The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 58

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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 58.
Though the proposal was brutal, Mu Heun’s approach to Woo Cheong Shim differed markedly from his treatment of Dang Cho Bin—he already knew him well.
With new opponents, he felt the urge to dissect them, to plumb their depths.
Grotesque as the notion was, the countermeasure proved simple enough.
“I’m afraid my body hasn’t yet reached a point where opening it up to discover such limits would be prudent.”
Mu Heun declined with measured politeness.
At this, Woo Cheong Shim offered a rueful smile, as though disappointed, and drew his blade.
“Then it cannot be helped.”
Woo Cheong Shim never forced dissection upon those who refused—not then, not ever.
Had he done otherwise, he could never have become the Sect Master’s disciple in the Gongdong Sect.
Yet merely to propose such a thing—for a martial artist of a Renowned Orthodox Faction—was scandal enough.
Still, no one in Gansu Province, where the Gongdong Sect made its seat, had raised a single objection to Woo Cheong Shim becoming the Sect Master’s disciple.
His talent alone was sufficient to silence such controversies before they could take root.
“A fair match! Begin!”
At the referee’s signal, Woo Cheong Shim began closing the distance with measured steps.
To the untrained eye, it appeared he was approaching cautiously after witnessing Dang Cho Bin’s plight.
But this judgment was mistaken.
Woo Cheong Shim moved this way regardless of his opponent.
Mu Heun did not retreat; instead, he advanced toward Woo Cheong Shim with equal resolve.
The gap between them narrowed until one more step would bring their blades into contact.
Tap.
As the next footfall fell silent—
Both drew their techniques in unison, neither yielding priority to the other.
“Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, First Form—Manseong · Gaedo.”
In time with Mu Heun’s blade-drawing, Woo Cheong Shim planted his feet with crushing force.
Boom!
“The momentum of Celestial Strength descends upon the world, pressing down all existence—there is nowhere to stand against it.”
“One step is Heaven itself, and the sword’s descent becomes judgment.”
“Bokma Sashipsuk Sword, Seventh Form—Cheon Gang Ap Jeong.”
Woo Cheong Shim’s blade traced a perfect vertical line, meeting Mu Heun’s Manseong · Gaedo in a collision.
Crack!
A thunderous boom echoed across the sparring grounds, shaking them visibly.
The two blades met head-on without either yielding an inch, locked in perfect equilibrium.
No—Mu Heun’s sword was being driven back.
Woo Cheong Shim, though only First Class, had gained the advantage in a contest of raw power against Mu Heun, a Peak Martial Master.
This spoke partly to Woo Cheong Shim’s excellence, but fundamentally to the profound mystery woven into the Gongdong Sect’s secret technique, the Bokma Sashipsuk Sword.
‘So this is the Gongdong Sect’s Hard Sword.’
Yi Gang Je Yoo—the principle of subduing softness with hardness—formed the foundation of a strength that transcended the gulf between their cultivations.
Unwilling to waste pride on a mere trial of strength, Mu Heun threw himself backward.
Seizing the opening, Woo Cheong Shim gave chase, each step delivering a blow charged with his full force.
“Hah!”
Whissh!
A chilling gust swept past Mu Heun’s ear, shearing away a few strands of his hair.
Woo Cheong Shim’s swordsmanship was no blunt instrument of mere brute force.
His attacks were calibrated to intercept predicted escape routes—had Mu Heun not reached Peak cultivation, evasion would have been impossible.
‘Yes. A talent enlisted into the Cheon응 Group ought to demonstrate at least this much.’
Even pressed backward, Mu Heun found himself smiling at the excellence of Woo Cheong Shim’s martial prowess.
Woo Cheong Shim noticed the smile and his expression shifted to one of confusion.
‘A smile… in this position?’
Mu Heun was successfully evading his strikes, but evasion alone would not secure victory.
Though he read the trajectories and could meet the blade directly, the disparity in power would only open gaps for Woo Cheong Shim to exploit.
The Flowing Cloud technique could deflect the strikes—but Woo Cheong Shim, knowing this, afforded him no respite, pressing the assault without pause.
Thus Woo Cheong Shim held the advantage. Or so he believed, in that singular moment.
Then something pale and fragmented scattered before his eyes.
“…Snow?”
Impossible. Why would snow fall as summer approached?
Petals—more precisely, the petals born from Mu Heun’s technique.
Recognition came to Woo Cheong Shim in a fraction of a heartbeat.
Yet tragically, before this technique, even that infinitesimal gap became a catastrophic blunder.
“Grieve not for the petals scattered on the wind.”
—become fertile soil where new sprouts might take root.
