Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Translator: Penny
Chapter 55
Yeonghwa couldn't kill him. He was a disciple who hadn't yet fully blossomed. But because of something that damned human, the Heavenly Demon, had hidden in Taegeuk Cave, the promising Mujin became infected with demonic power.
He was at an age when one was still growing up. Although he had been a Daoist for a long time, he still lacked self-discipline and was unable to restrain himself. Who hadn't been seized by the urge to become stronger? Even though he knew it was a path he shouldn't take, he couldn't resist because the way to become stronger was right in front of him.
Still, he was still saveable. Even though he was intoxicated by demonic power, he retained his sanity and did not take the lives of his fellow disciples. So Yeonghwa couldn't bring himself to order a killing blow. He was thinking of subduing him. He guessed they hadn't been able to suppress him yet because of the thought of showing favoritism to their own disciple.
But would that be easy? When consumed by demonic power, one drew out all of their potential and became several times stronger than their original strength. Even if all the elders clung to him and tried to subdue him, it would be difficult. Because they didn't intend to kill him; they intended to save him. It would be absurd if Munhyeon appeared in the midst of all this and said there was a way to save him.
"What do you mean? You're the only one who knows how to save him?"
"I don't think we have time to explain."
"What?"
"If we leave this as it is, he'll enter the realm of the True Demon. Then there's no stopping him. We'll have to watch as he burns his source and dies."
Just like martial arts, there were stages to falling into demonic power: Entry (Ipma), Truth (Jinma), Ruin (Pyema), and Ash (Hwema). Become possessed by the devil, become a true demon, lose your strength, and crumble like ash.
Mujin was just eighteen.
It was still the beginning.
But the blood-red energy was growing darker.
Crimson energy flowed outward from his body in all directions, like bright red blood.
He'll reach the True Demon stage soon. Left unchecked, he will grow stronger, cause immense destruction, and then self-destruct, like ashes consumed by fire.
"...Are you really saying you know how to save that child?"
"Yes, I do."
"How on earth?"
"I know. Please take care of this for now. I don't want this thing, which I worked so hard to obtain, to break."
"What is this?"
What he handed to Yeonghwa were a sword and a pouch.
"These are the Clear Yang Sword and the ashes of the Virtuous Celestial."
"What, what did you say?"
While Yeonghwa was still reeling from shock, Mujin reached out to the elders without hesitation, as if annoyed by his current confinement.
Oh my god!
The encirclement shook with a deafening roar as the demonic qi surging from him tore through the plants and trees.
"Ugh..."
The warriors, already at the peak of their power, groaned and grimaced under the swirling demonic energy.
The momentum grew stronger and stronger.
Having already acquired a vicious and murderous aura, the possibility of subduing him diminished even further.
"Damn it, I'm running out of time! I have to go now, even if you don't allow me to!"
"Hey, Munhyeon!"
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had handed over the Clear Yang Sword and the pouch of remains to Yeonghwa, threw himself into the sword formation.
The demonic possession was already nearing its end.
The moment he crossed that line, the fake would become real.
The Wudang elders who cared about their disciples would hesitate to act, and someone would die. And Mujin would not survive.
He had no choice but to stop it.
"Oh no!"
"What the heck is this!"
The elders were shocked and shouted at the sight of Zhuge Munhyeon suddenly entering the formation.
Jumping into a formation that had already been deployed and was exerting its power was no different from committing suicide.
But I am a Zhuge Clan's son. Did I learn formations all this time for nothing?
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had grasped the flow of the formation in a single breath, approached Mujin.
"What is this...?"
The elders were startled by the sudden turn of events.
"Elders! Let's expand the formation!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Please."
"Master of Yuzhen Palace!"
"...Let's trust that kid. I'll take responsibility," Yeonghwa said through gritted teeth.
Trusting people.
Sometimes, even after decades of close friendship, trust could be lost.
Wasn't it said you can know the depth of ten fathoms of water but not the depth of one fathom of a person?
But the Clear Yang Sword in his hand...
What had happened? Baekmu had said it would take at least a year to dismantle each mechanism one by one... And what about the remains of the Virtuous Celestial? Did that mean the child went into the cave alone?
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but before he could dwell on them, he saw Zhuge Munhyeon's eyes speaking to him.
A strange sense of anticipation arose.
Even though it hasn't been that long since I saw him, I wonder if it's possible.
In any case, it was a situation where no other method came to mind.
Aside from killing Mujin...
Did Yeonghwa convey his complex emotions of gritting his teeth and gripping the sword?
The Wudang elders, frowning and worrying, slowly expanded the scope of their formation.
From suppression to containment. The purpose of the formation had shifted from subduing him to blocking his path to prevent escape.
Whew, if it weren't for Yeonghwa, this would have been a disaster.
As the atmosphere of the formation shifted and the surroundings fell silent, Zhuge Munhyeon sighed in relief.
But now wasn't the time for amazement; he had to save Mujin.
The jaws of death... I might end up getting eaten.
Though he felt the eyes of others watching him, Zhuge Munhyeon focused solely on Mujin.
Krrr... ... .
Suddenly, the pressure that had been weighing him down vanished, and Mujin felt relieved. He growled like an animal and glared at Zhuge Munhyeon.
What is this thing? Why is it acting so darn cute in front of me? Should I play with it? Or should I kill it?
It was a look of worry, like that of a well-fed animal.
Damn it... What kind of bully is this? After suffering to death in the Secret Cave, I had to deal with a man who had fallen into demonic possession and turned into a beast right after I came out. What can I do? As someone once said, I have to clean up my own mess.
"You said Mujin, right?"
"..."
"It's going to hurt a little from now on. You're going to get really angry... But I'm trying to save you, so don't act too wild. Okay?"
Zhuge Munhyeon, who had explained the situation even though it was unlikely anyone would hear him anyway, slowly took a stance.
Right now, Mujin's power rivals that of a master of Aura Qi. Originally, madmen are strong. He will pour out everything he has and will not hesitate to commit murder. But a beast that has lost its senses remains true to its instincts. If I use that well... First, I must sever his meridians so that he can no longer be tainted by the demonic power.
When Zhuge Munhyeon lowered his posture, Mujin flinched and took a step back.
Instinct warned him:
It's dangerous.
Perhaps because of this, the crimson light flowing from his eyes intensified.
Krrr... ... .
The moment he let out a low growl, sounding his warning, Zhuge Munhyeon kicked off the ground and slid down swiftly.
And he split.
It was the seventh form of the Heavenly Mechanism Evasive Steps, the True Illusion Wandering Form (Jinhwan Yuche), so fast it resembled the afterimage-leaving movements of the Shifting Position Wandering Form (Hwanhyeong Yubo).
Kwaaaaah!
The moment Zhuge Munhyeon moved, Mujin immediately retaliated.
The afterimage of demonic energy struck by the blood-red aura was just that—an afterimage.
The so-called bait.
Zhuge Munhyeon, having exploited the opening, stabbed Mujin's forehead deeply with his finger.
Phew!
The acupoint for the meridian, forcibly opened by the demonic power. Stop the flow... ... Huh?
Zhuge Munhyeon's eyes widened, thinking he had succeeded.
It was because Mujin's hand, which should have been hesitating, was striking his side.
Damn, this kid is so hot-headed.
Zhuge Munhyeon quickly covered his side with his forearm.
Pfft!
His body flew like a thrown stone and crashed to the ground.
The impact was severe, but being slammed into the ground was truly the worst. In the process, he hit a broken tree, a rock...
"Ugh."
The shock felt like every bone in his body was being crushed and his muscles were being torn apart.
"Ugh!"
Zhuge Munhyeon spat out the gushing blood without holding back.
As the Wudang elders, startled by the sight, tried to narrow down their formation, Yeonghwa shouted urgently.
"Wait a minute! Just wait a minute!"
"Master of Yuzhen Palace! What are you talking about? If you keep this up, the son of the Zhuge family could die!"
"The movement of Mujin..."
"What?"
At Yeonghwa's words, the elders turned to look at Mujin.
He, who had struck Zhuge Munhyeon, was staring at his chest with a furious expression.
Something had changed.
The moment Zhuge Munhyeon had stabbed him in the eye.
"It fucking hurts. I almost lost my head. I should have been a little more gentle..."
Then Zhuge Munhyeon stood up, spitting blood-mixed saliva onto the ground.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Not bad."
"..."
Despite his words, Zhuge Munhyeon stumbled slightly.
It really hurt.
To the point where he had briefly lost consciousness.
But it was effective enough.
I severed the meridian to prevent the demon from running wild any longer, so this is probably all the strength he has left. Krrr... ... . Don't bark so threateningly, you punk. I know you're angry. But when I was young, I trained a few guys who were crazy and ran wild, right? From now on, I'll sever every trace of demonic power in your body.
Zhuge Munhyeon flew into action again.
After several seconds of fierce combat, he stabbed Mujin in the same spot on his body, cutting off his meridians.
Whoa!
He was kicked and sent rolling across the ground.
He must have vomited a bucketful of blood.
Yet, the bloodshot eyes of Mujin had noticeably diminished. Perhaps regaining some sense, Mujin paused his attack and shook his head vigorously.
There are five places left now... Will it work? If we keep going back and forth like this, I'm going to be the one to die first. Should I ask for help now?
It was then that he glanced at Yeonghwa.
"As expected! I knew this would happen."
Zhuge Munho and Gwan Hwipyeong had joined Yeonghwa.
Guys, you came after me because you were worried? Sometimes it's okay to take in a 'black-haired beast.'
"What's going on with you guys?"
"I followed Munhyeon. It seemed like he was planning to help the Wudang Sect."
"I see..."
"How is it going?"
"I don't know what method he's using, but it seems to be effective."
"Phew, that's a relief."
"Hmm... But I guess I should help now..."
At Yeonghwa's words, Zhuge Munhyeon nodded.
I was going to say that anyway, but I'm glad he already noticed. Right now, there's no place in my arms, legs, back, or knees that doesn't hurt. My stomach feels nauseous.
Therefore...
"Huh? Helping?"
"Munhyeon's wound is deep. The blood is black, indicating a serious internal injury."
But Zhuge Munho spoke with an expression that suggested this was absurd.
"Paternal Uncle, Munhyeon isn't that kind of person."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't you know that guy's true feelings? He considers you his uncle."
"I know that."
"Why would he face it alone? He could have easily asked for help. It's because he believes he alone can resolve this situation. He also judged that interfering with others could be dangerous."
"Is that so? So you know what method that child is using?"
"I don't know about that. He's so exceptional that he can't even compare to us, and he knows a lot of things I never thought possible."
"Ah..."
"So, please protect the pride of the man who sacrificed himself for the Wudang Sect. I've been watching him closely for a long time. He's more than capable of doing it on his own."
"Hmm..."
Yeonghwa, who seemed to be pondering, soon nodded.
And Zhuge Munho looked at Zhuge Munhyeon with an expression that revealed his firm determination.
Munhyeon, I know your heart. Are you planning to solve this alone and make the Wudang Sect feel indebted to the Zhuge family?
He barely managed to stop Yeonghwa from interfering.
Zhuge Munhyeon looked at him with a hazy gaze as he conveyed his message with those eyes.
Oh, that dog...
"Munhyeon! You can do it!"
"..."
Don't cheer me on, you son of a bitch!
📝 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