The Fortunate Sword God of the Zhuge Clan - Chapter 61

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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 61.
Three Family Heads who knew of the Black Guard’s existence.
Namkoong Cheon, Jegal Cheonseong, and Dang Somuk gathered in one place and summoned Yang Mujin.
They wanted to hear directly from the man involved exactly what had transpired.
“Indeed, Mu Heun’s eye was true.”
After hearing the full report, Jegal Cheonseong smiled with satisfaction.
Yet Yang Mujin still smacked his lips as if he regretted something.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t bring him back alive.”
Though he hadn’t managed to capture Heuk Gon, there was no reproach for that failure.
“This alone is a great gain for us. We’ve confirmed the existence of a Peak Realm Martial Artist beyond the four second-rate fighters, learned the effects of the Elixir Pills they possess, and uncovered their ability to eliminate operatives remotely.”
Jegal Cheonseong nodded and continued his praise.
“Above all, Peak Realm Martial Artists are hardly common—you’ve dealt a serious blow to the enemy’s forces. Excellent work, Yang. Truly worthy of the Yang Family legacy.”
“…Thank you.”
Moved by Jegal Cheonseong’s kindness in honoring his clan’s name, Yang Mujin smiled and offered a respectful salute.
Jegal Cheonseong stroked his beard and offered a gentle smile.
“It’s I who should offer thanks.”
“Sir?”
“Until now I’ve spoken as the Cheon응 Group’s military commander, but now I speak as a father.”
He was referring to how Yang Mujin had kept information about Mu Heun from reaching the enemy.
“Thank you for protecting our second son, Yang.”
“I merely did what was expected of me as commander of the Cheon응 Group.”
“Not everyone can do their duty with such steadiness—of this I am well aware.”
Jegal Cheonseong offered a respectful salute in return.
“I hope you’ll continue to look after our second son.”
“Ah, no… you need not go so far….”
Yang Mujin looked taken aback for a moment, then let out a small laugh.
‘In truth, we’re the ones who benefit from his help.’
This whole affair had been planned by Mu Heun from the start.
Namkoong Cheon, who had been observing quietly, opened his mouth.
“If that is the case, shouldn’t we reconsider the matter of the Cheon응 Group?”
Jegal Cheonseong turned to Namkoong Cheon with a puzzled expression.
“What do you mean, Lord Namkoong?”
“Simply this: even if we grant that Peak Realm Martial Artists can be managed, if there are more of them, or if they can channel Ultimate Peak power….”
Namkoong Cheon paused, then glanced toward Dang Somuk.
“Shouldn’t the Cheon응 Group become more than just a circle of Late Stage Martial Artists—a true, seasoned armed force?”
“Ah, Lord Namkoong. That is….”
“Commander Yang, hold on.”
As Yang Mujin began to speak, Jegal Cheonseong stopped him.
“Might we first hear the opinion of Family Head Dang?”
At Jegal Cheonseong’s words, Yang Mujin too recognized Namkoong Cheon’s true concern.
Unlike Mu Heun and Namkoong Seo Ryong, who had reached the Peak Realm, Dang Chobin—the weakest of those who had joined the Cheon응 Group—was what worried Namkoong Cheon’s solicitude.
“…Yes. My apologies.”
“I appreciate your understanding.”
All eyes then turned to Dang Somuk.
Dang Somuk crossed his arms and pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I believe there is no need for such measures.”
At this unexpected answer, Namkoong Cheon’s eyes widened with interest.
“How so?”
“If the Cheon응 Group were to emerge as a disciplined martial force, the palace would be all the more likely to see through our intentions. Better to leave them viewing it as a mere fellowship of Late Stage Martial Artists, as our current plan dictates.”
Dang Somuk uncrossed his arms and continued with gravity.
“Should we continue operating under such a guise, there is no absence of peril, yet they would not dispatch multiple Peak Realm fighters as they did this time.”
“But surely, however carefully we hide, it will eventually come to light.”
“By then, the Cheon응 Group will have brought forth clear evidence that the palace itself stands behind the Black Guard. Of course….”
Dang Somuk too understood that Namkoong Cheon had been speaking of Dang Chobin.
“Chobin is still an incomplete martial artist, and moreover, he is my only son.”
“Then….”
“Yet he is the one meant to inherit the clan.”
Dang Somuk’s voice rang with conviction.