—infusing this strike with a heart like cherry blossoms scattered at the blade’s edge.
—forging the most beautiful instant the world has ever known.
—Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword, third form: Moran.
The scent of peonies brushed past Woo Cheong Shim’s nose.
That was all he could perceive.
He did not see Mu Heun’s movement.
He could only infer from the positioning—the blade leveled at his throat—that it had been a thrust.
Behind Woo Cheong Shim’s narrow eyes, astonishment flickered, and Mu Heun smiled faintly.
“Do you wish to continue?”
Woo Cheong Shim stared at him blankly before letting out a hollow laugh and shaking his head.
“No. I concede. Though…”
He had been pressing the advantage, leaving no opening at all.
Yet in a single move—a single move he couldn’t even see—Mu Heun had brought a blade to his throat.
Woo Cheong Shim sensed something hauntingly familiar in that form.
A swift technique with scattering petals—it resembled the most renowned sword method under heaven.
“That final move—did you derive it from Huashan’s sword technique?”
Mu Heun lifted his shoulder slightly.
“You perceived it well. It is indeed a thrust that embodies their mystery.”
“So it was a thrust after all. Remarkable. To condense the essence of so great a sect as Huashan into a single form…”
Woo Cheong Shim’s narrow eyes gleamed as he pressed forward with even greater urgency.
“Could you not, just this once, reveal even the slightest opening in your technique?”
Mu Heun answered with a light smile.
“I’m afraid not.”
***
Overwhelming cheers erupted as Mu Heun claimed victory over yet another successor of a renowned sect in an instant.
But Do Oon heard none of it.
“Wow…”
Do Oon stood with eyes wide, watching Mu Heun.
“So Mu Heun knows how to flip too! That’s amazing!”
In Do Oon’s eyes, the final form Mu Heun had displayed—the Moran—was perfectly clear.
It differed from what Do Oon had learned, yet the principle was unmistakable at first glance.
Do Oon lifted his head to examine the bracket.
“Dokgo Oon… next is Namkoong Oon… then if I win twice more, Mu Heun.”
Having confirmed the three remaining matches, Do Oon grinned widely without thinking.
“See? It was worth listening to the Master after all, annoying as it was!”
For the first time since arriving at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, Do Oon felt a spark of interest ignite—not for beasts, but for martial sparring.
***
Namkoong Seo Ryong’s mouth had forgotten how to turn downward as he watched Mu Heun’s match.
“I knew this friend Mu Heun would be like this, I tell you.”
“I know. How many times are you going to say it?”
“About five times, I’d say. I’ll stop at ten.”
“You’ve already far surpassed ten. That much is certain.”
“Has it come to that already?”
Dokgo Hyeon regarded Namkoong Seo Ryong with an exhausted expression as he endlessly boasted of his foresight.
At the intensity of that silent plea, Namkoong Seo Ryong raised one eyebrow slightly.
“Well, I suppose I have gone on quite a bit. I’ll drop the matter.”
“Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am.”
“Think nothing of it. But that said… the Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword.”
He had heard tales of it, but witnessing it directly gave an entirely different impression.
To weave together the mysteries of both Wudang and Huashan so flawlessly?
“And I’m told there’s even a form drawn from the Namkoong Clan’s techniques.”
Truthfully, even Namkoong Seo Ryong, who held Mu Heun’s talent in the highest regard, had not anticipated this.
Namkoong Seo Ryong turned to Dokgo Hyeon and asked.
“What do you make of it?”
“Eh? Of what?”
“Obviously. Mu Heun’s Myriad Star Heaven Slashing Sword.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong continued, unable to contain his delight.
“How do you think you’d fare if you faced him directly?”
At this, Dokgo Hyeon did not answer at once, instead pondering with a serious expression.
“…I don’t know. But there’s no point worrying about it now.”
“Hmm?”
“My next opponent is the Plum Blossom Sword Master from Huashan. And if I beat him, I’ll have to face you anyway.”
Dokgo Hyeon regarded Namkoong Seo Ryong with a wry smile.
“There’s no use being distracted right now. Not for me. Not for you.”
Namkoong Seo Ryong nodded in agreement, mirroring the smile.
“A apt response indeed. I spoke out of turn. You’re right. There are more pressing concerns at hand.”
“Exactly. And…”
Dokgo Hyeon’s expression darkened slightly as he continued.
“I have things I need to attend to before that as well.”
***
As the sun dipped lower, the fervor of the first day of the main tournament cooled somewhat.
Of course, that was only true of Taegeuk Plaza.
The taverns that had opened their doors on Wudang Mountain were still ablaze with talk of the day’s results.
