Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Translator: Penny
Chapter 61
The Formation inspections, conducted every three days for a month, had proven immensely beneficial to their training.
Though the entire Formation wasn't activated, even partial activation exerted a suffocating pressure. They had narrowly avoided being trapped countless times.
Why hadn't they used this excellent training method before?
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a commotion erupted behind him.
"Ugh! Help me!"
"..."
"Aaaah!"
Gwan Hwipyeong, who had been following behind, had apparently stumbled and become trapped within the Formation, causing another uproar.
He had brought them along to serve as his attendants, and this was what he got. Were they even true descendants of the Zhuge Clan? Even with Iron Weights on their limbs, how could they still show no improvement after ten attempts? He would have to starve them until they got it right.
"Hah, Elder Brother Munho. Record the changes in the formation. I'll go fetch those idiots."
"Alright."
Zhuge Munhyeon clicked his tongue and re-entered the formation.
"What a peculiar fellow," Zhuge Munho muttered with a wry smile.
Since returning from Wudang, he had begun receiving formal instruction in the Minor Heavenly Star Art and the Zhuge Clan's martial arts.
Initially indifferent, he found himself naturally drawn to Munhyeon's teachings, which focused on extracting the core principles.
Just what kind of person was he?
He could identify flaws in martial arts he'd never even practiced after just a few glances, and then guide others toward improvement.
When asked in astonishment, Munhyeon simply replied, "All Paths Lead to the Same Destination." He explained that reaching the pinnacle of one martial art allowed one to grasp the essence of others to some extent.
As if he were some Zhuge Clan absolute master or something...
Yet how could one deny what they saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears?
That time allowed him to feel and realize so much more.
His teachings completely transformed his perspective on and approach to martial arts. It was as if he were simplifying complex concepts into easily understandable explanations.
Thanks to this, he could physically sense himself growing stronger day by day.
How was this even possible?
Sometimes, he seemed like an old master who had spent decades honing his skills in the Martial World.
"Yet sometimes he acts like a child."
It was true.
He had never met anyone so true to his emotions. If he liked something, he liked it; if he hated something, he wouldn't do it even if his Paternal Uncle of Byeongju Hall ordered him to.
Stubbornness beyond compare.
Having spent every day training with him, he had come to understand his personality fairly well.
He was a wild card, doing whatever he pleased, but if you could reason with him, he was surprisingly docile.
If he ever lost his temper, Zhuge Munho could always blame it on his aunt. She was the only person who could control him.
Well, Aunt deserves it. He had always been so fond of her.
Having seen them together frequently lately, Baek Suhyeon knew exactly how Zhuge Munhyeon treated her.
Gwan Hwipyeong and those bastards should know his temper by now... After all the beatings they've taken, you'd think they'd learn.
Zhuge Munho chuckled and hastily began writing down his analysis of the formation. He couldn't just sit idle and risk Zhuge Munhyeon's wrath upon his return.
But then...
"...Who's that?"
A faint tremor vibrated through the ground.
At least ten horses were approaching.
He turned his head toward the sound and saw a cloud of dust rising in the distance.
Moments later...
"Deputy Branch Head!"
"Yeomcheon?"
"Ha ha! Yes, it's me, Yeomcheon."
"What brings you here?"
Yeomcheon was a martial artist who had served under Zhuge Munho when he was the Deputy Branch Head of the Yanghyeon Branch.
But the brief moment of warmth quickly faded as Zhuge Munho's gaze shifted to the others accompanying Yeomcheon.
Each of the martial artists wore a blue headband across their foreheads.
The Namgung Clan?
It was immediately recognizable.
Only they wore blue headbands with blue martial robes.
But what business could they have with the Zhuge Clan?
Though puzzled by their sudden visit, Zhuge Munho quickly composed himself and greeted the approaching group with proper courtesy.
"I am Zhuge Munho of the Zhuge Clan. What brings the Namgung Clan's Main Clan to our humble abode?"
"I am Namgung Cheonung," the leader replied. "The people of Anhui often call me the Nine Splitting Sword."
Zhuge Munho couldn't help but be startled by this revelation.
Nine Splitting Sword?
Even someone deafened by confinement in Yungjungsan had heard of him. How could mere words capture his extraordinary reputation?
He was said to be among the most formidable figures in the Namgung Clan.
Yet Zhuge Munho felt no sense of welcome.
As a guest visiting the clan, it was customary to dismount and approach on foot, or at least dismount and return the greeting after hearing it.
But the man remained mounted.
Moreover, despite this being their first meeting, he spoke with condescension.
Was this due to the differing etiquette between the Zhuge Clan, a scholarly family, and the Martial Families? Or was it the characteristic arrogance of someone who believed himself superior in power?
"Deputy Branch Head, have you received no word from the Main Clan?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The Namgung Clan sent a messenger to the Yanghyeon Branch to announce their visit. We immediately dispatched a carrier pigeon to the Main Clan..."
"Hmm."
Only then did Zhuge Munho understand what had happened. He nodded in comprehension.
The Formation inspections had been conducted every three days recently.
Though the inspections were carried out in sections, once the Formation was activated, Yungjungsan was completely sealed off. Not even a Carrier Pigeon could pass through.
Even if the message had been sent after the Formation was deactivated, the inspections would have continued, preventing any news from reaching him beyond the barrier.
"It seems there was a communication failure with the Main Clan. Today's inspection is underway."
"Oh, no... I didn't realize. We had no idea..." Yeomcheon looked flustered.
"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it. Let's apologize to our guests first, as they've been waiting."
"Yes, sir."
After dismissing Yeomcheon, Zhuge Munho offered a sincere apology with a respectful expression.
