The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 47

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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 47.
“Hmm….”
Mu Heun lay sprawled on his back, gazing up at the sky.
‘Even now, I can’t match one-tenth of that sword strike.’
Yet there was no shame in it.
As far as Mu Heun knew, he had never seen a martial artist stronger than Seo Ryong.
Even if Sang-yeo had driven him back, Mu Heun had never faced him directly.
Instead, he felt satisfied that he had managed to execute the form properly.
Most importantly, the outcome was not unfavorable.
Crack-crack-crack….
Yang Mujin’s Training Spear crumbled to dust and fell.
Yang Mujin stared at it with a blank expression before he spoke.
“I swear, you really are….”
In the instant after the collision between Spear Heaven and Direct Character Rock Heart, Mu Heun had been thrown backward while Yang Mujin remained in place.
But he had not flown far as he had before.
In fact, Mu Heun’s sword still held its form, while Yang Mujin’s spear had turned completely to powder.
In actual combat, the power of life and death would belong to Yang Mujin, but this was a sparring match.
Since both had become unable to continue, it was effectively a draw.
‘Spear Heaven, was it….’
Yang Mujin recalled that final technique that had met his spear.
The theory behind it was neither complex nor difficult.
A simple technique. Yet one that possessed the most perfect simplicity.
Both feet planted firmly into the earth. Center of gravity shifted with near-perfect precision. A downward slash without a moment’s hesitation.
That was the true nature of Spear Heaven as Yang Mujin perceived it.
‘Does it contain the mysteries of the Namkoong Clan Heavy Sword?’
His analysis was accurate, befitting a martial artist of the Ultimate Peak.
In fact, one need not be at the Ultimate Peak to recognize it.
There was no other sword technique in all the world that wielded the center of gravity so perfectly except the Namkoong Clan’s.
Though now, with Mu Heun, there were two.
‘The current leader of the Martial Alliance was from the Namkoong Clan. I’m told he is acquainted with this one….’
While he might have had experience observing such martial arts, to execute those mysteries so flawlessly based on that alone—
He could not hide his amazement, coming so soon after witnessing Flowing Cloud.
‘As his skill deepens and his realm rises….’
He might truly be able to cleave mountains asunder. The thought flickered through his mind.
Yang Mujin turned his gaze to Mu Heun, his expression complex.
With a martial art he had created himself, he had clashed against the Yang Family Spear Technique, one of the greatest spear arts under heaven, and produced a result nearly equal.
Even accounting for the fact that he had not used his Inner Power, the outcome achieved by a Peak-stage martial artist against an Ultimate Peak-stage martial artist was beyond belief.
‘Was he perhaps the greatest martial artist in all the land in his previous life?’
Perfect memory. Superior knowledge of martial arts. Exceptional comprehension.
Such talents could not explain what he was witnessing.
Creating martial arts worthy of being called Absolute Martial Techniques and embodying them through the body—this transcended such explanations.
Especially when he had not been a martial artist for even a month.
Genius. No such word could capture this gift.
‘Has such talent ever existed in the history of the Martial World?’
It had, though rarely.
The Dharma Master, who first brought martial arts to the Central Plains from Shaolin.
Zhang Sanfeng, the founding patriarch of the Wudang Sect.
The First Heavenly Demon, who established the Tianmo Divine Sect.
Martial artists of truly legendary stature.
‘A Great Grandmaster….’
The world called those who stood near the apex of history ‘Great Grandmasters.’
‘If it’s this one, he might just reach that mythical realm.’
Yang Mujin glimpsed such possibility in Mu Heun. It was a talent that inspired such contemplation.
“…Is your body all right? Deputy Commander.”
“Hmm?”
Mu Heun, struggling to rise, questioned Yang Mujin’s choice of title.
“Ha. So through this sparring match, I’ve finally been acknowledged as deputy commander by the Commander?”
“Well, I’d always intended to make you deputy commander anyway. The men are already thinking of you that way too.”
It was not a lie, though there was now another reason as well.
‘Being recorded in history as the superior of a Great Grandmaster destined for legend—that’s something to be proud of indeed.’
Whether or not Mu Heun knew what was running through Yang Mujin’s mind, he brushed dust from his clothes with a cheerful smile.
“Heh heh. Still, hearing it directly like this feels good. My body is… yes, considerably better than last time.”
“That’s a relief.”
Compared to those days when he couldn’t move at all, this degree of recovery could be managed with simple Qi Circulation and Rest.
“In your judgment, how was my martial technique, Captain?”
Yang Mujin’s expression to Mu Heun’s question was one of mild bewilderment at being asked such a thing.
“What more is there to say? You’d know better than I would.”
“I have my own standard, certainly, but I wish to hear the expert opinion of one as skilled as you, Captain.”
