The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 28

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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 28.
The Gi Yeon Bi had its origins shrouded in doubt, yet its efficacy was remarkable.
The golden aura that seemed to emanate from Gongcheong Seongyu guided Mu Hyun and Dokgo Hyun along a path that even Hwang, the administrator, had never spoken of.
Along that path, there were no signs of the Cheongseong Sect or anyone else—not even ordinary beasts.
Dokgo Hyun, ignorant of the Gi Yeon Bi’s nature, let out continuous exclamations of wonder.
“Remarkable—we haven’t crossed paths with a single creature in two hours. That man Hwang, he really did know the right way, didn’t he? If we keep going like this, we can reach Gongcheong Seongyu without a soul knowing.”
As Dokgo Hyun spoke, there seemed to be no need to worry about being discovered by others.
The problem lay elsewhere.
“Hah… hah… indeed… cough!”
Mu Hyun coughed roughly.
No blood came up, but his breathing was far too ragged.
“Are you alright? Perhaps I should carry you after all?”
“Hah… hah… I’m fine. Could we… just rest for a moment?”
“Very well.”
Mu Hyun sank down in place and slowly circulated the Cheonsan Yeon-gong.
Thanks to continuous use of the Cheonsan Yeon-gong, he had developed stamina nearly that of an ordinary person.
Yet the path guided by the golden scent of the Gi Yeon Bi was quite arduous for an untrained walker.
After trudging such terrain for two hours, it was only natural for those without martial training to grow exhausted.
‘If I let him carry me, the aura won’t show itself, and I’ll end up blaming this wretched body instead.’
That was the greatest problem.
Mu Hyun held no particular belief that he must mend his own body by his own feet alone.
So he had asked Dokgo Hyun to carry him in order to proceed efficiently, but the golden aura guiding the path vanished like a phantom the moment Mu Hyun left the ground.
In the end, Mu Hyun had no choice but to drag his trembling legs up Cheongseong Mountain.
‘Unfortunate, though…’
Thinking about it, an ability so powerful could hardly come without conditions attached.
Rather, this degree of constraint was cheap compared to what it offered.
‘Ha, yes. In my previous life, I never did make the climb up Taebaek Mountain at the end either.’
Even when his body was far worse off, he had ascended twelve hundred zhang and reached the Seven Star Parlor.
‘Though I made that climb with the resolve to erase my very existence…’
In his current state of far better health, there was no reason he couldn’t manage this.
Mu Hyun finished circulating the Cheonsan Yeon-gong and rose with visibly improved color.
“I’m ready. Let’s resume.”
“Good, but don’t you think it’s time you told me what this is about?”
At Dokgo Hyun’s question, Mu Hyun nodded.
“You’re right. We’ve come far enough that there’s no harm in it.”
Mu Hyun glanced around before continuing.
“As I’ve said, the Heuksawi is a vast organization. Behind it stands something absurd—the Imperial Palace itself.”
“I’ve heard that more than once.”
“Precisely. So Dokgo Hyun and I have concluded that to stand against them, we too must have backing.”
Dokgo Hyun nodded slowly.
“That makes sense, but who would stand as our backing? The Jegal Family?”
“The main house is not so foolish as to stake themselves against the Imperial Palace over the complaints of nobodies like us. Not even if I am a direct descendant.”
“Then what’s your plan?”
Mu Hyun curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.
“The Heuksawi was made by the Imperial Palace. We’ll go the opposite direction.”
Dokgo Hyun looked at him as if to ask what he meant.
Mu Hyun answered without hesitation.
“We’ll form our own group to stand against the Heuksawi first.”
Light flashed in Dokgo Hyun’s eyes.
“Form an organization?”
“Yes. As you heard from Seo Ryong last time, in just over a month the Later Generation Masters of the Righteous Sects will gather for trials.”
“Ah, the Yongbong-jihoe, wasn’t it?”
Dokgo Hyun nodded as if understanding now.
“So you’re planning to recruit people there to stand with us.”
“Exactly so.”
Mu Hyun affirmed him promptly.
“The Yongbong-jihoe serves not merely as a forum for martial trials but also as a gathering place for fellowship among those called the great houses.”
Mu Hyun raised several fingers as he continued.
“Including Seo Ryong, I’ve already considered several people to approach. With them, we’ll identify what the Heuksawi intends and move to stop them.”
“How will we know beforehand what the Heuksawi is planning to do?”
“We already have several clues. Think about what we’ve endured.”
Dokgo Hyun had lost his master to assassination, and his own life had been threatened.
Jang Seung Hu had been poisoned by those who infiltrated Suerok-chae.
The memory of it all made Dokgo Hyun furrow his brow.
“What clues are you talking about?”
Mu Hyun smiled faintly as he answered Dokgo Hyun’s question.
“You and Jang Seung Hu. What you have in common is that you’re both Dormant Dragons—unknown to the world now, but with the potential to make great names for yourselves later. Why would the Imperial Palace target you?”
Dokgo Hyun murmured, as if searching for an answer.
“…Are they suppressing us? For something the Imperial Palace intends to do. What could it be? …Surely not.”
Then Dokgo Hyun’s eyes widened in shock.