“If this is a path he has chosen himself, then I have no intention of stopping him. A successor to the Dang house must learn to weather the storms of the Central Plains. So rest assured—there is no need for concern.”
From his lips flowed the belief that had raised the Dang house to the rank of the Five Great Families.
“If that choice proves mistaken, the main house will repay it a hundredfold.”
At Dang Somuk’s answer, Namkoong Cheon broke into a faint smile and nodded.
“Good. Then we’ll keep the Cheon응 Group as it stands. And I entrust Seo Ryong to your capable hands, Commander Yang.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll do my utmost.”
“Right, right. Now then…”
Namkoong Cheon turned to Jegal Cheonseong, his mouth curling into a sly grin.
“We can’t leave everything to the younger generation, can we? Tell me, Military Strategist—didn’t you even entrust the planning itself to your son this time?”
At the playful question, Jegal Cheonseong regarded Namkoong Cheon with an expression of mild disdain.
“Are you envious that our second son is so remarkably gifted?”
“As an old friend, I’m merely concerned for the strategist’s safety in such a dangerous post.”
“Your tongue runs away with you.”
Jegal Cheonseong let out a hollow laugh and nodded.
“Of course, I can’t simply stand idle. I’ve prepared a grand scheme of my own. Crafted personally, I might add.”
***
“What sort of scheme are we talking about?”
At Dok Go Hyeon’s question, Mu Heun smiled knowingly.
“I haven’t heard the details yet, but Father devised it himself, so there’s no cause for doubt.”
He had his suspicions about the direction it might take, but lacking certainty, Mu Heun saw no reason to voice them.
“Well… I don’t doubt your father, but I’m curious all the same.”
“You’ll know soon enough. In any case, thanks to the efforts of you and the Commander, the Family Heads have given their full approval to the Cheon응 Group. So…”
Mu Heun turned his gaze toward the Martial Arts Arena.
“For now, let’s celebrate our success and focus on the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.”
Dok Go Hyeon nodded in agreement.
“True. Now I can finally fight without a care in the world.”
“Heh. I’m looking forward to it.”
“That one down there is probably thinking the same thing?”
Mu Heun gazed at Seo Ryong, who stood at the end of Dok Go Hyeon’s line of sight, and nodded.
“Without a doubt.”
***
“It is an honor to witness the swordcraft of one such as Namkoong Do Woon.”
Cheong Hwi, a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, performed a respectful fist salute.
Seo Ryong smiled and returned the gesture.
“The honor is mine—to see the renowned swordplay of Kunlun.”
“That fame belongs to our sect, not to me. I’m uncertain whether I can display its true form.”
“Surely that sentiment is mutual, is it not?”
Seo Ryong drew his sword and assumed a ready stance.
“Then let us enjoy this opportunity to test each other’s skills.”
Cheong Hwi also drew his blade.
“Yes. I look forward to it.”
The referee, confirming both were prepared, signaled to begin.
“Let a fair match decide the victor. Begin!”
In that instant, Cheong Hwi’s form shot forward toward Seo Ryong.
Despite his initial courteous words, his sword showed no hesitation.
Seo Ryong watched the blade’s path, placing his own sword where he calculated it would fall, but—
“…!”
Cheong Hwi’s blade, which had been aimed at Seo Ryong’s body, twisted its trajectory defying the laws of physics, shifting toward his face.
It was not swordcraft, but a divine footwork born from Kunlun’s steps.
The dragon wanders freely among the clouds, its path ordained.
To common human eyes, it appears as divine might.
To imitate an impossible gait is surely arrogance.
Yet knowing this, man still dares to become the dragon.
The Cloud Dragon Eight Forms—Kunlun’s foremost footwork.
Still imperfect in execution, yet answering to Kunlun’s divine technique that had held back demonic incursions for centuries, its movements were beyond the comprehension of ordinary eyes.
As Seo Ryong watched this wondrous display, he recalled the conversation he’d had with Mu Heun before ascending the arena.
Cheong Hwi is a formidable martial artist. Had Kunlun been even slightly closer to the Central Plains, I would have recruited him for the Cheon응 Group.
Seo Ryong found himself in vigorous agreement with those words.
‘Indeed, he is extraordinary.’
He had never witnessed swordcraft of this caliber before.
‘But that changes nothing.’