“…Mm. You’re thorough, aren’t you?”
Yang Mujin fell silent for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully.
“Well, I’d say congratulations are in order.”
“Congratulations? For what…?”
“That should be obvious.”
Yang Mujin shrugged with a faint smirk.
“For completing the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword and entering that discipline. Congratulations on that.”
Mu Heun broke into a bright smile at this answer.
“Thank you.”
Though Mu Heun had felt it himself, hearing the confirmation now put his mind at ease.
The Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword—a martial technique unique to Jegal Mu Heun alone.
At last, he had reached the First Stage of that technique, something he had only imagined for decades.
***
From that day forward, Mu Heun threw himself into training the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword with the fervor of a restless ghost who had died without completing their cultivation in a past life.
When he thought about it, it wasn’t an entirely unfounded comparison.
Mornings he sparred with Mu Young; afternoons he sparred with Yang Mujin; and at night he devised plans to lead the Cheon응 Group, recited the incantations of the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, and cultivated the Tianshan Yeon Technique through Qi circulation.
The fortunate part was that there was no need to spend time traveling to the location where this Dragon Phoenix Gathering was to be held.
Generally, the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was centered around the Five Great Families and similar clans, so sects rarely participated or merely observed.
The reason was simple: the Nine Great Sects prioritized personal cultivation over competition and thus did not actively participate.
However, this Dragon Phoenix Gathering was unusual in that the Wudang Sect had taken the lead to organize the first gathering in Martial World history where all Nine Great Sects participated in full force.
‘All thanks to the Martial Alliance Leader’s vigorous initiative.’
The current Martial Alliance Leader, Namkoong Cheon, was a man of few political ambitions or pretensions.
For this reason, he hoped that other sects and families held similar principles to his own.
Thus, under the banner of the Orthodox Faction, he frequently created occasions for the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families to gather in one place and cultivate bonds—and this Dragon Phoenix Gathering was part of such efforts.
The current Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect likewise appreciated such efforts by the Martial Alliance Leader and willingly accepted his proposal.
‘It has proven invaluable.’
Thanks to Namkoong Cheon’s work, when Namkoong Seo Ryong became Martial Alliance Leader in the next generation, he was able to implement policies promoting reconciliation with the Heterodox Faction, standing on the foundation of the solidified Orthodox Faction’s power and the trust placed in the Namkoong Clan.
Had it been otherwise, the Martial World might have collapsed far more readily when war erupted.
And in this life, the benefits were coming even faster.
He could focus entirely on cultivation without fretting over five more days of travel.
Clang! Clang!
Above the Jegal Family Estate’s sparring grounds, the swords of two brothers struck against each other.
At the Master Stage, their bladeplay danced at a speed beyond the perception of ordinary eyes.
Shwish!
Mu Heun’s blade shot past Mu Young’s face, shearing away several strands of his hair.
“…If my hair thins out completely, I’ll have to blame you.”
“We needn’t worry about hair loss, I think. Just look at Father—he’s perfectly vigorous, isn’t he?”
“Neither of us has ever seen Grandfather, so your point stands. But hair density runs in families.”
Mu Young steadied his breathing, trading jests that seemed absurdly light against the lethal sword strikes raining down on him.
“Well, if lushness runs in the bloodline, there’s no telling what’ll happen with you, having mastered a different technique entirely.”
“Brother, cursing your only younger brother like that?”
“Heh heh. The fact that you’re desperate enough for such crude provocation speaks volumes.”
It wasn’t mere jest.
Mu Young had recently entered into the Great Heaven Star Divine Technique, the technique of the Family Head.
Even for someone at Mu Young’s level, the swordsmanship of Mu Heun—now having entered the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword—was becoming a daunting opponent.
Before his initiation, Mu Young had dominated each sparring match, but now he barely eked out victories by a margin of a point or two, and these had grown infrequent.
There were even draws, and despite his love for his younger brother, the competitive fire that burned in him as a martial artist could not be denied.
‘I still don’t want to lose to Mu Heun.’
Mu Young laughed softly at his own immaturity and took up his stance once more.
“Shall we go again?”
“Gladly.”
The two brothers lost themselves in sparring, indifferent to the passage of time.
There was no great gap in their strength, and since both martial techniques were absolute arts, the sparring itself was genuinely exhilarating, regardless of the outcome.
After two full hours of trading blows without pause, the two brothers finally sat down, breathing heavily, and drank their fill of water.
“Phew. Mu Heun, I’ve nothing left to teach you. You were never the type to learn from me to begin with.”
“What are you saying, brother? I’m always learning so much from you.”
“Haha. Well, I appreciate the kind words anyway. But I’m not being polite. Your talent truly is exceptional. I wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest to entrust the next generation’s family headship to you.”
“Brother, such words….”