“They’re not planning to invade Murim, are they?”
Dokgo Hyun laughed despite himself, as if he didn’t quite believe his own words.
Even someone raised only in the mountains knew that the Murim Non-Intervention was law among laws.
But Mu Hyun answered with silence—a silent affirmation.
“…Truly?”
“I cannot say with certainty. But it’s a possibility we must prepare for.”
Of course, Mu Hyun knew it to be true, but for now, planting seeds of suspicion was enough.
“As we stop their misdeeds, we’ll naturally discover what they truly want, won’t we? If my suspicion is correct, people willing to back us will appear without us even having to ask.”
Dokgo Hyun crossed his arms and nodded.
“If your reasoning is sound, then yes. And I believe your reasoning.”
The plan was elegant, too.
But practical problems remained.
“The logic is sound. Gathering disciples from noble families is possible. But in the end, it’s just a gathering of Later Generation Masters.”
Dokgo Hyun’s observation was sharp.
“They may be well-trained, but they lack real combat experience. Communication might be difficult, and above all, there’s hardly anyone who could reach Seo Ryong’s level of skill, no matter how talented.”
“Not hardly—Seo Ryong is the only one who has reached the Pinnacle Stage.”
“That makes it worse.”
Dokgo Hyun nodded, making his point.
“A martial organization with limited martial strength? If you fight like a rabble without overwhelming power, and even one nobleman’s child dies, you won’t just disband—you’ll be buried under responsibility.”
Mu Hyun smiled with satisfaction. Dokgo Hyun was indeed sharp.
“A fair point. I’ve wrestled most deeply with that very problem. That’s why I’ve prepared a solution.”
“A solution?”
“I’ll bring in a central figure to lead the Later Generation Masters. Someone whose martial prowess is unmatched and whose real combat experience is second to none.”
“Such a person exists? To command noble disciples, they’d need a reputation that towers above them all.”
“In terms of fame, they needn’t yield to anyone. Have you heard of the Yang-ga Chang-beop?”
Dokgo Hyun’s expression twisted strangely.
“Don’t tell me… the one from that ancient legend about the Yang family generals?”
“Yes.”
“You’re joking. That’s just a tale.”
Dokgo Hyun waved his hand dismissively, as if the very idea were absurd.
The exploits of the Yang clan from the Northern Song dynasty were known to anyone in Joongyeon, but they were nothing more than old stories.
“Isn’t the Dokgo Sword also passed down as legend and yet doesn’t exist? Why should the Yang-ga Chang-beop be different?”
“That’s because no successor appeared. But the Yang family is different. They were renowned as a general’s house—if that martial art were real, they should have lived as grandly as the Five Great Families. So why did they hide away?”
Mu Hyun drew the Pangwan Pen from his sleeve and slowly traced a line across the table.
“Consider this. Northern Song, Southern Song, Yuan, and Ming. Each time a dynasty fell, what became of the loyal servants of the old regime?”
“…I see.”
Dokgo Hyun fell silent, understanding dawning on him.
“The Yang family survived by abandoning their achievements and slipping into the rivers and lakes. But when the Ming rose to power, they were thoroughly erased. Real heroes reduced to figures in bedtime stories.”
Mu Hyun set down his brush and fixed Dokgo Hyun with a direct gaze.
“The power of the Imperial Palace we face is precisely this: the power to erase even history itself. Yet despite that, the Yang line did not perish, and I know the whereabouts of its heir. I intend to recruit him as commander of the Cheoneuingdan.”
Dokgo Hyun stared at Mu Hyun in astonishment.
A master of legendary martial arts, a veteran of true combat. If he existed, they could secure both righteousness and advantage.
If this master too had been wronged by Ming, there was a good chance he harbored a personal grudge against the Imperial Palace.
“How do you even know such things? Never mind. Trying to read your mind is probably beyond me in this lifetime.”
Dokgo Hyun gave up with a soft laugh, extending his hand.
“You’ve laid out the board so carefully—I’d be a fool not to play my part. Let’s do it. Let’s try this group.”
At those words, the corners of Mu Hyun’s mouth lifted.
“Thank you.”
“Thank you, nothing. That’s what I should be saying. But… this group. Does it have a name?”
Mu Hyun looked up at the sky for a moment, then answered with a smile.
“I’m thinking of calling it the Cheoneuingdan.”
Dokgo Hyun tilted his head thoughtfully.
“The eagle from the heavens that catches the black snake. That’s fitting. But why specifically the character for Heaven? The Righteous Sects usually use White.”
Mu Hyun fell silent at the question, his gaze drifting to something distant. A memory from his past life flickered across his mind, pale and thin.
‘At first, it was the White Eagle Corps.’
But as the war dragged on and they joined hands with the heterodox sects, the name changed. Using White while fighting alongside the Black Path alongside the White Path seemed unfair.
-Heaven does not wish for our destruction, so let us use the character for Heaven.
Born from that decision, the Cheoneuingdan went on to achieve remarkable deeds in destroying the Heuksawi.
Though it came at the cost of countless sacrifices.
‘This life will be different.’
Mu Hyun swallowed the painful memory and answered calmly.
“Simply put, the character for Heaven looks broader and higher than White, doesn’t it?”
“Well, I suppose that’s true. Cheoneuingdan, then….”
Dokgo Hyun seemed quite taken with the name, rolling it over in his mouth several times.
‘If Dokgo Hyun belonged to the Cheoneuingdan, he wouldn’t throw himself headlong into danger like a moth to a flame anymore.’
Mu Hyun watched him with quiet contentment, then rose from his seat.
“Well then, shall we set about moving again? The Cheoneuingdan matter is important, but we have other business to attend to first.”
“Hah, good. Just thinking about catching those Heuksawi bastards already has me excited.”
“All things have their proper order. One cannot afford to lose focus on the task at hand.”
Dokgo Hyun let out a soft laugh.
“I’ve learned that well enough from you. That’s one thing, this is another.”
Mu Hyun chuckled at his resigned tone and stepped forward, walking with deliberate certainty into the darkness ahead.
Following after him, Dokgo Hyun couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
‘The path is treacherous and the fog so thick, yet how does he place his feet with such absolute precision?’
Mu Hyun didn’t know it, but Dokgo Hyun was a first-class martial artist verging on the Pinnacle Stage.
Indeed, even he himself didn’t fully understand it, but having grasped the Pagi-sik, his Heart Attainment had already transcended the Pinnacle Stage.
Because of this, he could perceive it clearly.
‘He places his feet in the opposite direction the moment a cliff is about to appear, as if he were reading the terrain itself.’
This was the influence of the Gi Yeon Bi, though Dokgo Hyun, ignorant of it, believed Mu Hyun’s acumen to be so refined that he could sidestep even the most treacherous ground.
‘Truly remarkable.’
Dokgo Hyun followed after him, his admiration tinged with misunderstanding, as Mu Hyun advanced slowly through the mist.
After walking perhaps another fifty paces or so,
Mu Hyun suddenly stopped, struck by a faint sense of wrongness.
“…Dokgo.”
“Yes?”
“Would you wait a moment, please?”
“Ah, shall we rest briefly?”
“No, that’s not it. Just for a moment….”
Mu Hyun furrowed his brow slightly and surveyed their surroundings.
“That tree—I’m certain we passed it just a moment ago.”
“Hm? Did we? All the trees on this mountain look the same, and with the fog and all….”
Mu Hyun hesitated briefly, then spun around and bolted downward.
“Wait! Hey!”
Dokgo Hyun started to follow, but quickly realized there was no need.
Whoosh!
Impossibly, Mu Hyun reappeared from behind him, having rushed downward only to return.
“What…?”
Dokgo Hyun stared at him in astonishment.
Mu Hyun, by contrast, wore a composed expression and smiled.
“I see. It appears we’ve properly entered a Jinsik Formation.”
“What? A Formation? Who set this up?”
“A formation born of nature itself. Didn’t I explain this on the way?”
Dokgo Hyun scratched his head sheepishly at Mu Hyun’s words.
“Ah, well… I was so absorbed in understanding the Pagi-sik back then….”
“Ah, then that explains it.”
Dokgo Hyun asked in an awkward voice, as though changing the subject.
“Still, how can you be so calm? I may not understand much, but if you get trapped in a formation wrong, you can’t escape, can you? Especially on this mountain… if it’s a formation born of nature.”
Mu Hyun gave a light nod.
“That’s true. Considering the size of Cheongseong Mountain, this formation too would be of a scale that humans could not easily create.”
“Then why are you so at ease?”
Mu Hyun shrugged his shoulders.
Indeed, the formation’s completeness was higher than he’d expected.
He’d thought he could simply follow the scent of the Gi Yeon Bi, but unfortunately, while the intensity and golden hue had deepened, the direction remained inconsistent—scattered across multiple points.
Having lost his guide, it wouldn’t have been strange if he’d wandered in circles endlessly in one place.
For an ordinary person, that is.
“Well, the fact that I can escape at all is rather the point, wouldn’t you say?”
Mu Hyun’s expression remained unbothered as he withdrew a stone from his robe.
It was a stone he’d obtained while helping Jang Seung Hu—one that held the earth essence of the mountain range, though it had not yet become a Spirit Stone.
Mu Hyun glanced around before setting the stone down in one spot.
Then, after drawing several formations around it with the Pangwan Pen, Mu Hyun turned to Dokgo Hyun and laughed.
“It appears there aren’t just one or two formations here. The naturally formed ones alone must number at least ten.”
“…Is that really something to laugh about?”
“Of course it is. An opportunity to break formations like this doesn’t come often. It’s an education.”
Dokgo Hyun asked with an expression of bewilderment.
“Never mind the education—you’re saying you can actually break them? How long will it take?”
At Dokgo Hyun’s question, Mu Hyun paused briefly before answering.
“For one of the formations here, it would take roughly half a double hour initially.”
“Hm?”
“No, that’s too long. A single hour should suffice.”
Having answered thus, Mu Hyun sat down again and began drawing formations that Dokgo Hyun couldn’t even recognize.
Dokgo Hyun simply stood, dazed, watching what Mu Hyun was doing.

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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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