The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 12

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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 12.
Mu Hun sprinted toward the Herb Shop at full speed.
He had Seo Ryong there, and more importantly, the Viewing Heaven Wall Barrier Formation was in place.
Ordinarily, there shouldn’t be any major trouble, but he wanted to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstance.
Mu Hun had always moved through the world anticipating the worst.
It was the stance he had maintained as commander-in-chief of the Murim Alliance.
Yet as he ran, something struck him as odd.
‘…Why am I not growing tired?’
Using the Cheonsan Yeongong in his young body, he’d managed to extract minute amounts of positive life force.
But even accounting for that, his stamina was extraordinary.
If anything, the longer he ran, the more awake his body felt.
‘Still, it doesn’t reach any standard level worth mentioning….’
As a result, rather than the full hour he’d anticipated, the Herb Shop came into view in less than half that time.
“Oh?”
Seo Ryong, sensing his approach through his perception, waved a hand at the distant figure that looked no larger than a dot.
“Ha! An hour, they said!”
With his poor eyesight, it took Mu Hun a bit longer to make out Seo Ryong waving.
Only then did Mu Hun release a sigh of relief.
The fact that Seo Ryong was waving so brightly meant there was no serious trouble.
The moment Mu Hun arrived at the Herb Shop, Hwang Yaksan rushed out to greet him.
“Master Hwang! Are you—”
“Goodness! Young Master! I cannot thank you enough! I shall never forget this kindness as long as I live!”
Mu Hun had been about to ask after his health, but Hwang Yaksan bowed deeply first.
“You seem quite well.”
“Well indeed! Goodness! And Young Master Namgung as well—my gratitude knows no bounds! You saved my life!”
Hwang Yaksan then turned and offered a deep bow to Seo Ryong.
Seo Ryong blinked, caught somewhat off guard, then broke into a smile.
“Ha! Please, rise! I did not help you in order to receive bows!”
Seo Ryong lifted the prostrate Hwang Yaksan to his feet.
“But still, sir, I cannot—”
“If you truly feel indebted, then you should stand. I grow embarrassed receiving bows from my elders.”
Seo Ryong patted Hwang Yaksan lightly on the shoulder, then turned his gaze to Mu Hun.
“The mental technique is quite effective. You’re not even catching your breath.”
“Still slower than Master Hwang here, I’d wager.”
“Goodness, Young Master! You mustn’t say such things!”
“Ha! That’s remarkable progress either way!”
While the banter between the two men made Hwang Yaksan uncomfortable, Mu Hun and Seo Ryong exchanged jests good-naturedly before Mu Hun’s expression grew serious.
“You’re not injured, are you?”
At Mu Hun’s concerned question, Seo Ryong let out a quiet laugh.
“To injure me would require far more than this.”
“I wasn’t really concerned about that either.”
“Ah, I noticed—there was no spirit in your question.”
Mu Hun then looked down at the masked figures scattered about.
“Are they alive?”
Seo Ryong nodded lightly.
“Yes, I struck their acupoints. Anyone reckless enough to cause trouble in the Jegal Clan’s territory—I thought we should know where they came from.”
“I’m grateful. That was sound judgment.”
Mu Hun gave Seo Ryong a slight nod, then approached the masked figures to examine them more closely.
Suddenly, Mu Hun’s expression darkened.
“…They’re dead.”
“What?”
At Mu Hun’s words, Seo Ryong started in alarm, his face registering bewilderment.
“What do you mean? I distinctly sealed their acupoints.”
“I know. You’re not the type to make such a mistake.”
“Then what in the world—”
“I’m not sure.”
Mu Hun had a suspicion.
He simply hoped he was wrong.
With a composed expression, Mu Hun removed the mask from one of the masked figures holding a sword.
“Rather ordinary features.”
“That’s right.”
True to Seo Ryong’s assessment, the man had a genuinely unremarkable face.
Yes, so ordinary that no one would ever suspect this man incapable of murder.
“Which makes it the perfect face for an assassin.”
At Mu Hun’s words, Seo Ryong nodded slowly.
“…Indeed.”
Mu Hun then pried open the assassin’s mouth to examine the interior.
If he’d bitten down on poison to take his own life, there would surely be traces left behind.
But he found no traces whatsoever.
Mu Hun exhaled a breath and rolled the corpse over.
“What are you doing?”
Seo Ryong’s question was answered by another question.
“You said the acupoint was pierced, yes?”
“That’s correct.”
“Was it the Tianzhu Acupoint?”
“Yes, though I didn’t strike with enough force to kill him outright…”
Upon hearing this, Mu Hun examined the two Tianzhu Acupoints located at the back of the man’s neck.
Thump-
His expression hardened in a way it rarely did.
The skin surrounding both Tianzhu Acupoints had turned completely black.
Thump-
“This… they’ve embedded poison inside the acupoint itself? So that any pressure would mean instant death?”
“…It appears so.”
Thump-
Mu Hun’s heart raced.
He’d never imagined he would see such a thing.
