gal Clan Residence.
The Hubei moon hung bright and serene above the elegantly appointed grounds, greeting them both.
“What troubles you?”
Je Gal Mu Hun asked the one who had come before him.
“…That cultivation method of yours. The Tian Shan Lian Gong, you called it? Truly remarkable. Awe-inspiring, even.”
“So that’s what this is about.”
Je Gal Mu Hun smiled wryly.
It was not that he felt shame at being praised for the Tian Shan Lian Gong.
Only—hearing such words now, from the very one who had perfected the method for him, struck an odd note in his heart.
“I’ve long known you had the makings to inherit the mantle of Hidden Dragon. But to excel in martial prowess as well? What does that leave for me?”
Nam Gung Seo Ryong spoke with playful mockery in his tone.
Je Gal Mu Hun smiled lightly and shook his head.
“What martial prowess have I? And even if I did, it would be but a sparrow’s blood beside yours.”
It was truth.
By Je Gal Mu Hun’s reckoning, Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s martial talent was so rare that even dusty scrolls in ancient archives could scarcely match it.
“Ha! To call such refined technique a sparrow’s blood—why, that makes you fit to be a phoenix’s wing!”
Yet Nam Gung Seo Ryong, knowing nothing of the full picture, saw it altogether differently.
He ceased laughing and his expression grew serious as he spoke.
“Might I trouble you with a request—one that would be impertinent to ask of most?”
Je Gal Mu Hun had already divined what Nam Gung Seo Ryong meant to say.
“You want me to teach you the principles of the Tian Shan Lian Gong?”
“Teach me the principles of the Tian Shan Lian Gong.”
As Je Gal Mu Hun spoke the words before he could, Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“What—have you even studied mind-reading techniques?”
“I merely considered what I know of your nature and the circumstances at hand.”
Nam Gung Seo Ryong harbored no shame in seeking instruction from warriors superior in certain arts.
This had been true even when he stood near the summit of all martial masters, and upon returning from the battlefield, he would ask even lowborn practitioners what puzzled him.
Because that disposition had brought him trouble more than once, Je Gal Mu Hun found the present scene utterly familiar.
‘You, who never asked me about martial arts before—to approach me now. Is this too part of the strangeness of this second life?’
Indeed, to see Nam Gung Seo Ryong wish to learn anew the very art he himself had perfected was surpassingly strange.
‘He taught it to me originally—how could I refuse to share it?’
Je Gal Mu Hun gave a light nod.
“Of course. You’ll grasp it quickly enough.”
At Je Gal Mu Hun’s answer, Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s face lit with joy.
“Truly? Thank you! I won’t forget this debt of gratitude!”
Nam Gung Seo Ryong expressed profound thanks, his eyes shining with curiosity.
Je Gal Mu Hun chuckled softly and opened his mouth to explain the Tian Shan Lian Gong.
“First, the core of this method lies in the blood vessels. In the human body, there exists…”
Beep—
In an instant, a sharp sound pierced both their ears.
“?! What is that sound?”
“…This is.”
Je Gal Mu Hun quickly drew a sheet of paper from his robe.
The formation array he had inscribed that afternoon, after installing a formation at the apothecary Hwang’s residence.
The sound meant that someone had breached the formation array Je Gal Mu Hun had created.
‘Not even a day has passed, and they’ve come already.’
Je Gal Mu Hun’s smile faded as he withdrew his brush and began rearranging the formation characters inscribed upon the paper.
With a few swift strokes of his brush, the haphazardly scrawled characters moved rapidly across the page, coalescing into a single word.
Two. Four.
“…Four second-rate martial artists.”
Je Gal Mu Hun folded his arms and fell into contemplation, muttering half under his breath.
“What’s happened? Has something serious occurred?”
At Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s question, Je Gal Mu Hun, having finished his deliberation, turned to face him.
“…If it’s that much, you alone could handle it easily, couldn’t you?”
“What?”
“We need to act quickly. The formation won’t collapse, but others nearby could be caught in the crossfire.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
At Nam Gung Seo Ryong’s frustrated question, Je Gal Mu Hun raised one eyebrow slightly and smiled.
“You said you’d repay the debt for teaching you the Tian Shan Lian Gong, didn’t you?”
“Hmm? Well… yes, I did.”
Je Gal Mu Hun had originally thought he had no right to demand payment, but given the urgency of the moment, he had no choice but to take advantage of it.
“Then how about an advance payment?”
“Advance payment? I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”
Je Gal Mu Hun held up the slip of paper he’d been clutching and showed it to Nam Gung Seo Ryong.
“I’m asking if you’d do me a favor.”

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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
—————