The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 53

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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 53.
Empty Blue Stone Oil.
The value of that celestial elixir, ancient beyond reckoning, was something even a three-year-old could comprehend.
For later generation experts whose every nerve was bent toward growing stronger, those words alone kindled a peculiar thrill.
It was only natural that all eyes converged upon the one who had made such an unbelievable claim.
“…Can you swear there is not a shred of falsehood in what you say?”
Mo Yong Bulhwi posed the question with an expression thick with doubt.
Yet Mu Heun’s answer came with ease.
“Of course. I shall explain everything. Might you hear me out?”
At Mu Heun’s measured voice, all fell silent and took their seats, giving him their full attention.
“I met Dok Go Hyeon during a cooperative venture with Namkoong Seo Ryong here. After that, we…”
Mu Heun proceeded to lay out, with eloquent fluency, how they had come to obtain the Empty Blue Stone Oil.
By deftly omitting explanation of the fortuitous encounter and the return, his account had taken on the quality of legend itself, yet his gift for words more than compensated for the gap between reality and tale.
“Ah, the process of piercing through True Qi—one can truly sense the magnificence of such a renowned title as the Divine Craftsman.”
When the story concluded, expressions of wonder naturally flowed from the later generation experts.
Thanks to Mu Heun’s skillful embellishment of Dok Go Hyeon’s exploits, he too became the object of their admiration.
“Dok Go Hyeon is formidable indeed. Without deep trust between the two of you, the Empty Blue Stone Oil could never have been obtained.”
“At first, I did not understand why the Divine Craftsman addressed Dok Go Hyeon as simply ‘Hyeon,’ but hearing this tale, he is indeed worthy of the name—a true chivalrous warrior! Ha!”
Among them, Dang Chobin’s reaction bordered on rapture.
“My eye does not deceive. So this is the Dok Go line! Ah! Just looking at that trustworthy gaze makes me swoon… the eyes of a true chivalrous warrior…”
Dok Go Hyeon himself, the subject of all this praise, scratched his head with an awkward expression.
‘…This is something.’
His embarrassment had nothing to do with the embellishment itself. After all, there was no falsehood in it.
Yet Dok Go Hyeon, who had lived all his life in the mountains, found this situation—so many people lifting him up—strange to him.
The later generation experts from the mid-tier sects on the first floor felt even more intensely than those above.
They gazed upon Dok Go Hyeon with eyes akin to reverence.
‘To accomplish such deeds without even being from a prestigious sect…’
‘Perhaps we too are stronger than we believed…’
Hope began to sprout in the hearts of those who had harbored, knowingly or not, an inferiority complex toward the prestigious sects, and the atmosphere grew warmer still.
This warmth spread to the second floor as well.
No matter their origin in a prestigious sect, these were still youths whose own convictions had not yet fully crystallized.
It was inevitable that they should be swayed by opinion.
Particularly the later generation experts of the Daoism Sect, who had chafed under the Five Great Families’ blatant discrimination, began descending to the first floor and engaging in conversation with the others.
It was unfolding exactly as Mu Heun had intended.
Crash!
In an instant, the sound of a cup being set down roughly echoed through the tavern.
All eyes turned toward the source of the noise.
From that source, Mo Yong Bulhwi spat out a irritable remark.
“So what?”
Mu Heun turned the question back to him.
“What do you mean, sir?”
“Exactly what I said. You and this Dok Go fellow found the Empty Blue Stone Oil. Fine. That’s impressive. I’ll grant it.”
Mo Yong Bulhwi maintained a forced smile, yet the displeasure that filled his eyes could not be hidden.
“But you may not realize this—that man has reached his limit. There is a reason prestigious sects are called prestigious. Do you know what it is?”
“…What is it?”
“There is no ceiling to their growth.”
Mo Yong Bulhwi spoke rapidly, as if the words were pouring out of him.
“Up to a certain level, at least. Such patchwork arts and heterodox martial practices might grow faster, true. Why? Because they obsess over swift achievement. They see the tree but not the forest.”
Mo Yong Bulhwi turned to regard the sects seated on the second floor.
“By contrast, the fifteen sects gathered here have repeatedly pursued research across generations with the singular dedication of creating the Orthodox Faction’s supreme Mind Method and Martial Art. Hardly comparable to those who content themselves with mere scraps of achievement.”
“…Brother… please…”
“You keep quiet.”
Mo Yong So A attempted to silence him, shame flushing her face, but he showed no sign of stopping.
He resented that someone not even from a prestigious sect had ascended to the second floor, resented that the Daoism sects, swayed by a single story, were now mingling with those from the first floor.
“If standards differ, then different standards of treatment are warranted. But what is this? Are you trying to undermine the order of the Martial World, Divine Craftsman?”
Mo Yong Bulhwi jabbed an accusing finger at Dok Go Hyeon.
“Look at him. You can’t feel any Inner Strength radiating from him at all, can you? Martial Art applied through the subtlety of Technique rather than Inner Strength? That is not Martial Art! That is Sorcery!”
At this, Dok Go Hyeon’s expression twisted sharply.
He could have endured insults directed at himself alone, but he could not bear mockery of the Dok Go Sword, of his master’s legacy.
And so Dok Go Hyeon reached for his blade.
That would have been the case.
If only Namkoong Seo Ryong hadn’t stood up the moment Mo Yong Bulhwi finished speaking and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“You… what in the world are you doing?”
“You seem rather worked up. Let me pour you a drink.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong smiled faintly and picked up the wine bottle.
“Have a cup from me and calm yourself a little.”
Mo Yong Bulhwi, who had been glaring at Namkoong Seo Ryong, soon let out a light sigh and offered his cup.
For someone like Mo Yong Bulhwi, who alternated between strength and weakness, it was difficult to refuse a drink from someone far stronger than himself.
Besides, even he had to admit he’d become unnecessarily worked up.
Accepting Namkoong Seo Ryong’s drink at this point seemed like the wisest course.
Having quickly weighed his options, Mo Yong Bulhwi extended his cup.
“Very well. I shall cast aside this petty anger along with the drink you pour.”
“An excellent decision.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong tilted the bottle, and the premium White Wine the Martial Alliance had prepared fell into Mo Yong Bulhwi’s cup with a crystalline sound.
Clink-clink-clink.
“…!!”
In that instant, Mo Yong Bulhwi’s expression stiffened.
‘What… what is this? The wine….’
As Namkoong Seo Ryong poured, the cup grew heavier with each passing moment, beyond control.
Grasping what was happening was not difficult.
A faint stream of True Qi flowed from Namkoong Seo Ryong’s fingertips as he poured.
‘He’s channeling True Qi directly into the wine as it flows, not into the cup itself?!’
Faced with a technique he couldn’t even begin to imitate, Mo Yong Bulhwi’s brow furrowed deeply.
Before long, the cup had become impossibly heavy for one hand to bear, and Mo Yong Bulhwi had to support it with both hands.
Even this was not nearly enough, so Mo Yong Bulhwi summoned his own True Qi to brace the cup.
As he poured strength into his arms, his shoulders rose of their own accord.
By this point, even the Later Generation Experts could discern that something unusual was unfolding between the two.
Namkoong Seo Ryong let out a quiet laugh.
“Why do you show me such deference, brother?”
“Namkoong… you, you….”
“Namkoong,’ he says.”
The smile faded from Namkoong Seo Ryong’s face.
“My name is Seo Ryong. Namkoong is my family name—a name that represents the values my ancestors built and that I must uphold throughout my life.”
“What do you mean by—”
“What is your name?”
Mo Yong Bulhwi did not understand what Namkoong Seo Ryong was saying.
“What nonsense is this…!”
At this, Namkoong Seo Ryong let out a scoff.
“Unlike Dok Go Hyeon, who carries his own weight, your name, brother, rests merely upon the glory of a great house.
Then Namkoong Seo Ryong pushed one final surge of True Qi into the cup.
“What value does it truly hold?”
Mo Yong Bulhwi’s hands began to tremble. He could hold on no longer.
He would drop the cup and suffer humiliation.
Here, in front of all the Later Generation Experts of the Orthodox Faction!
Unable to bear this any longer, Mo Yong Bulhwi lowered his head like a tortoise withdrawing into its shell.
Thud.
Something streaked between the two men, and suddenly Mo Yong Bulhwi’s hands grew light.
“…?”
Bewildered by this inexplicable turn, Mo Yong Bulhwi lifted his head.
A single man, with but one hand, was holding the cup that he himself had barely been able to grip, and was facing Namkoong Seo Ryong.
It was Dok Go Hyeon.
Leaving the confused Mo Yong Bulhwi behind, Dok Go Hyeon spoke in a quiet voice.
“My name is Hyeon. Once I was an orphan cast adrift in this world, but my master took me in and granted me the name Dok Go.”
Though his voice was soft, none failed to hear it.
All had fallen silent as if by mutual agreement.
“You speak truly, Namkoong Seo Ryong. This name is indeed a heavy responsibility. I cannot yet claim with certainty that my own name is worthy of this burden, but….”
Then Dok Go Hyeon held the cup before Namkoong Seo Ryong’s eyes and gave it a small shake.
“I accept your cup gladly, in the hope that one day it shall be so.”
With those words, Dok Go Hyeon drained the wine in one draught.
“Ahhh—.”
Dok Go Hyeon wiped his mouth and uttered a word.
“Truly, this is the finest wine I’ve ever tasted in my life.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong, whose eyes had gone wide watching him, burst into laughter.
“Ha.”
It soon gave way to roaring mirth.
“Hahahaha! But, Hyeon — have you no propriety? How could you do such a thing?”
At Namkoong Seo Ryong’s words, Dok Go Hyeon’s eyes widened this time.
“Eh… Have I done something wrong?”
“Heheheh. Wrong indeed. Grievously wrong.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong filled his own cup and raised it.
“Drinking alone without even a toast — that’s the offense.”
Dok Go Hyeon gazed at him with an expression of helplessness, then chuckled softly and filled his cup.
“My apologies. May I propose a toast of reconciliation?”
“Of course! And don’t think one cup will suffice! Haha!”
Their cups met in mid-air with a sharp clink.
It was a symbolic moment.
After that toast, the divide that had separated the prestigious sects from the mid-tier ones became a gathering place for communion.
All the later generation experts of the Orthodox Faction began discussing martial learning with one another, regardless of sect affiliation, wherever their eyes met.
At last, a space of harmony worthy of the true meaning of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering had opened.
Mu Heun gazed upon this scene with a soft smile.
‘Namkoong Seo Ryong, Dok Go Hyeon.’
Both had shown themselves to be remarkable.
Truthfully, he had anticipated that Namkoong Seo Ryong’s temperament would not allow him to remain silent.
But that Dok Go Hyeon would intervene to save Mo Yong Bulhwi and thereby lead everyone toward harmony — that he had not foreseen.
It was a pleasing variable for Mu Heun.
Mu Heun glanced toward Mo Yong Bulhwi, who had withdrawn into a corner and sat quietly.
‘I hope this becomes a good turning point for you.’
What thoughts occupied him now, Mu Heun could not know precisely.
Yet his expression did not suggest a denial of having been defeated by Dok Go Hyeon — neither as a martial artist nor as a man.
‘No matter what anyone says, you are he who inherited the name Mo Yong.’
Mu Heun chose to place his faith not in Mo Yong Bulhwi himself, but in the education he had received, and slowly made his way down to the first floor.