No matter how formidable the technique, he harbored no thought of defeat.
Clang!
Seo Ryong twisted his hand swiftly, meeting Cheong Hwi’s blade with his forearm guard.
“…You reacted to that attack?”
Cheong Hwi’s eyes widened in shock at a speed that far exceeded his expectations.
‘No matter how strong he might be compared to the main pavilion, the Namkoong swordplay shouldn’t hinge on speed…!’
The information was sound.
But this wasn’t a matter of technique—it was a matter of the man himself.
Seo Ryong’s reflexes, honed to the very peak of mastery, had long since transcended the limits of ordinary human response.
And that, in fact, was only half the problem.
“Ugh…!”
No matter how hard Cheong Hwi pushed, his blade, pressed against Seo Ryong’s forearm guard, refused to budge.
Though nothing seemed to be holding it in place.
“Hm.”
Seo Ryong steadied his breath lightly, as though it were nothing, and offered a refreshing smile.
“My turn now, I believe.”
“?”
The instant confusion crossed Cheong Hwi’s face, the world inverted.
Though he’d been staring directly into Seo Ryong’s eyes, suddenly he saw Seo Ryong’s feet instead.
Crash!
“Gack!”
Then, the shock of impact bloomed up through Cheong Hwi’s back.
Only at that moment did Cheong Hwi understand what had happened to him.
‘He threw me…while my blade was still locked against his guard?’
Cheong Hwi couldn’t begin to fathom how powerful Seo Ryong’s strength truly was.
Yet it wasn’t a matter of strength at all.
Seo Ryong had pivoted Cheong Hwi through a full arc using nothing but his center of gravity.
It was a technique that pushed the subtleties of the Namkoong’s celebrated heavy saber to their absolute limit.
Seo Ryong stood over Cheong Hwi, who lay sprawled on his back unable to rise, and asked quietly.
“Can you continue?”
Cheong Hwi looked up at him in utter disbelief, though there was no malice in his gaze.
‘…The main pavilion was never even a match for him.’
Understanding this, Cheong Hwi laughed quietly from where he lay and shook his head.
“I yield.”
At that moment, the referee called the match, and a roar surged across the Martial Arts Arena.
***
Dok Go Hyeon, who had witnessed Seo Ryong’s match, swallowed hard without thinking.
‘…On a different level entirely.’
It was talent worthy of genuine admiration.
With this tournament as the turning point, Seo Ryong had become the first martial artist ever to reach the semifinals without using a single technique.
One might argue his opponents were weaker than him, yet the last had been a promising lead disciple of the Kunlun Sect.
But that very strength was something Seo Ryong had built himself, so such reasoning was contradictory from the start.
‘Can I beat him?’
Dok Go Hyeon felt sweat forming on his palms.
Though he too was a Peak Realm martial artist and could likely have defeated Cheong Hwi, he had no confidence he could overwhelm him so thoroughly.
Or rather, if he tried hard enough, perhaps….
“Sok Hyop.”
“Huh? What?”
Mu Heun, who had been watching, broke Dok Go Hyeon’s reverie.
“I know what you’re thinking. I understand it well enough myself. Seo Ryong is indeed overwhelming.”
“…Yes, quite so.”
“But this isn’t the time to dwell on that, is it?”
“What?”
Mu Heun gestured with his finger toward the bracket instead of answering.
“…Ah.”
Dok Go Hyeon released a small sound of realization.
“Your next opponent isn’t Seo Ryong yet. After all, whether you’ll even face him remains uncertain.”
Dok Go Hyeon did not disagree.
“Right. I nearly showed discourtesy to my opponent.”
“Mm. Now that you know, that’s all that matters.”
Dok Go Hyeon studied his bracket for the next match and smiled with a hint of steel.
“…Even if I win, I should give up any thought of walking away unscathed.”
Dok Go Hyeon versus Do Woon.
***
Dok Go Hyeon steadied himself and climbed onto the Martial Arts Arena.
An opponent trained by the same master.
Recruited into the Cheon응 Group—a Late Stage Martial Artist from the illustrious Huashan Sect.
An adversary against whom even maximum effort could not guarantee victory. To face Do Woon.
‘…?’
But then a small problem arose.
“Why isn’t this fool coming up?”
Despite the referee clearly calling both competitors, Do Woon had yet to ascend onto the Martial Arts Arena.
