Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Translator: Penny
Episode 23
"Munho!"
"You've arrived?"
Shortly after the war ended, Branch Head Zhuge Cheong and Third Cohort Leader Jeokun of the Black Tiger Corps arrived with reinforcements, alerted by the horn signaling an attack.
"The Honyeon Faction bastards..."
"They've been annihilated."
"Huh? Annihilated?"
"Yes. Yeom Sangcheol of the Jujube Sun Great Moon Blade and all fifty of his warriors are dead."
Zhuge Cheong, who had rushed to the scene without fully assessing the situation, wore a bewildered expression.
Now that he looked closer, all the corpses were indeed wearing the Honyeon Faction's uniforms.
I thought we had merely repelled them... I assumed they had fled when they saw no enemies left. Annihilated?
"A great victory! The Deputy Branch Head personally beheaded Yeom Sangcheol!"
At the words of Gokcheon, a Branch warrior who had finished collecting the bodies, Zhuge Cheong could only blink in astonishment.
But his face soon brightened.
"Well done! Truly well done! You saved so many lives."
"Indeed. I knew the Deputy Branch Head's achievements were extraordinary, but to kill Yeom Sangcheol, who was notorious throughout Northern Hubei? The Main Clan will be overjoyed when they hear this."
Zhuge Cheong and even Jeokun showered him with praise, but Zhuge Munho's expression remained somber.
This isn't my accomplishment. Zhuge Munhyeon deserves the credit. If not for him, we would have been the ones lying dead here, not Yeom Sangcheol and the Honyeon Faction warriors.
"Munhyeon's assistance made this possible."
"Hmm?"
"If Zhuge Munhyeon, the son of our Paternal Uncle from the Byeongju Hall, hadn't arrived in time to help, we would have been the ones who died."
"What are you talking about?"
"He's the one who did it. He helped the Branch warriors defeat fifty Honyeon Faction warriors. He also helped me kill Yeom Sangcheol."
"..."
The smiles vanished from their faces as they turned to Zhuge Munhyeon, who was standing nearby.
He was an apprentice of the Byeongju Hall.
But how could this be?
"You brat! What have you been up to? Do you know how worried I was?"
"Enough nagging... It's all resolved now, isn't it?"
"Is that all you have to say? What if you had gotten hurt? What would I have reported to the Head of the Byeongju Hall?"
"Ugh, stop shouting. My ears are ringing. Nagging should have its limits."
Typical Scholar, they thought. Always so worried about everything.
Zhuge Munhyeon grimaced and picked at his ear as Yeo Mungi continued to nag.
Zhuge Munho watched the scene with a wry smile before speaking again.
"His skill has already reached the Peak Stage."
"The Peak Stage? You mean Ejection Qi?"
"Yes. I saw it myself."
"..."
Zhuge Munhyeon was speechless.
If Zhuge Munho claimed to have witnessed it, he couldn't dismiss it. But the boy was only fifteen years old.
Reaching the Peak Stage before even undergoing his coming-of-age ceremony?
Was he saying this boy's skill rivaled that of the Main Clan Elders? Could there possibly be a martial artist with such extraordinary talent anywhere in the Martial World?
Even if he had undergone Marrow Cleansing and Bone Washing since birth, it seemed impossible to achieve such mastery so quickly.
Then why had he joined the Byeongju Hall as an apprentice?
With martial arts skills at that level, he should have started his apprenticeship in the Black Tiger Corps...
And why hasn't word of this spread yet?
"Hey, calm down first. I need to go talk to the higher-ups."
Still reeling from the shock, Zhuge Cheong stared blankly as Zhuge Munhyeon, having separated from Yeo Mungi, approached the Command Post and bluntly asked, "What are you going to do now?"
"Huh?"
"We've been attacked, haven't we?"
"Ah..."
The answer didn't come immediately.
Zhuge Cheong hadn't even had time to process his thoughts about Zhuge Munhyeon yet.
"We should retaliate, of course, right?"
"What?"
"Retaliation. The Main Clan's warriors were killed, weren't they? And innocent workers too."
