The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 13

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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 13.
Dok Go Hyun’s eyes widened slightly at Mu Hun’s words, as if caught off guard.
“…What nonsense are you spouting… Cough!”
“Exactly what I said. I mean to save you.”
Dok Go Hyun exhaled a ragged breath and fixed Mu Hun with a glare.
“Stop talking rubbish. You’d save someone in a state like this?”
“The more you argue, the lower the chances become.”
“Ha, you’re a fool. Did I ever ask you to save me?”
Dok Go Hyun continued speaking, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth in steady drops.
“My mistake killed my master. You wouldn’t know, but every night—every single night—my master comes to me with a blade driven through his chest. That’s my life now.”
“….”
“Because of that, I haven’t slept properly once since the day my master died. I’ve been hunted by those bastards ten times over. So what—you think your offer to save me will make me grateful?”
Mu Hun nodded, his expression unmoved.
“That’s what I assumed.”
At Mu Hun’s response, Dok Go Hyun’s mouth opened and closed as if to speak before he simply sighed.
“Ha, I’ve misjudged a man. Handing the Dok Go Sword Technique to someone like you….”
“Why are you still alive?”
“What?”
When Dok Go Hyun’s face twisted in disbelief, Mu Hun answered in an even tone.
“As you yourself said, your suffering has been real and terrible. But if it were truly unbearable enough to give up on life, why are you still here?”
“…That’s because….”
“Fear of surrender wouldn’t hold you back, would it? Not when you’ve been hunted ten times over.”
Dok Go Hyun could not answer easily.
He didn’t know the answer himself.
‘…Why?’
It wasn’t because the suffering had been more bearable than expected.
Dok Go Hyun had endured pain enough to kill.
Yet he harbored no attachment to life either.
Without his master, what was there in a fugitive’s existence to cherish?
“You need not answer.”
Mu Hun met Dok Go Hyun’s troubled gaze directly and spoke.
“But if you have survived this far, there must have been a reason worth surviving for. Isn’t that so?”
“….”
Dok Go Hyun remained silent.
A reason to live? No matter how he searched, he found none.
Yet since he could find no reason for death either, he had nothing with which to refute the claim.
“There may be hundreds, even thousands of reasons to die. But—”
Mu Hun’s grip tightened on Dok Go Hyun’s shoulder.
“A single reason to live is enough. I felt that you have such a reason. Otherwise, why would I endure such trials to reach you?”
Dok Go Hyun took a moment to steady his breathing and gather his thoughts.
Even so, he could find no suitable words to say.
“Then let us live. Finding a reason for living is something anyone might do.”
Dok Go Hyun asked Mu Hun with eyes grown somewhat softer.
“…Why are you so determined to save me? We’ve only just met.”
“Weren’t you the one who sought to pass the Dok Go Martial Arts secrets to someone you’d only just met?”
“That’s because you said you never forget anything you hear once. The Dok Go Sword Technique requires a mind that misses hardly anything.”
“I see. Yet to entrust your martial arts to one newly met, based solely on his word—that too is a fact, isn’t it?”
When Dok Go Hyun had no reply, Mu Hun’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“My reason is simple. You saved my benefactor.”
Dok Go Hyun’s expression showed reluctance to accept this.
“Just for that?”
Mu Hun raised one eyebrow lightly.
“Just for that? Can you really speak so lightly of saving one’s benefactor? And regardless—”
“…Regardless?”
At Dok Go Hyun’s question, Mu Hun nodded.
“Yes. If an innocent person is dying, why would I not help them?”
“…But by that logic, there’s no reason to help either, is there?”
At that question, Mu Hun burst into hearty laughter.
“If both reasons and lack of reason exist equally, it’s human nature to choose the path that spares you guilt.”
Pressed by such logic, Dok Go Hyun found he had nothing left to say.
“The Je Gal Clan truly lives up to its reputation as the cleverest family under heaven.”
Dok Go Hyun exhaled a shallow breath.
“What do I need to do?”
Mu Hun answered as though it were nothing at all.
