The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 54

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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 54.
As dawn broke, Mu Heun walked the slopes of Wudang Mountain once more, turning the matter over in his mind.
The greatest riddle, without question, was the identity of Yi Young that Dokgo Hyeon had witnessed.
‘… My recollection holds no inconsistencies.’
Save for his memory of the Fortuitous Encounter, Mu Heun’s Perfect Memory Ability contained no gaps.
‘The likelihood that this martial artist obtained a Fortuitous Encounter and ascended to the Peak Realm in this life is….’
Nothing in the world was absolute, but this possibility approached near-zero.
Events in which Mu Heun had not directly intervened proceeded exactly as they had before.
Had the Sungquonmun resided in Hubei or Sichuan, they might have been influenced by Mu Heun’s actions, but the Sungquonmun was a sect based in Shanxi.
By comparison, the other possibility was far more likely.
‘The Black Guard replaced Yi Young through some means.’
In truth, Mu Heun considered this nearly certain.
That is why he had reported the matter to Jegal Cheonseong.
—This martial artist called Yi Young carries an Identity Tablet of unmistakable legitimacy. Moreover, the Shanxi martial artists who know him have confirmed his face as well.
—It is possible they fashioned a Human Skin Mask from this martial artist’s skin and donned it.
—…I do not deny the possibility exists. But I cannot simply strip away this martial artist’s skin based merely on suspicion. You understand this yourself.
That would certainly be an overreach of authority.
Especially at a gathering of the Orthodox Sects like the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, propriety and justification were paramount.
This was precisely what Mu Heun had anticipated.
—Do you know of anyone who can confirm whether this martial artist has attained the Peak Realm?
—Even if we did, we cannot use that as justification. Should he claim to have encountered a Fortuitous Encounter on the way here, we cannot deny it.
No one knew better than Mu Heun himself, who had suffered Severed Meridian Syndrome before ascending to Peak Realm through the Clear Blue Stone Oil in a single breath.
—Still, this does not mean I disbelieve your account. You have faced the Black Guard more than anyone. I shall endeavor to observe Yi Young’s conduct closely.
—Thank you. Father.
In the end, Mu Heun could do nothing but plant a small seed of doubt in Jegal Cheonseong’s mind.
Mu Heun did not remain idle. He had asked Jin Yu to investigate Yi Young’s movements and behavior.
In a situation with so few clues, it would be difficult for Jin Yu to unearth much from mere suspicion alone….
Mu Heun released a quiet breath.
‘I have taken every precaution I can. Now let me focus on what must be done.’
Mu Heun steadied his resolve and felt the cool mountain breeze flowing past.
Along that wind, he sent forth the faintest wisp of energy.
While more difficult than simply extending his Qi Sense outward, it was the more efficient method.
Before long, the Qi Sense riding upon the wind revealed to Mu Heun the person he had been seeking.
“Closer than I thought.”
Mu Heun turned his steps toward the one who had taught him this technique.
Soon he came upon a martial artist in a Plum Blossom Colored Robe crouched between rocks, staring intently into the crevice before him.
At that familiar sight, Mu Heun found himself smiling and spoke.
“Are you searching for a Chinese giant salamander?”
At Mu Heun’s words, the martial artist in the Plum Blossom Colored Robe turned his head and looked toward him.
Round, bright eyes that gleamed with intelligence—the handsome face of someone who seemed boyish in bearing.
It was Do Un, the Plum Blossom Sword Master of the Huashan School, who broke into a warm, welcoming smile.
“Do you also have an interest in the legend of the Chinese giant salamander, Master Mu?”
At the grandiose word “legend,” Mu Heun let out a soft laugh.
“The Chinese giant salamander is no legend. Rare though it may be, it is simply a salamander one can find in the rocky crevices you see before us.”
“Not a legend, you say? I have never seen one where I come from.”
“Huashan is a dry, rocky mountain. Here on Wudang, they are more common than one might expect.”
“Is that truly so? Yet I see nothing at all….”
Mu Heun naturally crouched down beside Do Un.
“You have been staring too long, Taoist Do Un. The salamanders have grown frightened and hidden themselves away.”
Then Mu Heun examined the area around the rocky crevice, picked up a stone lying on the ground, and held it up.
The Chinese giant salamander that had been concealed there revealed itself.
“Oh! Oh my!”
Do Un gasped in wonder, leaning forward in a posture nearly like a bow to examine the salamander’s form.
All the while, so careful was he lest the creature be harmed that he did not touch it with his hands, and even his breathing was shallow and gentle.
After observing the salamander for some time, Do Un finally seemed satisfied and lifted his gaze to Mu Heun.
“Thank you. It is thanks to your kindness, Master Mu, that I have gained this precious experience. I….”
“Jegal Mu Heun.”
“Ah! Thank you. I am Do Un of the Huashan School. My humble name is Do Un.”