“This is madness. Embedding poison in an acupoint is already a matter of life and death, but what kind of organization would do such a thing?”
What kind of organization would do such a thing?
To Mu Hun’s knowledge, there was only one group under heaven with the resources and technical capability for such precautions.
‘The Heuksawi.’
An assassin organization with almost no official records,
The shadows of the Myeong Kingdom—the Emperor’s own shadows.
Grind-
Mu Hun clenched his teeth and stood.
“…You’re quite angry, it seems. Though I can’t blame you—seeing something so inhumane.”
Of course, Seo Ryong misinterpreted his meaning.
It was paradoxical, given that the Heuksawi was the organization his past self had despised most.
‘They’ve claimed no shortage of masters…’
What made them even more vile was their willingness to slaughter civilians in the Emperor’s name.
That’s why the Heuksawi was Mu Hun’s most despised enemy.
Both as a soldier and as a man.
Mu Hun took a moment to steady himself with deep breaths, then turned his attention to the man collapsed against the wall of the Herb Shop.
‘This one came carrying the sword hilt they were after…’
What could he possibly be hiding?
Mu Hun approached the man slowly.
At this, Seo Ryong raised one eyebrow slightly in warning.
“Be careful—he may be nearly dead, but he’s a master-class martial artist, and a high-ranking one at that.”
“It should be fine. Thank you for your concern.”
Mu Hun thanked Seo Ryong briefly and addressed the man.
“I am called Mu Hun of Jegal.”
The man, who had been barely conscious, opened his half-closed eyes at the words.
“…Jegal… I’ve heard of them. Supposedly the cleverest family in the realm?”
“Your kind words are appreciated. If it’s not too forward, might I ask your name?”
“Heh, ‘not too forward’? That’s hardly fitting for someone like me… Cough!”
As the man coughed up blood harshly, some of it splattered onto Mu Hun’s clothes.
“…My apologies.”
“Think nothing of it—I’ve grown accustomed to such things.”
Mu Hun smiled faintly, unbothered.
For decades, his clothing had been stained with his own blood—what was a little more?
“…I hear the clothes of famous households command high prices…”
“Don’t concern yourself with that. Clothes can be washed, and if they won’t come clean, we simply buy new ones.”
The man studied Mu Hun for a moment—who laughed with clouded eyes—before speaking in a hoarse, cracked voice.
“Hyeon. I had no surname originally.”
He lacked the strength to lift his head, so only his eyes rolled upward to meet the night sky as he continued.
“I took my master’s name and became Dokgo Hyeon.”
Mu Hun’s eyes widened at the name.
“Dokgo? Don’t tell me you’re the heir to the Dokgo Nine Sword?”
At Mu Hun’s reaction, something flickered in Dokgo Hyeon’s fading gaze.
“You know about the Dokgo Nine Sword?”
Mu Hun nodded, his expression startled.
“Of course. Isn’t it the martial art of the Sword Demon Dokgo Gupae—the greatest swordsman under heaven hundreds of years ago?”
“Ha, haha! Cough!”
Dokgo Hyeon laughed deeply before coughing blood.
It was a sign that death was drawing near.
Yet his expression remained bright.
“First time I’ve met someone who knows the name of the founder. Dokgo Gupae…”
“I’d believed it was lost, surviving only in legend…”
“Dokgo Gupae, I don’t know. But the Dokgo Nine Sword—it’s real. Or was, anyway.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Dokgo Hyeon answered with desperate eyes.
“The Dokgo Nine Sword is passed down through a single line of transmission. I couldn’t even fulfill my role as heir, much less take a disciple before I end up like this.”
“Your master, then…”
“He died because of me. Because I was a fool.”
The memory of pain gripped Dokgo Hyeon, and he clenched his teeth.
“Those dogs in disguise kept praising us as heirs to the Dokgo Nine Sword, so my master and I let them stay a night in our mountain home. When I woke, they’d stabbed him in his sleep.”
“…”
From Dokgo Hyeon’s bitter words, Mu Hun gleaned the information he’d been seeking.
‘The Imperial Palace knew of the Dokgo Nine Sword’s existence… and deemed it a threat worth erasing.’
Mu Hun fell silent a moment at this grim realization, then examined Dokgo Hyeon’s condition more closely.
‘This is truly grave.’
To Mu Hun’s eye—trained in medicine to treat illness—Dokgo Hyeon’s wounds were nothing short of miraculous to survive.
“Did you receive these injuries protecting Hwang Yaksan?”
“No. I was already dying before that. That’s not it.”
Dokgo Hyeon’s eyes drifted toward Hwang Yaksan.
“Even if it were… it’s my karma. If I hadn’t entrusted my sword to the old man in the first place, perhaps both of them would still be alive.”
Dokgo Hyeon laughed bitterly and continued.
“I, cough! I nearly got my master killed, and then the old man too. Perhaps it’s a mercy that I’m ending like this.”
Mu Hun regarded Dokgo Hyeon with something like pity.
“You’re right that it was your mistake. But mistakes are something anyone can make.”