“I’m joking. Joking. You rascal. Haha. Being junior family head is such a fine position—I could never hand it over to you.”
The truth was quite the opposite.
Unlike Mu Heun, who as the younger son bore relatively lighter responsibilities, Mu Young as junior family head was being educated daily by Jegal Cheonseong and the elders, and was even helping to organize the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.
It was merely a joke tinged with the care of an older brother.
Mu Heun, fully aware of this, smiled gently and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Then I’m relieved. But brother, might I ask you one question?”
“You don’t need permission to ask me anything. What is it?”
“In this Dragon Phoenix Gathering, how far do you think I can advance?”
At Mu Heun’s question, Mu Young hesitated for a moment.
“…Hmm.”
In Mu Young’s assessment, Mu Heun’s talent was beyond doubt.
Under normal circumstances, he would have said that Mu Heun would earn the title of New Dragon, which went to the champion of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.
However, this generation of cultivators had earned a reputation for being significantly more exceptional than those of previous generations.
Moreover, whereas previously three families had been the center, now all Nine Great Sects were participating, making the competition far more intense—this much was obvious.
And most importantly of all—
“Your question really comes down to this: how do I compare you to Seo Ryong?”
It was the existence of Namkoong Seo Ryong, called the Greatest Martial Artist in All Under Heaven.
Mu Heun did not deny it and nodded.
“We made a promise to cross swords. So at the very least, I don’t wish to disappoint him.”
“Disappoint? When Seo Ryong sees your swordwork, he’ll be astounded. ‘Haha! I knew you were impressive, but to this degree!’ Something like that, roughly.”
At this quite accurate mimicry, Mu Heun smiled and nodded with evident amusement.
“Then I’m relieved.”
“However, if you ask who is the stronger of the two….”
Mu Young rested his chin in his hand and deliberated deeply.
“…Well, your absolute training time is necessarily less than Seo Ryong’s, isn’t it? So if an unfavorable result comes to pass, don’t be too disappointed. It won’t be because your talent fell short.”
Though he phrased it indirectly, Mu Young ultimately favored Seo Ryong’s advantage.
From his perspective, both Mu Heun and Seo Ryong were monstrous talents among the younger generation.
Yet Mu Heun had reached the Peak stage through Empty Blue Stone Oil Essence, while Seo Ryong had reached the Peak through his own strength alone.
Moreover, upon his appointment as junior family head, he would have received transmission of the sword techniques used by the family head of the Namkoong Clan—the greatest sword family in all the land.
Mu Young weighted the accumulated time difference more heavily.
“As I suspected. Thank you for speaking frankly.”
Mu Heun nodded as though he had anticipated this answer.
“You’re not upset or anything, are you?”
“Of course not. I myself do not discount the time that Seo Ryong has accumulated, and moreover….”
Mu Heun was the one who knew Seo Ryong’s talent better than anyone else in the world.
“So I too completely agree with what you’ve said.”
Mu Heun answered thus, and instead smiled as though quite satisfied.
***
“What nonsense? There’s no way anyone of the Deputy Commander’s generation could be stronger than the Deputy Commander himself.”
However, Yang Mujin’s opinion was entirely different.
“But Seo Ryong’s talent is truly the finest of the current age….”
“The finest of the age? Well, perhaps. But the Deputy Commander isn’t talent to be evaluated by mere ‘age.’ Make sure you understand that much.”
Yang Mujin was resolute.
Having witnessed the completion of the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword with his own eyes and felt its power before anyone else, his certainty was unshakeable.
“For someone to be definitively stronger than the Deputy Commander, they’d need to reach the very pinnacle of the Peak stage and have mastered an absolute martial technique. Could such a person even exist?”
Yang Mujin himself was at the Ultimate Peak stage, so he knew well how arduous that climb truly was.
“Don’t make the mistake of using the Deputy Commander as your standard. If such a person existed, they should be the one serving as Deputy Commander.”
Upon hearing Yang Mujin’s words, Mu Heun slowly nodded his head.
“My. It seems I’m about to be displaced not long after becoming Deputy Commander.”
“That’s exactly what doesn’t make sense.”
“But in any case, aren’t you saying that I make it possible?”
“That person didn’t even consume Empty Blue Stone Oil Essence. And to build up to that level? What are you—”
As he listened to Yang Mujin’s reasoning, Mu Heun suddenly smiled as though something had occurred to him.
“Then, shall we make a wager?”
“…a bet?”
“You’ve already agreed to attend this Dragon Phoenix Gathering with us, haven’t you, sir?”
“…That’s true.”
Yang Mujin, as commander of the Cheon응 Group, had been asked by Mu Heun to meet directly with those who would become members and build rapport with them.
It was a request he couldn’t refuse. Having taken on the role of commander, it was naturally something he had to do, and since the Dragon Phoenix Gathering was being held within Hubei itself rather than at some distant location, there was no excuse to decline.
“Why don’t you simply observe directly and judge for yourself? If Seo Ryong proves decidedly stronger than me, I win. If he’s on par with me or weaker, then victory goes to the commander.”
“…Heh heh.”
At Mu Heun’s words, Yang Mujin let out a thin laugh.
“Good. A chance to avenge my last defeat has come. You seem to have quite a bit of faith in your friend, but you’re going to regret it. What stakes are we wagering?”
“Hmm… How about silver coins, sir?”
“Silver coins? Ha!”
Yang Mujin let out a hollow laugh as if the suggestion were absurd.
“Let’s go with one Gold Yuan Treasure.”
“Oh? You’re certain about this? That’s a third of a year’s salary.”
“I haven’t lost a single wager since before I became deputy commander. I don’t intend to lose now. Why? Getting cold feet?”
Faced with Yang Mujin’s confident demeanor, Mu Heun studied him for a moment before breaking into a faint smile.
“Then let’s settle it that way. You may regret it later, though.”
“Regret? Just make sure you have the Gold Yuan Treasure ready.”
Yang Mujin hummed to himself, confident he would walk away with the treasure.
***
After finishing his sparring sessions by afternoon and taking a light meal, Mu Heun returned to his room to review the plans he had devised for the Cheon응 Group.
Since the Black Guard’s operation sites and the sequence of his countermeasures were already largely organized in his mind, only the final details remained to be settled.
‘So I’ll handle that part this way.’
Before long, having perfected his scheme, Mu Heun drew his sword and released its sword qi.
Pure white sword qi infused with cold energy wrapped around the blade like a shimmer of heat.
Perhaps because he knew this was his mother’s sword qi—gazing upon it brought an inexplicable sense of calm.
‘Things are unfolding better than expected…’
Yet one mystery lingered in Mu Heun’s mind.
‘Was my talent originally at this level?’
It concerned the sheer brilliance of his own abilities—far exceeding what he would have anticipated.
Of course, through the Tianshan Yeon Technique, his body was steadily approaching a Celestial Martial Physique.
The Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, too, was legitimately powerful—it integrated the foundations of absolute martial techniques.
Having consumed Empty Blue Stone Oil Essence, reaching Peak Stage was hardly surprising.
His perfect memory and keen intellect gave him rapid comprehension of martial arts theory.
Yet his ability to apply these principles in actual combat was extraordinarily swift.
When he had devised Heaven Path No Emotion, he had effortlessly replicated One Step No Retreat from the Yang Family Spear Technique.
The Flowing Cloud and Spear Heaven techniques—concepts he had only theorized about—he had perfected in a single moment once his footwork was complete.
Even against Mu Young, who possessed vastly more real combat experience, his split-second judgment never wavered.
‘Such things should depend far more on experience than raw talent…’
Any mind could conceive of something; the body actually executing it was an entirely different matter.
Yet Mu Heun accomplished these feats with unsettling ease.
‘And wielding Yang energy martial arts while my sword qi carries Yin energy—that as well.’
Of course, it was a matter of the nature of the qi infused in the blade, so it was theoretically possible.
In fact, once one accepted it as possible, nothing was truly impossible.
Above all, having superior talent was undoubtedly fortunate, yet something felt profoundly amiss.
That sense of something being wrong arose when he felt he had overlooked something vital.
For one possessed of perfect memory, this was a sensation wholly unfamiliar.
‘…Perhaps this too is connected to fate and karma.’
Whenever he tried to think about fate and karma, his memory would suddenly scatter.
His recollections did not vanish when he pondered his talent, yet that sense of unease persisted.
He found himself wondering whether some hidden connection existed between the two.
‘…Hah.’
Mu Heun let out a soft chuckle and lowered his sword.
He had no certainty that fate and karma were truly involved, and even if they were, there was only one thing Mu Heun could do.
‘In the end, I can only learn the answer by growing stronger.’
Through cultivation. Through endless cultivation to reach a higher realm.
With that thought, Mu Heun closed his eyes, chanted the mantra of the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, and channeled the Tianshan Yeon Technique.
Mu Heun clung to his training at every moment as though addicted to it.
His intensity was so great that even Jegal Cheonseong grew concerned witnessing it—to the point that despite being preoccupied with the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, he felt compelled to voice his worry before departing.
Yet for Mu Heun, cultivation was not merely necessary; it was profoundly, utterly joyful.
Mu Heun poured himself into his training without pause, as if releasing decades of accumulated sorrow.
And as it is said, time passes swiftly when joy fills the heart.
“…It’s already time.”
Five days and nights slipped away like arrows in flight, and at last the morning of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering had arrived.

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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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