Those who had faded away in his past life, those who had endured at his side to the bitter end, those who had wept bitterly over the loss of family — all of them were now laughing, singing, and making merry without a care in the world for events yet to unfold.
It was precisely the sight Mu Heun had longed for.
‘How good this is.’
Mu Heun suppressed the swell of emotion rising in his chest and smiled.
There is a world in this place.
And there is no reason for any world to be destroyed by another.
It is so simple a truth.
***
The crescent moon hung bright and lovely overhead.
Though it was the slimmest of crescents, the landscape of Mudang Mountain reflected in Mu Heun’s eyes shone brighter than it ever had.
It was thanks to all those stirred by the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, joined by the later generation experts who had achieved harmony, now reveling in song and drink.
Mu Heun had quietly slipped away from the tavern and now sat on the slope of Mudang Mountain, looking down upon that bustling scene below.
“Heehehe.”
A sight that could not emerge except in peace drew from Mu Heun a deep, rumbling laugh.
Even a brief moment of respite was precious, but he wished to carry this vision — one he could not see at any other time — into his eyes and heart.
Then a familiar voice found him.
“Why do you sit there so pensively?”
Mu Heun turned his head with a smile.
Somehow, Namkoong Seo Ryong and Dok Go Hyeon stood there, each holding a wine bottle.
“You two — how did you slip away? All attention should have been upon you.”
As the architects of the harmony between the prestigious and mid-tier sects, both had been pelted with questions from countless later generation experts right up until Mu Heun himself had left the tavern.
Dok Go Hyeon chuckled softly.
“You slipped away too — so why couldn’t we? We just said we had something to discuss among ourselves, and no one stopped us.”
“True enough,” said Namkoong Seo Ryong, backing him up. “There were those who seemed to wish to join us, but what could they do when we had no such inclination?”
Namkoong Seo Ryong added this in agreement with Dok Go Hyeon’s words.
“Once we came out, I looked around and spotted you sitting here.”
“You chanced upon me from down there? With no particular intent?”
“Hehe. As if. Of course we meant to find you.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong poured wine from the bottle he’d brought with a playful expression and handed it to Mu Heun.
“I’ve heard about this Cheon응 Group you and Dok Go Hyeon plan to establish. I’d like to share your vision.”
At those words, Mu Heun glanced sideways at Dok Go Hyeon.
“…I haven’t done anything wrong, have I? You were planning to bring him in anyway, weren’t you?”
Amused by the awkward response, Mu Heun chuckled and accepted the cup Namkoong Seo Ryong offered.
“I simply thought you’d grown closer than expected. It’s a fortunate turn of events.”
Mu Heun then turned to face Namkoong Seo Ryong.
“How much have you heard?”
“That the Cheon응 Group’s opponent is the Black Guard—a faction that handles the imperial palace’s dirty work—and that their blade is aimed at the entire Martial Arts World. Is there anything else I need to know?”
“It’s dangerous work.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong smiled with serene confidence.
“If we retreat before villains threatening the Martial Arts World simply because the work is dangerous, then we shouldn’t even speak of aspiring to become Martial Arts Alliance Leader.”
“I thought you’d say that.”
Mu Heun smiled in return and raised his cup in a toast with Namkoong Seo Ryong.
“Welcome to the Cheon응 Group.”
After all, in his previous life, it was Namkoong Seo Ryong himself who had organized the Cheon응 Group—this merger was inevitable.
“…That’s what I’d like to say, but the truth is, we have a separate leader.”
“What? Aren’t you the leader?”
“I’m the youngest among the later generation experts, and setting aside everything else, wouldn’t it look bad if I were leader? We’ve appointed someone else to take that position.”
Dok Go Hyeon’s interest was piqued.
“When you betrayed me this morning, was the person standing beside you the leader—a descendant of the Yang Clan?”
At the mention of the Yang Clan, Namkoong Seo Ryong’s eyes widened noticeably.
“I saw that person too. I sensed he was certainly an exceptional martial artist, but a descendant of the Yang Clan? Are we talking about the same Yang Clan I’m thinking of?”
“Yes.”
Faced with questions from both men, Mu Heun answered calmly.
“Let me explain everything.”
Mu Heun informed them of how he had chosen Yang Mujin as leader and selected individuals worthy of joining the Cheon응 Group with him.
Then, writing their names on the ground, he explained in detail why each was necessary.
“This is impressive—isn’t this stronger than most military forces within the Martial Alliance?”
“Indeed. It’s well-constructed with no gaps. Have you made proposals to all of them?”
Mu Heun shook his head.
“Not yet. I’ll begin reaching out tomorrow.”
“I see. But what if they refuse?”
“There are alternatives, though….”
Mu Heun gazed down at the names written on the ground and smiled faintly.
“I don’t believe they’ll refuse.”
Mu Heun then looked at Namkoong Seo Ryong and Dok Go Hyeon and continued.
“And just because the captain and I think this way doesn’t mean only these people must belong to the Cheon응 Group. Didn’t you have many conversations today? Is there anyone among them you’d recommend to the Cheon응 Group?”
Of course, since these were people Mu Heun had carefully prepared over a long period, surpassing his standards would not be easy.
But Mu Heun did not overestimate himself.
Both Namkoong Seo Ryong and Dok Go Hyeon possessed strengths different from his own.
They might have recognized something he had overlooked.
Namkoong Seo Ryong shook his head.
“Well, I didn’t encounter anyone as outstanding as the people you’ve listed here.”
“I see. What about you, Hyeon?”
Dok Go Hyeon pondered for a moment, then suddenly recalled something and spoke up.
“Now that I think about it, there was one decent fellow who approached me.”
“Oh? Do you happen to know his name or which sect he belongs to?”
“Ah, yes—a chief disciple of a place called Sung Gwon Mun… that’s right. It was Lee Young.”
At Dok Go Hyeon’s answer, Mu Heun blinked.
“Lee Young of Sung Gwon Mun….”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
He did know of him. Mu Heun remembered every sect and martial artist who had participated in the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.
Sung Gwon Mun was a Fist and Leg Art sect of the Orthodox Faction, famous for its unusual name exalting the fist, and Lee Young was a later generation expert sent to represent them.
If asked what kind of martial artist he was, he was a good man, but….
“…This martial artist is second-rate, is he not? Of course, I’m not disparaging his sense of justice, but for the Cheon응 Group’s missions….”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“Pardon?”
Dok Go Hyeon wore a puzzled expression and spoke something unbelievable.
“He conceals his energy well, so I can’t be certain, but he doesn’t seem weaker than me.”
Mu Heun’s expression hardened.
“…That can’t be.”
Mu Heun couldn’t fathom who Dok Go Hyeon was speaking of.
It certainly wasn’t Lee Young of Sung Gwon Mun.
***
An ordinary street in Mudang Mountain, an ordinary inn.
A man stepped through the door of a room with nothing remarkable about it.
It was Lee Young, the foremost disciple of Sung Gwon Mun.
Creak—
Lee Young sank onto the bed with a weary sigh.
He wanted nothing more than to collapse into sleep, but he had work to do.
Lee Young suddenly seized his own neck and pulled upward.
Rip—
Lee Young, foremost disciple of Sung Gwon Mun, peeled away the human-skin mask crafted from his own flesh, and an unknown man tumbled forth.
The man carefully set the mask aside on the edge of the bed, then withdrew a scroll from his robes and unfurled it.
Written upon it was the name of a martial artist.
—Dok Go Hyeon
The man produced a brush and wrote a new name beneath it.
—Mu Heun
After inscribing the name, the man gazed upon his handiwork for a long time, as though appraising his own calligraphy.
He prolonged this seemingly meaningless act for two complete hours.
At last, the man rolled the scroll closed, cast it out the window, and lay back upon the bed.
The scroll made no sound as it fell.

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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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