"We apologize. There seems to have been a slight communication issue on our end. We're currently inspecting the formation, so entry is restricted. Unfortunately, we haven't received any further instructions from inside. Would you mind waiting a little longer?"
"Oh dear, that's quite a situation. Then inform them inside right away."
"That's not possible."
"Huh?"
"This is a newly tested formation, and even we can't enter easily yet. Someone familiar with the formation will be here soon. We apologize for the inconvenience, but would you please wait until then?"
Zhuge Munho apologized repeatedly.
But then...
"Seriously, this is absurd."
"...?"
"You created this formation, yet you can't enter it easily? What kind of nonsense is that?"
Behind Namgung Cheonung, a man of similar age stepped forward, his voice dripping with displeasure.
A youthful face.
This man is no ordinary person.
For someone so young to step forward before even the twenty martial artists present meant his status must be exceptionally high.
More importantly, the Nine Splitting Sword, who should have intervened, merely stood by and watched.
He's disregarding the Main Clan.
Zhuge Munho gritted his teeth.
No matter how powerful or influential a clan might be, there were still basic courtesies that should be observed. To ignore these meant this man considered himself superior.
The Nine Splitting Sword isn't as impressive as his reputation suggests.
Though fury surged within him, Zhuge Munho forced himself to remain calm, knowing this was the way of the world. He asked again, his voice carefully neutral:
"May I ask your name?"
"Me? I'm Namgung Yu."
Using the Namgung Surname meant he was a direct descendant of the clan's main lineage. The sharpness of his aura clearly indicated he had honed his martial arts to an extraordinary level. Even if we generously excused the Nine Splitting Sword's attitude as that of a senior, shouldn't someone of his age show proper respect? But this was the Zhuge Clan's current standing in the Martial World. Wasn't the clan's prestige more important than etiquette? We had no choice but to endure.
"I understand this may be difficult to comprehend, but the formation here operates in this manner. Unless it's deactivated from within, no one can enter until contact is established from outside."
"So you're just going to leave us standing here like this?" Namgung Yu scoffed, his voice laced with mockery, but Zhuge Munho remained impeccably polite.
"I sincerely apologize for this inconvenience. The guide will return shortly. Please wait until then. I will instruct him to relay the situation to the Main Clan."
"This fellow..."
Could it be that his composure irritated Namgung Yu?
Namgung Yu's face twisted into a scowl, prompting Namgung Cheonung to finally intervene.
"Yu, enough."
"Paternal Uncle!"
"Isn't it said that the Zhuge Clan themselves can't deactivate this formation? It would be impolite of us to insist."
"...Tch."
Only after Namgung Cheonung's words did Namgung Yu retreat, his lips pursed in displeasure.
His intervention... That too was a breach of etiquette. The words sounded reasonable, but beneath them lay a subtle contempt for the Zhuge Clan.
Just then—
Whoosh! Thud!
The formation rippled, and something shot out, slamming onto the ground as if materializing from thin air.
"Agh, my back! That bastard really..."
Zhuge Pyeong straightened up, having been knocked flat on his face. His clothes were covered in dirt, and his body was bruised all over.
"Elder Brother Munho! We need to deal with that bastard! Why does he always resort to fistfights... Who are you?"
Zhuge Pyeong, who had been grumbling with annoyance, noticed the strange atmosphere and cautiously asked.
"They're from the Namgung Clan. Pay your respects."
"Me? The Namgung Clan?"
"Yes."
"Greetings. I am Zhuge Pyeong."
Whether intimidated by the mere mention of the Namgung surname or not, Zhuge Pyeong bowed deeply in greeting.
Munho disapproved of his younger brother's servile demeanor, but what was the point of scolding him? He himself couldn't even muster anger at the other party's rudeness.
"Where's Munhyeon?"
"He'll be out soon, dragging the kids by the hair."
Zhuge Pyeong muttered under his breath, and as if on cue, Zhuge Munhyeon emerged from the formation, dragging Gwan and Hwi by the hair.
"These brats! Can't even escape a simple formation without causing trouble and making me suffer?" Zhuge Munhyeon snapped, dropping Gwan and Hwi to the ground before glancing up. He sensed the crowd gathered at the formation's entrance.
But then...
"What's this now?"
"..."
Their personalities differed, hence their contrasting reactions. Perhaps he didn't recognize the Namgung Clan's attire. Still, "What's this now?"...
Zhuge Munho couldn't help but smile bitterly. Though the remark lacked courtesy, it felt refreshing.
But he couldn't just leave him like this.
Who knew what he might say?
"Munhyeon, these are guests from the Namgung Clan. Pay your respects."
"Namgung?"
Unlike Zhuge Pyeong, he only glanced at them briefly, as if they were of no consequence.
He didn't say anything, but his dismissive attitude naturally made the Namgung Clan warriors frown.
Munhyeon, you really are...
Worried about potential conflict, Zhuge Munho secretly felt a mix of amusement and urgency as he quickly intervened.
"It seems there's urgent business at the Main Clan. Go inside and deactivate the formation."
"The Formation... why?"
"Huh?"
Zhuge Munhyeon leaned closer, covering his mouth with his hand as he whispered into Munho's ear, "He doesn't exactly look like a guest, does he?"
"Uhm?"
"Shouldn't a guest dismount from their horse when visiting someone's home?"
"..."
Zhuge Munhyeon tactfully voiced the words Zhuge Munho had swallowed, unable to utter them himself.
Was this supposed to be a whisper? His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear!
"You bastard! What did you just say?!" Namgung Yu scowled, his anger flaring, while the Heavenly Wind Unit warriors openly radiated murderous intent.
He had meant for them to hear it, and it seemed they did.
📝 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