"Ah!"
Finally snapping out of his daze, Zhuge Cheong took a moment to catch his breath.
The shock had been that severe.
"First, we'll return to the Yanghyeon Branch."
"Huh?"
"Even though we were attacked, we can't rashly retaliate."
"Wait, what kind of..."
Zhuge Munhyeon's irritation flared, but he quickly clamped his mouth shut.
He's actually become a real person.
He nearly snapped, "What kind of dogshit is that?"
But returning to the branch?
Shouldn't they retaliate immediately after being attacked?
Barely managing to calm himself, Zhuge Munhyeon asked, his tone dripping with displeasure, "Why?"
"Why what?"
"In situations like this, shouldn't we retaliate immediately?"
"Hmm..."
Zhuge Cheong hesitated for a moment.
If this had been mere childish bluster from a fifteen-year-old, he would have immediately scolded him.
Why is someone who knows nothing sticking their nose in?
"Munhyeon! Watch your tongue."
Just like Jeokun now.
"I'm asking why you're hesitating. If the Cohort Leader isn't going to answer, then step aside."
Though the words were polite, Jeokun couldn't help but flinch at the fierce glare.
It was an action that would naturally make anyone frown, but Zhuge Cheong couldn't scold him.
Even if it was the behavior of a petty man, there was nothing he could do.
That's just how people are.
Now that he had witnessed Munhyeon's skill, he couldn't treat him carelessly.
Moreover, Munhyeon was a descendant of the Zhuge Family who had achieved feats worthy of praise for ten or twenty days straight, and his talent was among the most remarkable in the world.
Having proven his abilities and accomplished such great deeds, it was only natural that he couldn't contain his overflowing youthful energy.
Hadn't he once been the same?
And now, at the cusp of adolescence...
"Hmph, I've heard of your exceptional skills, so I have no doubt you're capable. You even helped repel an attack by fifty enemies. Having already reached the Peak Stage, you're stronger than I am. But war isn't as simple as you think."
"..."
"I understand you don't want to back down. But our current situation isn't good."
Zhuge Cheong explained calmly, but Zhuge Munhyeon could only scoff.
Is this Branch Head trying to lecture me? Me, who has fought fiercely my entire life in the Demonic Cult, where the strong survive and the weak perish?
"Let's head back for now. I'll explain everything when we get there. We need to treat the wounded, don't we?"
"..."
Zhuge Cheong smiled reassuringly, but Zhuge Munhyeon gritted his teeth, his face twisting into a scowl.
Damn it. With the Branch Head acting like this, I can't stubbornly insist on my way... Fine, I'll listen to whatever explanation he has.
Zhuge Clan's Yanghyeon Branch.
When Zhuge Munhyeon returned, leaving only a few warriors to monitor the Honyeon Faction's movements at the border, the branch erupted in cheers.
Rumors of their decisive victory had already spread.
Despite the endless congratulations, Zhuge Munhyeon's face remained twisted with barely suppressed rage.
In the past, he would have charged in without hesitation.
He wouldn't have cared about the situation or anything else. He would have smashed through the Honyeon Faction's main gate, stormed inside, and personally severed the Faction Leader's head.
An eye for an eye, doubled.
That was the Demonic Cult's way.
But now that he was a member of the Zhuge Clan, he had no choice but to seethe inwardly.
This damned clan, always overthinking everything.
"Munhyeon."
"Yes."
At Zhuge Cheong's call, Zhuge Munhyeon crossed his arms and replied curtly.
"Do you see it?"
"..."
"This map illustrates the current power dynamics of the Zhuge Clan."
The map spread across the table depicted Yungjungsan at its center, with the surrounding areas schematically represented.
But something about its layout...
A scaled landscape?
It was identical to the miniature terrain model in the Central Courtyard of Byeongju Hall.
"Do you see the marked factions around the periphery?"
"Yes."
"Those represent the Heretical Factions currently surrounding the Zhuge Clan."
"..."
To the west, Wudang occupied the largest territory, while the south and east were marked with the forces of four Heretical Factions, each of similar scale.