“Hold the will to survive in your heart, and sleep for a time. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“The will to survive….”
Dok Go Hyun’s head drooped as he echoed the words.
“…I understand.”
Dok Go Hyun fell asleep with the faintest of breaths.
His body had already reached its limits, so the speed of his descent was startling.
Mu Hun tilted his head briefly to confirm this, then stripped away Dok Go Hyun’s upper garments.
“What are you doing?”
Seo Yong asked, curious at the sight.
“Taking precautions before moving him. Even stopping the bleeding lightly can dramatically improve his chances of survival.”
Mu Hun examined Dok Go Hyun’s wounds, then turned to Hwang Yak Sang.
“Master Hwang, I apologize for the imposition, but could you bring me all the medicinal herbs used for wound treatment? I will settle the debt tomorrow without fail.”
Hwang Yak Sang responded by waving both hands dismissively.
“Goodness, I have a conscience too! How could I possibly take payment when you’ve just saved a life?”
“No, I must pay. And please, I’ll also need clean thread and cloth.”
“Oh my… very well then!”
Hwang Yak Sang darted swiftly into his shop and returned with an armload of supplies—Golden Wound Medicine for deep wounds and every manner of salve for minor injuries.
The quantity was considerable, and Seo Yong moved to help carry it.
In the meantime, Mu Hun drew a Flint Stone from his garments and struck a small spark to life.
“You carry a Flint Stone on you at all times?”
At Seo Yong’s question, Mu Hun smiled slightly.
“Not usually. This time I brought it along in case I might need it.”
“So you were planning to use it.”
At those words, Seo Yong glanced meaningfully around Hwang’s Herbal Medicine Shop.
It would certainly burn well.
He considered speaking this observation aloud but thought better of it—Hwang Yak Sang might faint if he heard such a thing—and offered a different comment instead.
“You’re quite thorough in your planning.”
“The world never reveals what lies even one step ahead.”
True enough. The world’s course is forever shrouded in uncertainty.
Who could have foreseen meeting the heir of the Dok Go Sword Technique in such a place, much less saving his life?
Pondering thus, Mu Hun heated his Pan Gwan Brush in the flame.
The Pan Gwan Brush of the Je Gal Clan was originally forged from iron for self-defense.
It was not the recommended method, but Mu Hun decided to use it for emergency measures.
This was the sterilization process required for that purpose.
Then, without hesitation, Mu Hun used the Pan Gwan Brush to cut away Dok Go Hyun’s wounded flesh.
Scrape—
As the outer skin peeled back, the ruined interior of Dok Go Hyun’s body lay exposed.
Mu Hun’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight.
‘This won’t do with mere surface treatment.’
Without immediate surgery, death was certain.
Even if he took action here, Dok Go Hyun would not survive until they reached the Je Gal Clan Residence.
Yet Dok Go Hyun was fortunate.
For beside him stood a physician capable of performing surgery right here and now.
‘There’s no choice but to proceed.’
Mu Hun exhaled softly and examined Dok Go Hyun’s wounds with meticulous care.
The wars of his past life had, inevitably, created countless wounded.
There were so many that physicians alone could not manage them all, so soldiers like Mu Hun often found themselves tending to injured martial artists whenever hands were needed.
And Mu Hun had proven exceptionally gifted in the Medical Arts.
His long childhood illness had given him profound knowledge of the human body and medicinal herbs, and after receiving instruction from several physicians, he had absorbed it all so thoroughly that he could soon perform surgery with mastery.
And he had never once failed an operation.
Eventually, physicians themselves began seeking his counsel on surgical matters.
Of course, one small problem remained.
‘It’s been nearly two years since I last performed surgery directly, ever since my hand tremors worsened.’
But this young body had almost no tremor, and his memory—as always—was flawless.
Above all, Dok Go Hyun’s current state paradoxically instilled confidence in Mu Hun.
‘The vital points were narrowly avoided. Truly, a remarkable instinct.’
At this level, he could certainly be saved.
