Chapter 8: Failed Formations and Filial Longing
Suhyeon finished his meeting with Manager Park and hopped into the van as evening fell, heading home.
"Suhyeon, where to? BBG dorm or your place?"
"Take me home, please. I want to be alone quietly for a while."
A short while later, they arrived at his villa near Gangnam Station. Suhyeon stopped by the security office to pick up his packages, then rode the elevator up to the 17th floor and entered his apartment.
The spacious living room floor was covered with stacks of books arranged in three concentric rings, forming a pattern that resembled the Bagua from the legendary River Chart and Luo Book.
At the center of what appeared to be a formation stood a brass bowl filled with rippling water.
Suhyeon carefully removed books from the outermost ring in precise order, picked up the bowl, and—like a sommelier savoring fine wine—closed his eyes tightly, sipping the water slowly.
A moment later, he opened them.
'Sigh. Another failure... No qi at all in the water. At this rate, I'm out of sharp ideas.'
Suhyeon closely examined the Water Qi Gathering Formation he had personally set up that morning before leaving home.
"Day one: basic form centered on kan—no dice. Yesterday: reinforced with dui on the outside—still failed. Today: added xun for a triple layer—failure again..."
Formations that had worked effortlessly with just a few flags in his previous life refused to activate no matter how meticulously he layered and reinforced them here. Suhyeon sank into thought.
"Water, marsh, wind—all useless... Looks like using formations to boost neigong is basically impossible in this world. What a pickle."
Sitting cross-legged on the living room floor, he pondered deeply but found no alternatives.
'Sigh. The qi in this world is just too weak fundamentally. No choice—gotta take it slow, unravel it step by step...'
Resolving himself, Suhyeon stood, unpacked his delivery box, and pulled out the medical textbook he'd ordered online, flipping through it.
'Medical knowledge organized so brilliantly. Anyone can access this advanced stuff... What an amazing world. With an incurable disease potentially striking again like in my past life, better study up now.'
He carried the book to the room he used as a makeshift study and set it on the desk.
"So much to learn: science, math, physics... Overwhelmed with study material—blissfully happy in this world."
A smile tugged at his lips at the joy of new knowledge. He returned to the living room and eyed the thick stack of scripts by the sofa.
'Gotta tackle these first. Oh, right—call Mom first.'
Pulling out his phone, Suhyeon dialed his mother, who ran a Korean restaurant in Toronto with her sister. She'd rushed to Korea after his accident but had just returned to Canada.
"Honey~ It's Mom."
"Yes, it's Suhyeon, Mom. Sorry you had to come all the way to Korea because of me and then head back—must be tough."
"Mom's just minding the counter at the restaurant—no hardship there. How's your body? Any aches from injuries? You have no idea how scared I was. You eating properly?"
"Haha, no pain, eating fine. Don't worry. Take care of your own health—get some fresh air, maybe meet a nice guy..."
"I feel bad for your late dad, but... men are more than enough for me thanks to him. As long as my son's doing well. I'm thrilled you're so mature now, even calling to check in... Mom's over the moon."
"At my age, of course I'm mature. And calling's no big deal. Haha. Need any allowance?"
"Still got what you sent last time, and Mom's earning her own. Save yours for marriage. I wanna see grandkids soon."
"A guy who skipped the military talking marriage? You're too hasty, Mom."
"Have the kid first, enlist after..."
"There you go with that nonsense again. Hanging up now. Call you soon."
"Okay, Suhyeon. Mom's so happy because of you—don't worry. Just eat well..."
"Yes, got it."
Hanging up, Suhyeon murmured to himself.
"What a wonderful woman... No other blessings in my lives, past or present, but I was born with the best mom. Sigh. Mom..."
Lost in reminiscence.
China, 1428—the third year of Emperor Xuande's reign in the Ming Dynasty.
At the foot of Longzhong Mountain in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, stood the Zhuge family estate.
The Zhuge clan, famed for Zhuge Liang of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, had scattered across the Central Plains after his death in 234. Over 700 years later, in 960, Zhuge Zhangyun united them to found the estate.
Founder Zhuge Zhangyun befriended Zhao Kuangyin, then a palace guard captain, around 952. A decade later, as a circuit intendant, Zhao founded the Song Dynasty with Zhangyun's aid. Thus backed by Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, the clan settled beneath Longzhong Mountain—where legend said Zhuge Liang once lived—and established their estate.
Over 500 years, the Zhuge family became a powerhouse across the Central Plains, its prestige enduring to this day.
In the family head's hall, a middle-aged couple argued fiercely.
A boy, still boyish, sat quietly nearby with bright, eager eyes—their son, it seemed.
The man was Zhuge Jangseong, current head of the estate. Wise beyond peers, he served as strategist for the Alliance of Five Great Families, led by the Nangong clan. Cold-tempered with an icy face, renowned for secretive schemes, he was dubbed the "Cold-Faced Schemer" by the martial world.
Before him sat his wife, Seomun Hyejeong—the only one who could scold the frosty patriarch. From the Seomun clan, one of the Five Great Families, she was compassionate, treating all kindly and handling matters gently.
Yet her martial prowess was legendary: in her youth, clad in blue robes, she became the Blue-Clothed Demon, a wrathful protector of the weak, inking villains' faces in fury. The supreme female expert of her time.
Patriarch Zhuge Jangseong addressed his wife.
"Read this report I've received. It's the evaluation from the Five Gates Exam, overseen by my uncle himself."
"Our estate's rule: passing one jia and four bing in the four-tier jia-yi-bing-ding system permits debut in the martial world. Look at Su-bin’s results."
Zhuge Jangseong read aloud dramatically, holding the report.
Martial (wu): Jia
Scripture (jing): Jia
Formation (zhen): Jia
Medicine (yi): Jia
Arts (yi): Jia
All five gates: Jia.
Glancing at his wife, he continued.
"And behold the assessment by Elder Zhuge Daepyeong—our gatekeeper, my uncle, and estate elder."
"Exceptional comprehension: upon hearing one, grasps ten. Possesses an eidetic memory—reads once, remembers forever. A martial talent destined to reach the pinnacle. Unrivaled arts within the estate."
"Think that's all?"
"What else?"
"'At sixteen, he passes the gates, debuts in the world, shines brightly—like our 12th patriarch Zhuge Seongun, reviver of our estate, dubbed co-founder. A talent to spread our prestige across the Central Plains.' Now do you see?"
Furious, Seomun Hyejeong glared sharply.
"See what?"
"Su-bin may be my son, but he's estate blood. For the family's glory, he must enter the martial world—soon."
She retorted with tigress ferocity.
"Zhuge Seongun debuted at sixteen—but Su-bin's only fourteen! Still needs his mother's care. If you crave glory so badly, go yourself—crush the demonic cults. Die out there, and I won't resent a bit; I'll handle the funeral myself. How about today? I'll pack your bags right now."
"Ahem..."
"And your uncle Zhuge Daepyeong, who praised him so? I asked to see him too! Where is he? I'll pack for him to join you in the world. Tell me where—now!"
"Ahem..."
"You mocking me? No more 'ahems'—answer!"
"Ahem..."
Suhyeon snapped from reverie with a wry smile.
'Mom won that one—I debuted at sixteen. When I died young, she must've grieved terribly, wept oceans... Can't see her now, even if I want to.'
Turning to the scripts, his voice low and misty, he murmured.
"This life, no tears for Mom. Filial piety, long life together..."