Zhuge Clan branches stood in opposition at the points where these factions converged.
"This map illustrates the current situation facing the Zhuge Clan."
"..."
"Judging by your expression, the Head of Byeongju Hall hasn't yet explained the strategic implications to you."
Zhuge Munhyeon stared blankly at the map, his face swollen and bruised, as the other man spoke with a bitter smile.
Yes, compared to the Zhuge Clan, the Honyeon Faction is a relatively small force. But that's only when considering the Main Clan as a whole. In situations where the Main Clan can't intervene, the Branch alone can't possibly stand against the Honyeon Faction.
"Is the Main Clan unable to intervene because of other factions?"
"Exactly."
Munhyeon understood. The Zhuge Clan had grown so weak that its two Warrior Corps had been merged into one.
"That's why establishing the Formation was so crucial for us."
"Hmm. The flood damage to the Formation must have been their opportunity."
"Correct. But I believe there's more to this attack than just that."
"Is there another reason?"
"An alliance."
"An alliance?"
"Yes. Those four are the kind who would join hands at any time for their own benefit."
"I see. So this attack wasn't just a coincidence?"
"Correct. Even if their stated goal was to disrupt the Formation's construction, the Honyeon Faction wouldn't have mobilized fifty warriors for a mere raid without allying with other forces."
"Hmm."
I understood the situation to some extent. To fight the Honyeon Faction, the Branch would inevitably need support from the Main Clan. However, excessive reliance on reinforcements would leave us vulnerable to attacks from other factions. We could risk losing other Branches or even endangering the Main Clan itself.
"Is thirty the maximum number of warriors the Main Clan can support?"
"Yes."
The number of warriors in the Maintenance Team. Thirty warriors, including Third Cohort Leader Jeokun. It wasn't the number that mattered, but the alarmingly low level of their skills. This was likely the real reason for their hesitation to attack. Zhuge... you've truly grown weak.
As Munhyeon frowned, Zhuge Cheong spoke.
"First, the Main Clan is working to overcome this crisis."
"The Eight Trigrams Formation, I presume?"
"Indeed. You must have seen it at Byeongju Hall."
Zhuge Munhyeon slowly nodded.
Now he understood why Byeongju Hall was deploying the Eight Trigrams Formation around Yungjungsan for protection.
They were fortifying the Main Clan into an Impregnable Fortress before dealing with external enemies.
Once the Eight Trigrams Formation was complete, the Main Clan would become an Impregnable Fortress. Having already attempted to breach it in the past, he knew its defensive capabilities all too well.
Zhuge had been preparing for the future in his own way.
His plan was likely to protect the Main Clan with the Eight Trigrams Formation and then systematically crush their enemies one by one.
But...
"It's incomplete."
"I know."
"We don't even know when it will be finished."
"We have to hold out somehow."
"Hold out..."
A self-deprecating smile crept across Zhuge Munhyeon's lips.
"Branch Head."
"Speak."
"Will the Honyeon Faction wait for us?"
"What?"
"Didn't you say yourself that our enemies might have secretly formed an alliance?"
"Th-that's..."
"Why else would they launch such a massive assault to prevent us from rebuilding the formation on the mountain ridge?"
"..."
Zhuge Cheong had no answer.
Zhuge Munhyeon's words resonated like ripples, shaking his heart and leaving a flicker of unease in his eyes.
Could they be so foolish as not to realize? Impossible. They are the Zhuge Clan. Once, they had ruled the world. But they had fallen into decline, leaving them without experience in the current era. Having been constantly plundered and preoccupied with protecting what little they had, they must have chosen more stable and less vulnerable methods. Even managing their clan, let alone the world, is overwhelming. The Eight Trigrams Formation might never be completed, yet they're just waiting for it to be finished—it's almost laughable. It's like everyone else is using long branches to knock down persimmons, while they're lying under the tree with their mouths open, waiting for the fruit to fall...
"Branch Head, if we ignore the rats stealing a few grains from the granary... one day, they'll empty the entire sack."
"..."
"The key is to raid the rats' nest and eliminate the root of the problem."
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny