Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Translator: Penny
Chapter 52
Near Yangfu Hermitage, where the boundary line was drawn.
It was late at night, but a few disciples of the Wudang Sect were patrolling with torches in hand, in case anyone approached without knowing and was put in danger.
Rustle.
The Daoist was startled when he heard the sound of dry leaves crunching in the pitch darkness and raised his torch.
"Who's there?"
The sudden noise made his voice tense and his body flinch.
After a while, it was Zhuge Munhyeon who appeared in the firelight.
"You've all worked hard."
"Ah, you are from the Zhuge Clan."
These disciples could not possibly know the face of Zhuge Munhyeon.
They just judged it by looking at his clothes.
"What brings you here tonight?"
"I have a few things to check."
"Check? Tonight?"
"Yes."
"We didn't receive any such instructions..."
"Of course."
"Wait?"
Although the other disciples frowned, Zhuge Munhyeon smiled brightly.
It's hard to sneak in. The patrol team is too close to the entrance of the cave. There's a way to knock them down and enter, but right now, I am Zhuge Munhyeon. Even if I'm the type of person who doesn't care about the means and methods to achieve my goal, I must first persuade them with words. Knocking them down comes later.
"No one gave me the order. I came here because something was bothering me."
"Ah..."
He let out a small sigh, his expression embarrassed.
He knew that too. He had started from the very bottom of the martial world and risen to the top, but how could he not understand the feelings of those below him? As a frog that remembers his tadpole days, he could clearly see the thoughts in the minds of the two disciples. An unexpected visitor. Wouldn't it be a waste of time to send him in and risk getting in trouble?
Dealing with these guys isn't difficult. I know how you feel. I, too, am a person who lives at the bottom like you and gossips about my superiors behind their backs. Just letting them know that is enough.
"Are you tired of staying up late at night?"
"No."
"Hey, I know. It's always like that with the middle-generation disciples."
"..."
"If they were to assign the first generation, it wouldn't be appropriate for their status, and if they were to assign the third generation, they would be too young and could cause trouble... I heard the second generation always gets the dirty work?"
"That, that is..."
"The higher-ups really need to understand this... Isn't it strange? They must have spent their days as second-generation disciples too. Have they forgotten... Even if they don't bring me a cup of tea to console me for my late-night hard work, a warm 'You've worked hard' would be enough."
As he clicked his tongue and shook his head with a sullen expression, the wariness on the faces of the two disciples faded.
Alright, now it's time to show off my connections.
"Paternal Uncle Yeonghwa! He earnestly requested that I find the Virtuous Celestial's Clear Yang Sword as soon as possible, but thinking of the hard-working disciples makes me sleepy."
"...Yes? Yes, Paternal Uncle Yeonghwa?"
"Huh? Didn't you know? I received a blessing from my uncle the moment I was born."
"Has something like that happened to you?"
"Yes. Maybe that's why I feel so familiar with the Wudang Sect. It's like a spiritual home, like family."
"ah..."
"That's why I came. To finish the repairs to the Secret Cave as soon as possible, so I can relieve Paternal Uncle Yeonghwa's worries and ease the hardships of the disciples. You probably don't have time to train anymore."
"Oh, I see."
The two senior disciples nodded almost unconsciously.
"May I take a look for a moment?"
"That is..."
"It'll only take a moment. It's just a matter of checking the entrance anyway. It's not particularly dangerous... I tend to have trouble sleeping when I'm worried about something."
The look of worry was evident.
"What should I do with this?"
"Then I will report it to the higher-ups."
"See? Tonight?"
"Yes?"
"Won't you get scolded? For waking them up over something so trivial? Can't you, the so-called 'Top Disciples,' even make that kind of judgment on your own?... I think I would be like that..."
"..."
As he glanced at their expressions, the disciples whispered to each other, observing his face.
As you get older, your skills improve. One of them is the ability to read people's minds just by looking at their expressions. Looking at the expressions on the disciples' faces, I knew exactly what they were going to say.
"Are you really only looking at the entrance?"
"Of course. Of course."
"Um... Okay."
Permission granted. This is just a very small thing to them.
"First, light the fire... and don't follow me. Stay away. Even though it's a dead mechanism, sometimes things that haven't been activated move."
"Alright."
As he approached the Secret Cave, Zhuge Munhyeon suddenly thought:
This is clearly wrong. I didn't get permission. Even if I offer the Clear Yang Sword, it's natural that problems will arise. But how can I endure this? A year? I don't have the patience to wait that long. However, I shouldn't harm others because of my actions. Responsibility must be borne alone. Because these disciples are innocent.
"Oh, and if anything goes wrong, don't worry about being held accountable. Just say that Zhuge Munhyeon suddenly showed up and acted without permission, that he acted without warning and was so reckless you couldn't stop him. Be sure to say that. This was all done by Zhuge Munhyeon alone."
"Huh? What is that?"
"I think you'll understand if I say so. Those of you from my family know my curious nature."
Zhuge Munhyeon looked back and smiled, but the other disciples didn't understand at first.
But before they could ask, Zhuge Munhyeon walked towards the Secret Cave.
Even looking at that sight, I wondered if anything bad could happen. Even though he was holding a shovel in his hand, what could he do alone...? Didn't they tell us from above that even if all the members of the Zhuge family joined in, it would take at least a year? That's why they told us to prepare for patrol. But why did he say that? He said he was just going to look at the outside... Unknowingly? Recklessly?
"Hey, really?"
The moment he glanced at it, he couldn't believe it.
Shovel, shovel!
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had approached the cave, dug up the dirt at an incredible speed and then went into the cave that was now exposed.
"..."
For a while, the disciples stared blankly at the shovel rolling on the ground, having lost its master.
And then.
Urrr!
The ground nearby shook slightly with a loud noise.
Only then did the disciples fully grasp the meaning of Zhuge Munhyeon's words.
Without realizing it... Reckless...
The thought that ran through the minds of the mountain Daoists as they gazed at each other was always the same. No matter how diligently they practiced Daoism, only one thought remained.
Oh, we're fucked.
Taiji Cave, nestled atop Yangfu Hermitage.
Once a sacred place where many Daoists practiced perfection, its fame had long since faded.
Because the Heavenly Demon died there.
Did they think something was contaminated?
But even though the rocks were neglected, covered with moss, and grass grew wild between them, there were still people who could not hide their curiosity.
The first time Mujin visited was when he was struggling against the wall of Ejection Qi.
A wall that could not be overcome no matter how hard he tried.
He had the idea of going to Taiji Cave, where past investigators had practiced perfection.
And on the day when heavy rain fell and the Virtuous Celestial's cave collapsed, a phrase hidden inside the Taiji Cave was revealed.
Crazy Soul Art.
This was what the Heavenly Demon left behind.
His heart raced as if he had seen something he shouldn't have seen.
It was something he should have turned away from, but he couldn't overcome the desire for martial arts that had dug deep into his heart.
And he saw.
Anger and burning sensation. Let your blood boil with hatred and burn with anger. The blood moon fills the sky. Then your latent nature will awaken, and the bloody moonlight will fill the sky.
For a moment, his entire body trembled as if struck by lightning.
His heart pounded as if it would burst, and the entire world turned blood red.
Mujin, sensing the murderous intent burning like an active volcano, fought back by constantly repeating the Six Yang Divine Art.
The moment he barely suppressed his killing intent, he broke through the wall.
It was a world-changing event.
The world he had seen so far seemed different, as if it had all been a lie.
From that day on, Mujin hid his achievements.
It was because when he raised his internal energy, his blood and killing intent were out of control.
He gained martial arts skills but became estranged from the Wudang Sect.
Mujin also began to devour the scriptures of the Scripture Repository, like a man obsessed with letters...
Because he had to solve a problem that was happening to his body.
But all along, someone inside his heart was whispering in his ear, urging him on.
Take it out. Don't lock yourself up.
Drawn by that voice, Mujin knew he shouldn't go, but he went to the abandoned Taiji Cave at night when everyone was asleep.
He rummaged through the lush grass and searched the area as if he was on a treasure hunt.
He kept knocking and breaking things, thinking that maybe if the wall collapsed he would be able to find it.
As dawn broke, he struggled with feelings of emptiness and regret. He thought this was wrong, so he recited Daoist scriptures day and night.
After all that effort in self-cultivation, he finally managed to suppress his desires and not visit Taiji Cave for several months...
Why was that?
"Zhuge Munhyeon..."
The moment their eyes met, his blood surged wildly, and he had to recite the Six Yang Divine Art.
Finally, he found Taiji Cave again.
He pushed through the overgrown grass as if intoxicated by a drug that made his mind dizzy.
Even though he knew there was nothing there...
...however.
Urrr!
Suddenly, the entire Taiji Cave shook as if it were about to collapse, accompanied by a noise that seemed to come from deep within the ground.
"What... what is this?"
It was at that moment that Mujin, who had suddenly regained his senses, looked towards the entrance of Taiji Cave.
Urrr.
His head turned on its own.
Part of the inner wall of Taiji Cave collapsed.
And another phrase hidden within it was imprinted on his eyes:
"Let your blood boil with hatred and burn with rage. Then your latent nature will awaken, and a bloody moonlight will fill the sky. Demonic blood will envelop your body, and madness will rule your soul..."
Mujin muttered as if possessed.
"The five desires and seven emotions shall fuel the flames of wicked rage, and all sounds shall become the roars of beasts."
As Mujin spoke, his eyes widened, and the glowing blood within them darkened, casting a crimson hue over the Taiji Cave.
"Run wild. There are no more bonds; freedom is destruction. The frenzied spirit dominates the body, and the bottomless abyss will spread out forever..."
How much time had passed?
Was it night or day now? I didn't really want to know.
After all the details of the Crazy Soul Art were engraved in his mind and he calmed down after shaking for a long time, the red light that filled Taiji Cave was gathered into Mujin's eyes.
And.
"Kuuu."
His lips parted slightly, and the cry of a beast leaping out of its newly-formed body escaped.
Anything that happened to someone unprepared for it would have unexpected consequences.
The Crazy Soul Art that the Heavenly Demon left behind was too great a burden for Mujin to bear, and it led him down the path of the devil.
"Khuhahahahaha!"
Taiji Cave was once again shaken by wild laughter.
For Mujin, intoxicated by his rampant power, reason no longer existed.
He didn't bother to use the Six Yang Divine Art to suppress his power.
As the energy spread through his limbs, filling his body, he let it remain as it filled him.
At that moment, the seething murderous intent erupted ferociously.
Mujin's crimson eyes turned towards the outskirts of Taiji Cave, and his transformed form shot out, leaving behind a streak of blood.
📝 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