“I don’t mean to sound harsh, but his unconsciousness is actually a blessing.”
Had he been awake, he couldn’t have endured this pain—he’d have thrashed about wildly.
Mu Hun, having tossed off his light remark, now began the surgery in earnest.
First, he calmly sutured the severed nerves back together.
Once the connection was complete, he used the blunt edge of the Pan Gwan Brush, heated in flame, to cauterize the wound site.
Then he sealed it thoroughly with clean thread before wrapping it in cloth. He repeated this process multiple times.
It was work where even a small mistake could spiral into disaster, yet Mu Hun possessed complete knowledge of human anatomy.
Because he knew precisely where and how to touch, his movements were swift.
Seo Yong and Hwang Yak Sang watched in stunned silence as the procedure repeated itself countless times.
Seo Yong especially could not hide his astonishment.
‘…Has his Medical Arts reached such heights?’
Knowledge was one thing.
But putting it into practice was an entirely different matter—yet Mu Hun’s hands moved with the familiarity of a physician who had performed surgery dozens of times, all while remaining meticulous.
Of course, this was possible because he had gained considerable experience from actual battlefield surgery during the war, though Seo Yong could not have known this.
‘He’s become a completely different person from six months ago. Mu Hun.’
When they’d met six months prior, he was still awkward, still calling Seo Yong “elder brother.”
Seo Yong had certainly recognized his keen intellect, but his expression always carried a shadow of darkness, and he seemed to lack confidence.
Yet the Mu Hun before him now appeared to be an entirely different person.
‘I thought you’d become a great asset to me someday, but…’
He’d never imagined the transformation would come this quickly.
Was it gratifying to confirm that his own judgment had been sound?
Seo Yong allowed himself a subtle smile of satisfaction.
Just then, Mu Hun gently wiped the sweat from his brow and rose from his position.
“Is it done?”
At Seo Yong’s question, Mu Hun nodded briefly.
“Yes, but we can’t leave him lying here like this. We’ll need to take him back to the main residence and let him rest. And we’ll have to change his bandages regularly…”
“You said it would be a light procedure, yet you’ve gone and performed surgery. Or is that light work in your estimation? Ha!”
Mu Hun shrugged in reply.
“Once I opened the wound, the situation turned out to be severe. I wasn’t keen on it either, but there was no other choice.”
“Thanks to that unwilling choice, the man’s life has been spared.”
“Perhaps.”
Mu Hun gazed quietly down at Dok Go Hyun.
“I’ve done all I can, but the wound is deep and he’s lost far too much blood. The abundance of herbs made surgery possible, but… whether he survives depends on his own will.”
Seo Yong also looked down at Dok Go Hyun thoughtfully.
“What’s your assessment? Do you think he’ll survive?”
“I hope he does. I’d rather not miss the chance to hear the legendary secrets of the Dok Go Sword Technique.”
Seo Yong nodded in agreement.
“Yes, I’m curious about that too. But why did you stop him when he spoke of transmitting the secrets using Innate True Qi?”
Mu Hun broke into a soft laugh.
“Because I had no idea Dok Go was planning something so enormous, that’s why.”
“Would you have refrained if you’d known?”
At Seo Yong’s question, Mu Hun turned to face him.
“What would you have done?”
Seo Yong tilted his head for a moment, then smiled wryly.
“I would have wanted to, but the name ‘Righteous Faction’ wouldn’t have allowed it.”
Mu Hun laughed in return at this answer, which was exactly what he’d expected.
“Yes, that name carries such weight.”
Mu Hun turned his gaze back to Dok Go Hyun, whose shallow breathing came in ragged gasps.
“So then, since things have come to this, would you mind taking Dok Go back to the residence?”
“Ha! Making a request that can’t be refused, and then asking anyway? Quite the tactic.”
Seo Yong chuckled readily and carefully hoisted Dok Go Hyun onto his back.
“Ah, Seo Yong. And there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you.”
“Mm? What is it?”
Mu Hun offered a bitter smile tinged with worry.
“Would you help me come up with an excuse to offer Father?”