Dokgo Hyeon opened his mouth as if to speak, then focused on Mu Hun’s words instead.
“Few, however, strive to atone for their errors. And yet, didn’t you atone for this one?”
“I didn’t do it by my own strength. Without that strange formation and Namgung’s aid, both would’ve died anyway.”
“Both were there, and you endured until the moment they aligned.”
Mu Hun offered a gentle smile.
“While you may not deserve to be called a great hero, you have more than earned being called a true one.”
Dokgo Hyeon listened to Mu Hun’s words and slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again.
The motion was so sluggish that Mu Hun nearly mistook it for the departure of a departing soul.
“You may not be the greatest swordsman under heaven, but you’re clever. You know how to comfort a man on his way.”
“I’m glad it brought you comfort.”
“If I’d been as clever as you… my master and the Dokgo Nine Sword would never have ended this way…”
Dokgo Hyeon, who had been staring listlessly at Mu Hun, painfully raised a finger toward the Wooden Box that had started everything.
“That… is Dokgo Gupae’s sword.”
“The hilt of the Dokgo Nine Sword?”
“No, the blade itself. Dokgo Gupae…”
Dokgo Hyeon drew a slow breath, steadying his ragged breathing as much as he could.
“In his later years, he used the sword technique without needing a blade.”
At these words, Seo Ryong—who had been watching quietly—stirred.
“He used sword technique without a blade? That’s beyond belief.”
“It’s only legend. Even I don’t quite believe it…”
“I do.”
At Mu Hun’s interruption, Dokgo Hyeon’s eyes, which had been closing, opened wide.
“I believe in it. His existence. The realm he achieved in the end.”
It was not merely sentimental talk.
Mu Hun had already witnessed that bundle of cloth blazing with a crimson energy.
Dokgo Hyeon, ignorant of this, burst into laughter.
The sincerity burning in Mu Hun’s eyes made it all the harder to suppress his mirth.
“Heh, heh-heh. Yes. I see. So that’s how it is….”
Dokgo Hyeon laughed as if greatly amused, then turned to Mu Hun with a question.
“Do you have a good memory?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked if you have a good memory.”
At this abrupt question, Mu Hun’s eyes widened slightly.
“Your intent escapes me, but anything I have seen once, I never forget.”
“What? What nonsense is that supposed to be?”
At Dokgo Hyeon’s reaction, Mu Hun let out a soft laugh.
“It is no mere boast—it is true. Though I experience it as something of a curse.”
Dokgo Hyeon, who had been studying Mu Hun in silence, nodded as if convinced.
“Is that so…? Then that’s how it is….”
Dokgo Hyeon, muttering to himself, suddenly closed his eyes and began to concentrate.
Seo Ryong, witnessing this, was deeply alarmed.
“…Surely you don’t mean to use your Innate True Qi? Why all of a sudden?”
Seo Ryong could make no sense of it.
Innate True Qi referred to the middle dantian—the vital energy harbored within the heart.
It was the life force one possessed from birth, and those who drew upon it could for a fleeting moment exert far greater strength than usual.
Yet even martial masters of Peak realm and above, those capable of accumulating Qi in their middle dantian, refrained from expending their Innate True Qi.
Innate True Qi was the very life force of a human being.
And once spent, it could never be restored.
Should one exhaust it entirely, death was certain.
It was a last resort, to be kindled only in that final moment when the tide had turned irrevocably dark, when mutual destruction alone remained as hope.
Yet he meant to use it now?
Dokgo Hyeon, heedless of such concerns, strained to draw his Innate True Qi from his middle dantian.
And then, just as Dokgo Hyeon was about to succeed in drawing forth his Innate True Qi—
A soft tap.
Mu Hun placed his hand upon Dokgo Hyeon’s shoulder, shattering the man’s concentration.
Having failed to draw up his Innate True Qi, Dokgo Hyeon’s eyes flew open in fury as he glared at Mu Hun.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I have halted your channeling of the Innate True Qi. I apologize for the somewhat abrupt method.”
To touch someone in the midst of Qi circulation and breathing was ordinarily extremely dangerous.
The rushing Qi could reverse its flow and cause grave harm.
Yet this time, no serious danger had arisen.
Had Dokgo Hyeon succeeded in drawing forth his Innate True Qi, it would have been a perilous act; but since he had not yet managed to summon the energy, the risk was averted.
“You think that’s the problem? Do you have any idea what I was about to do?”
“You appeared to be leaving behind a final testament. Given that you were drawing upon your Innate True Qi, it seemed a matter of considerable importance.”
“Testament, nothing. I was going to transmit to you the secret formulae of the Dokgo Nine Sword.”
At these words, Mu Hun’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…That is unexpected indeed. Why to me?”
“The Dokgo Nine Sword… forget it. It’s all meaningless now. You’ve already ruined it.”
With eyes that could have killed, Dokgo Hyeon glared at Mu Hun, who still kept his hand upon the man’s shoulder.
“That is not true.”
“What?”
“Though you may have abandoned life, I have not abandoned you.”

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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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