When Do Woon failed to appear even after a moment had passed, the referee’s expression grew flustered, his head tilting back and forth in confusion.
“…If Do Woon does not appear within half a moment, I shall declare this bout a default victory for Dok Go Hyeon!”
At the referee’s words, the crowd erupted in disgruntled shouts.
“What is this nonsense! This isn’t the preliminaries—it’s the quarterfinals!”
“Exactly! Did we pay good money and secure seats just to see this?”
“Does the Huashan Sect not even keep basic time commitments?”
Mu Heun, watching from the stands, wore a bewildered expression as well.
‘Do Woon, where on earth have you gone?’
Though he often acted unpredictably, he was not the sort to disregard time.
Mu Heun was not alone in his confusion.
“This… this wretched brat…!”
Ju Wolryun, the Master of Huashan Sect, had lost his composure entirely at his disciple’s shameful conduct, which brought disgrace upon the sect’s name.
Regardless of such grievances, one could not wait forever for a Martial Artist who failed to keep time.
The referee, confirming that half a moment had nearly elapsed, was about to raise his hand to declare Dok Go Hyeon’s default victory when—
“Wait, just a moment!”
Do Woon leapt onto the Martial Arts Arena at the last second.
“I apologize for the delay! There were unavoidable circumstances! Please allow me this one chance!”
The referee was about to demand an explanation for the tardiness, but the moment he met Do Woon’s gaze, his mouth fell silent.
‘What… what kind of aura is this….’
Do Woon’s eyes burned with a fighting spirit that contradicted his innocent, endearing appearance.
It was a gaze so fierce that the referee thought if he were to deny the boy, there was no telling what he might do.
The referee cleared his throat once.
“Ahem. Do Woon. As a Martial Artist of the Orthodox Faction, you must be more mindful to prevent such occurrences in the future.”
“Yes. I apologize. I will take it to heart!”
“Very well. Prepare yourselves for the sparring.”
Having received a mild warning, Do Woon turned and bowed his head in apology to Dok Go Hyeon.
“I apologize for the delay. Dok Go Hyeon. I kept you waiting long, didn’t I?”
Dok Go Hyeon shrugged.
“If you hadn’t come, I’d have been annoyed at a default win, but since you’re here, it doesn’t matter. You must have had your reasons.”
“Hehe, thank you for understanding.”
When Do Woon looked up, Dok Go Hyeon was startled by the intensity in his eyes.
“…Hmm, it seems you’ve prepared quite thoroughly?”
Do Woon grinned at Dok Go Hyeon’s observation.
“I thought facing Dok Go Hyeon would be difficult without proper preparation!”
“I appreciate the high regard.”
Dok Go Hyeon smiled back and assumed a fighting stance.
Do Woon, in turn, drew his sword.
“Then, show me what you’ve been preparing.”
“Yes!”
The referee, confirming both combatants were ready, raised his hand.
“Begin!”
The moment the signal fell, Dok Go Hyeon concentrated all his senses to observe Do Woon’s movements.
Through eyes accustomed to the Destructive Energy Vision, everything appeared as strands of vital force.
‘…?’
Through this, Dok Go Hyeon immediately sensed that something was wrong with Do Woon’s vital force.
‘How is this possible?’
Dok Go Hyeon was not the only one to notice the anomaly.
Even the crowd, who had been watching with expressions of discontent, could perceive the change.
“…What is that?”
“Ahhh….”
Around Do Woon’s body, countless pink fragments scattered and drifted through the air.
Ordinarily such a display would be nothing more than residual traces left by a martial form, but Do Woon’s was different.
Each fragment exhaled a deep floral fragrance, and more than that—
‘Every single one is an actual attack?’
To Dok Go Hyeon’s eyes, each of those countless pink fragments—
each plum blossom petal carried the same lethal danger as a sword strike.
Cold mountain peak blooms with crimson plum blossoms.
Flower petals woven into the blade scatter and rain down like tears.
The fragrance holding life and death envelops all the heavens.
The plum blossom scent drifts on the clouds, spreading ten thousand leagues beyond.
It was the Supreme Absolute Technique of Huashan Sect—the one Do Woon had prepared for, accepting even the risk of burning his perception to the limit.
Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Twenty-Fourth Form.
Plum Blossom Ten Thousand Li Fragrance.

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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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