Do Un executed a cupped fist salute.
Mu Heun received it with a cupped fist salute of his own.
Do Un looked at Mu Heun with eager anticipation. “I wonder—does the Jegal master also have an interest in the mysteries of life?”
Mu Heun did not disappoint his hopes, nodding in affirmation.
“Indeed. My clan, the Jegal Family, is established here in Hubei. If it would not trouble you, might I introduce you to another form of life that does not exist on Huashan?”
Do Un’s smile spread so wide it nearly touched his ears.
“If you would do so, there could be no greater honor!”
***
This morning, all those who had joined the Cheon응 Group—including Mu Heun—met together for the first time and exchanged greetings, including Yang Mujin and Jin Yu.
Yang Mujin’s opening words upon meeting Namkoong Seo Ryong and Dokgo Hyeon for the first time were simple.
—So you’ve all been charmed by our commander and come running over, have you? Figures.
With Mu Heun as the central axis and Yang Mujin’s charisma and mastery layered atop it, the Cheon응 Group built rapport faster than expected.
Afterward, all members of the Cheon응 Group hurried about delivering proposals to the martial artists that Yang Mujin and Mu Heun had selected.
Since each person had different connections, it was decided under Mu Heun’s judgment that splitting up would be more efficient.
Yang Mujin did not go around personally delivering the recruitment proposals himself.
Being from the lower ranks, he lacked the experience of forming connections with the newer generation, whatever the elders of the sects might be.
Instead, Yang Mujin met with each of the martial artists that Mu Heun’s group had brought and conducted interviews.
Since the group had not yet been formally established, these were sessions to understand one another rather than grand external justifications.
By evening, once Yang Mujin had finished all the interviews, he spoke with Mu Heun, exhaustion evident on his face.
“Did you deliberately choose only these types of people?”
“I’m not certain I grasp your meaning.”
“The members, I mean. Most of them are the ones you picked.”
Yang Mujin let out a long, deep sigh.
It was also his impression of the interviews themselves.
“How is there not a single ordinary person among them?”
Benevolence, curiosity, ambition, vengeance, romantic feelings—the Cheon응 Group members had gathered for all manner of motives. Put kindly, they were distinctive.
“Throughout the entire interview, all they’d talk about was animals, or they’d recommend poison while calling it delicious tea, or they’d politely ask if they might be allowed to dissect my hand—”
To speak plainly, it was little different from a gathering of madmen.
The fact that all of them hailed from prestigious Orthodox Sects was astounding.
“It couldn’t have been easy to gather only these types. Impressive.”
“Hardly. You flatter me.”
“I’m not complimenting you; I’m saying it despite knowing better.”
Mu Heun did not deny that their dispositions were peculiar.
No one understood this better than he did. Were they not people he had observed for decades in his past life?
Yet Mu Heun believed that the Cheon응 Group should be composed precisely of such individuals.
“Though I haven’t revealed it yet, ultimately we are a group that will stand against the Imperial Court. In selecting those with the temperament to take that step without fear, knowing what it means… naturally, rather distinctive individuals have gathered.”
People obsessed with something do not fear other things.
Because they regard everything outside what they hold dear as trivial.
All those Mu Heun had selected were of such character.
Yang Mujin agreed with this as well.
“…They don’t seem like the sort to fear much of anything, I’ll grant you that.”
“Precisely. And what difficulty could their peculiar dispositions pose when you are to lead them?”
At Mu Heun’s brazen reply, Yang Mujin stared at him for a moment before laughing helplessly.
“Is it too late to back out?”
“The official debut of the Cheon응 Group will occur on the final day of the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, so if you wish to withdraw, now would be the time.”
“One last chance, then.”
Yet for all his words, Yang Mujin had no intention of withdrawing.
Restoring his family and securing a better future for the children hinged entirely on leading the Cheon응 Group.
Still, the certainty that this would prove far more exhausting than he’d anticipated was so overwhelming he could not help but sigh.
***
Jin Yu scratched at his stiffly matted hair as he reported his findings to Mu Heun.
“I investigated Yi Young’s every move, but found nothing unusual.”
Mu Heun nodded as if he had expected as much.
“What of those who have known Yi Young for some time?”
“Even those who have maintained a connection with him for a considerable period report no sense of incongruity—save perhaps in his realm of cultivation, which they attribute to a fortuitous encounter.”
“I see.”
Jin Yu stroked his chin, watching Mu Heun fall silent in thought before hesitantly speaking.
“…To be frank, I myself find it hard to believe Yi Young is a different person. Even if he wore a Human Skin Mask fashioned from human flesh, it would not be easy to perfectly replicate even his mannerisms. Unless, of course, Yi Young was originally part of the Black Guard.”
“That won’t be the case.”
Mu Heun flatly rejected Jin Yu’s theory.
In his past life, Mu Heun’s connection with Yi Young had not been particularly deep, but he knew enough of the man’s character.

‘Though not quite a supreme master…’
He had been a wanderer who fought the Imperial Court with all the strength he possessed, only to fall on the battlefield.
‘Someone who wasn’t supposed to depart this world so soon.’
If the Black Guard had replaced him, the odds of the real Yi Young still being alive were very slim.
Even if he were alive, once his facial skin had been flayed away, he wouldn’t be in any condition to live properly.
Mu Heun swallowed his rage at the Black Guard’s atrocities and continued thinking with composure.
‘Yi Young as a traitor… there’s no possibility of that.’
When the war began, the first thing Mu Heun did was purge internal spies.
Far more martial artists from the Jianghu than expected had been recruited by the Imperial Court.
Among them were supreme masters revered throughout the entire martial world.
Since he would obviously be a crucial asset, several martial artists suggested he deserved another chance, but—
—A man who betrays once cannot be trusted not to betray twice. Yet, considering the blood spilled by his treachery, to spare him would violate the code of the martial world.
Under Namkoong Seo Ryong’s firm decision, that master was ultimately purged.
Given such thoroughness in the process, it was safe to say there were no Black Guard agents among the martial artists at the time of Yi Young’s death.
Which meant he could not have been a traitor himself.
As Mu Heun pondered this, Jin Yu offered another theory.
“Or perhaps he simply obtained a fortuitous encounter? That seems more likely to me, if I’m being honest.”
“That would…”
Mu Heun started to speak but merely smiled instead.
“You may be right. Thank you for the investigation. Your effort is much appreciated.”
“Not at all. It was hardly difficult work. There’s no need for thanks.”
The strongest reason Mu Heun was certain the Black Guard had impersonated Yi Young was that, being a returnee, he knew Yi Young could not have obtained a fortuitous encounter at this point in time.
Without such information, thinking as Jin Yu did was perhaps only natural.
Since he couldn’t reveal this, Mu Heun decided to halt direct investigation for now.
Instead, he began to speculate on the Black Guard’s purpose in replacing Yi Young and appearing at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.
‘From their position, this is a risky move.’
The Imperial Court’s full-scale invasion of the Central Plains was still some time away.
Yet seeing the Black Guard already active suggested the invasion itself had been planned for quite some time.
The reason peace still held was that the Imperial Court side believed they lacked something in their preparations.
That they would plant a spy at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, where martial artists of the Orthodox Faction converged, and risk their identities being exposed—it meant there was something they had to do at any cost.
It wasn’t hard to guess what that was.
‘They expect Dokgo Hyeon to reveal their existence at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.’
After failing to assassinate Dokgo Hyeon, their experiment with Heavenly Joy Unbound also failed.
The timing and distance between these events lined up perfectly, which was why Mu Heun suspected Dokgo Hyeon.
‘But he arrived and heard my words.’
Given that Yi Young had addressed Dokgo Hyeon right then and there, there was no way he hadn’t heard.
And that meant the worst-case scenario for Mu Heun.
“…”
Mu Heun realized things had gone badly awry and clenched his jaw.
‘They’ve… become aware of my existence.’
Dangerous.
Eventually his schemes would have been discovered by the Black Guard’s side, but this was far too soon.
Mu Heun still lacked both power and influence.
‘How many came? Has this already been reported to the Black Guard’s inner ranks? Isn’t it already a situation where we can’t afford such leisure as investigation?’
Mu Heun’s mind raced with the urgency of a hunted animal.
Before he could unfold the many plans already laid out, they risked unraveling.
Panic was inevitable.
‘If Yi Young slips away from the Dragon Phoenix Gathering like this, the situation will spiral beyond control.’
Then, even if he faced punishment for reckless action, right now—
Waaaah!
Suddenly, a tremendous roar shattered Mu Heun’s thoughts.
“Oh, it seems someone has displayed something remarkable in the preliminary round. Would you care to go watch, Jegal?”
Jin Yu gazed toward the direction of the roar with interest and posed the question.
“The preliminary round.”
Mu Heun exhaled lightly and offered a smile.
“Let’s go.”
Mu Heun nodded and stepped toward the arena where the Dragon Phoenix Gathering’s preliminary round was unfolding.
‘Acting now would be a blunder.’
He’d nearly made a mistake in his urgency.
With no knowledge of how many they were or who they were, trying to deal with this imposter posing as Yi Young would only make matters worse.
‘Those who came to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering together might share information, but there’s no reason for them to move simply to report my existence when nothing has been done yet. It would draw far too much attention.’
The one who had taken Yi Young’s body had entered the Preliminary Round.
This meant there was still a reason for him to remain in this place.
‘Whatever that reason might be….’
They would not succeed against him.
Mu Heun’s pace quickened toward the arena where the Preliminary Round was unfolding.

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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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