***
When his eyes opened, it was deep in the night.
Dok Go Hyun realized he must have fallen asleep without knowing when.

He’d simply chattered until he drifted off, yet somehow a quilt had ended up draped over him.
Faded from many washings, it carried a familiar warmth in its scent.
It was Dok Go Hyun’s favorite quilt.
“Mm, you’re awake? My apologies.”
And the man who had surely tucked it around him—
—spoke in that same low, soothing voice.
“Uh-huh… Master. You were still practicing your sword?”
His hair and beard had turned white, yet his frame remained sturdy and broad-shouldered.
A man who polished his blade without rest, even into the deep of night.
Dok Go Baek, Dok Go Hyun’s master, lowered his sword and approached, running a hand over the boy’s head.
“Indeed. I confess I was growing a bit restless.”
Dok Go Hyun tilted his head at this.
“You find it fun? Swinging a sword?”
Dok Go Baek’s lips curled upward in a slight smile.
“Ha, yes. There’s nothing quite like it.”
“But why? Don’t you just do the same thing over and over?”
“That’s true—training is indeed the repetition of the same movements.”
“And that’s… fun?”
Dok Go Hyun found it hard to understand.
Even catching insects grew tedious if you chased the same kind every day.
The same went for gathering berries, or the medicinal plants he’d learned about recently.
To him, repeating the same action day after day could seem nothing but dull.
“When you repeat the same practice, you feel yourself growing better at it. That sense of achievement becomes addictive—so you do it again and again.”
“A sense of… achievement?”
“Ha, perhaps it’s a word beyond your years. Let me ask you this: what was the last insect you caught?”
The moment his interest was kindled, Dok Go Hyun’s eyes came alive.
“Oh! Yesterday I caught a dragonfly! I’d never managed one before, but it was fluttering around and around, and then—snap!—I got it!”
“Excellent! Truly remarkable! And what did you catch the day before?”
“The day before? Um… a spider and a ladybug, I think?”
“And the day before that?”
“Uh…”
Dok Go Hyun could not answer.
He didn’t catch just one insect a day, and since he’d caught many of these creatures before, he hadn’t bothered to remember them.
“What was the very first insect you ever caught?”
“Hm? That was… an ant.”
“Yes—you cannot recall what you caught two weeks ago, yet you remember your first, don’t you?”
“That’s so strange!”
At this observation, Dok Go Baek broke into a hearty laugh.
“Ha! So you could once only catch easy prey like ants, yet now you’ve learned to snare dragonflies—how does that make you feel?”
“It feels amazing! Dragonflies are so incredibly fast, but when I twirled my fingers around like this, it couldn’t do anything!”
“And where did you learn that twirling motion?”
“Well… just from catching lots of insects, I noticed it worked on different kinds, so I thought maybe it would work on dragonflies too. And it did!”
“That is exactly it.”
Dok Go Baek stroked his white beard as he continued.
“Through the repeated act of catching insects, you gained a new insight. That joy of achieving a result through steady, accumulated practice—that is the sense of achievement.”
Dok Go Hyun nodded eagerly, making sounds of understanding.
“So that’s what a sense of achievement is! Then sword practice feels this good to you?”
“Ah! Not at all! I do not diminish insect-catching, but the sense of achievement in swordsmanship is incomparable!”
“Really?”
Dok Go Hyun’s eyes sparkled.
“Me too! Can I try? That fun thing? I want to do it!”
“Ha ha ha!”
Dok Go Baek’s laughter rang out as he gazed down at the boy with gentle eyes.
“You’re nearly seven winters old now. Do you truly wish to learn?”
“Yes! I want to do fun things every day like you, Master!”
“Hmm…”
Dok Go Baek’s expression grew more solemn.
“Swordsmanship is indeed the finest of pursuits, yet it brings pain and hardship in equal measure. Will you still have it?”
At the mention of hardship, Dok Go Hyun paused to consider.
But soon his face broke into a bright smile as he spoke.
“Yes! I’m going to wield the sword far more enjoyably than you do, Master!”