That heat was fierce enough to burn away gossip about Tianmo Divine Sect that had circulated the night before.
“I’m telling you, Namkoong Seo Ryong is the champion. Both his matches were won in a single exchange!”
“Do Oon is just the same. Dokgo Hyeon only fought once, but he won in a single exchange too. Don’t you know the Orthodox Faction’s Pillar is still standing strong?”
“Have you ever seen such ignorance? You have to look at the opponent’s caliber! The two people Jegal Mu Heun defeated were such formidable warriors that some even had them listed as contenders for the championship!”
“Are you saying that Moyong Se, who both siblings defeated in a single exchange, is beneath that standard?”
“No, that’s a vile distortion of what I said!”
Among that heated clamor, a single man sat composed and apart, drawing attention.
It was Yi Young, a martial artist from Sungkwon Sect who had yielded to Dokgo Hyeon in the Round of 16.
The passersby initially thought he was drowning his defeat in drink.
Yet strangely, Yi Young had ordered wine but hadn’t taken a single sip.
The patrons found this puzzling, but their confusion soon dissolved.
Before long, Dokgo Hyeon took a seat across from Yi Young.
“Ah, welcome!”
Yi Young greeted Dokgo Hyeon with evident pleasure.
Dokgo Hyeon glanced around, his expression slightly uneasy.
“Won’t we stand out too much talking here?”
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Dokgo Hyeon, who had delivered such remarkable performances on two consecutive days.
“Ha, at first perhaps. But soon they’ll think, ‘Oh, they’re just discussing martial arts amongst themselves. Nothing for us to concern ourselves with.’ and turn their attention back to their own tables.”
“…Is that so? Still, I can’t exactly display techniques here.”
“That’s fine. I’d rather hear about your profound insights than see a direct demonstration. Besides…”
Yi Young’s expression grew warm, and he sent a private transmission.
-In any case, I’ll give you the Spirit Medicine after we leave here. There will be nothing to draw attention.
Dokgo Hyeon studied Yi Young for a moment, then shrugged.
“Fair enough. So, what exactly do you want to ask?”
“Well, first…”
Yi Young posed his questions to Dokgo Hyeon with genuine enthusiasm about martial arts.
Dokgo Hyeon didn’t answer carelessly; instead, he gave each question serious thought before responding.
Of course, Dokgo Hyeon had no intention of engaging in such earnest conversation with Yi Young of the Black Guard, but such was Mu Heun’s strategy.
-Accept all his proposals. If he asks you anything, answer with as much sincerity as possible, without deception. So that those fools don’t sense we’re scheming something.
Thus, Dokgo Hyeon answered Yi Young’s questions with genuine effort.
Truth be told, Yi Young’s questions were quite sophisticated, and there was genuine pleasure in the exchange.
As Yi Young asked questions about martial arts that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend, the bystanders, just as Yi Young had predicted, turned their focus back to their own drinking circles.
Their conversation, which stretched on for an entire hour, concluded with Yi Young’s words of admiration.
“Ah… truly, your martial knowledge runs so deep. This has been excellent instruction.”
“I’m glad to have been of help.”
“I am grateful indeed. May I trouble you with one final question?”
“…What is it?”
Yi Young asked, his expression free of malice.
“It seemed you were acquainted with Jegal Mu Heun. Once we finish here today, do you have plans to gather together to celebrate the first day of the tournament?”
“…Why do you ask that?”
“Oh, merely idle curiosity. I’ve come to admire powerful martial artists. I find myself curious about the relationships between such masters.”
“…”
Dokgo Hyeon regarded Yi Young with an unreadable expression, drained a cup of wine, and answered.
“I’m not sure if we’ll drink more, but we’ll meet. We are indeed close.”
“Ah! I see! Thank you for answering!”
Yi Young bowed his head in gratitude, as if deeply appreciative of the instruction.
With that question, Dokgo Hyeon and Yi Young stepped outside and walked until they reached the fork in the path that led to their respective lodgings.
And the moment that fork appeared.
“Today I’m truly grateful. This is the item I promised you.”
Yi Young withdrew something precious-looking, wrapped in crimson silk, from his robe and handed it over.
“It’s Spirit Medicine containing the very essence of the Sungkwon Sect.”
“…I see.”
Dokgo Hyeon gazed down at the red bundle and recalled what Mu Heun had told him.
-Hyeon, if they ask you about your relationship with me and present you with something, take that object immediately and run to the lodgings where our clan is staying.
Certainty had threaded through Mu Heun’s voice transmission.
-You must reach our clan’s lodgings as quickly as possible. If you’re even slightly late, Hyeon’s life could be in danger.

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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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