“Hehehehe! More enjoyably than me? Excellent! I like it!”
Dok Go Baek gently stroked Dok Go Hyun’s hair.
“If that’s your intention, then you shouldn’t be lying here like this, should you?”
“Huh?”
Drip-drip—
Blood suddenly streamed from Dok Go Baek’s hand.
No—it wasn’t just his hand.
From the seven points of his face down through every pore of his body, blood ran in rivulets.
And embedded in his chest was a blade.
That cursed blade those damned men had driven home—a wound he would never forget.
“Because of your foolishness, I’ve come to this. You think you can lie here at your ease and prattle on?”
“Uh—ugh…”
Then Dok Go Baek’s other hand flew toward Dok Go Hyun’s face.
“Aaaaagh!”
Dok Go Hyun shot upright with a scream, his body drenched in sweat.
“Cough!”
Had he risen too abruptly?
Sharp pain lanced through his bandaged waist.
“…?”
Yes—Dok Go Hyun was awake, and he felt the pain.
Proof that he was alive.
Bewildered, he glanced around the unfamiliar room.
Wooden beams and rafters, their vintage brown deepening almost to gold.
Golden dragon ornaments adorning each corner of the chamber.
And draped over his legs, a quilt of gossamer softness, shimmering gold—a luxury unknown to his life until now.
Nothing like this had ever existed in Dok Go Hyun’s world.
“Where is this…?”
“To answer your apparent question—this is an infirmary located within the Je Gal Clan Residence.”
Hearing a reply to his murmur, Dok Go Hyun turned to look.
Standing there were a startled middle-aged man in white robes and a composed young man in blue, wearing a gentle smile.
“…Namgung?”
“The name is Seo Yong. This gentleman is Jang Yak, a physician of the Je Gal Clan—allow me to introduce you. This is Dok Go Hyun.”
“Ah, how do you do…”
Caught off-guard by this sudden exchange of greetings, Dok Go Hyun wore a confused expression.
“…Pleased… to meet you.”
“Hmm. It seems you’re accustomed to speaking informally with everyone. Then I suppose I can do the same with you?”
Dok Go Hyun regarded Seo Yong, who carried on with effortless cheer.
“…What is all this about?”
Though his question held layers of meaning, Seo Yong answered readily enough.
“Simple enough. Mu Hun treated your wounds, and I brought you here.”
“So that Je Gal bastard really saved my life? How long has it been?”
“Yes, Mu Hun saved you—you’d do better to call him by his name rather than ‘that Je Gal bastard.’ As for the time…”
Seo Yong shrugged briefly.
“I’ve had one good sleep since then, so roughly three hours have passed. Mu Hun said he’d wake around then.”
At those words, Dok Go Hyun turned his head slightly toward the door.
Sure enough, the light streaming in was unmistakably that of morning.
“…Where is that bastard Mu Hun?”
At Dok Go Hyun’s question, Seo Yong’s smile turned somewhat sheepish.
“I’d planned to brief him first, but unfortunately the clan head called for him early this morning.”
***
Tap. Tap.
Je Gal Cheon Sung tapped his fingers against the desk several times.
It was a habit he displayed when counting things over in his mind.
“Do you know why I summoned you?”
Je Gal Cheon Sung posed the question to Mu Hun in a voice and expression utterly devoid of emotion.
Mu Hun well understood that this was how Je Gal Cheon Sung expressed tremendous anger.
The approach Mu Hun chose was direct confrontation.
“I believe you’ve called me here to commend me for saving a benefactor’s life and rescuing a dying man.”
At this unexpected answer, Je Gal Cheon Sung’s eyes widened slightly.
“Are you saying you did the right thing?”
“I believe there is no shame in what I have done.”
“What I’m asking is why you acted on your own without informing me first. And you even brought Seo Yong into it.”
“If you’re questioning whether the two heirs of the Five Great Houses acted on a joint venture—”
Mu Hun paused briefly, then smiled.
“Then I believe I deserve a reward instead. Father.”

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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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