Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Translator: Penny
Chapter 69
Shit.
Even if he wanted to dodge or block, his body was beyond his control. Zhuge Munhyeon's fists moved with divine fury.
Thwack! Pow! Crack!
Namgung Cheonung was being beaten so thoroughly it brought to mind the saying, "Getting a dust-raising beating on a rainy day." The Zhuge Clan's sons and the Namgung Clan's Heavenly Wind Unit could only stare in stunned silence.
The Nine Splitting Sword... was getting hit? Without even a single attempt at resistance?
In that moment, they learned for the first time that a person could bounce like a ball.
Yet the fists showed no sign of stopping. Like a child playing with a ball, Munhyeon continued to pummel Namgung Cheonung, sending him flying again and again.
It was astonishing that he had defeated a Transcendent Peak martial artist, but... if this kept up... he would die?
"M-Munhyeon-ah!" Zhuge Munho shouted in a panic.
"Huh?"
Zhuge Munhyeon, lost in the thrill of his performance like a musician entranced by his own music, finally snapped out of it when he saw Namgung Cheonung lying in a bloody heap on the ground.
"I got a little too carried away. Heh heh!" he chuckled awkwardly, glancing at the stunned disciples staring at him with wide-eyed astonishment.
Are you so proud? Do you admire me? I know, I know. Since the Zhuge Clan has surpassed the Namgung Clan, your hearts must be bursting, making it hard to even breathe. But... Is it really something to laugh about, leaving a man in such a state?
Zhuge Munho's shock stemmed from an entirely different reason.
Impressive, I'll admit. I never imagined he'd actually defeat the Nine Splitting Sword. But even this triumph couldn't dispel his worries about what would come next. What about the Heavenly Wind Unit?
The Namgung Clan's elite warriors, known as the Heavenly Wind Unit, began to radiate killing intent at the sight of Namgung Cheonung collapsed at Zhuge Munhyeon's feet.
"Damn it!"
Zhuge Munho had no other choice.
Why did getting involved with this damned bastard always end up like this? It was infuriating, but right now, they had to fight together.
Drawing his sword, he charged forward, positioning himself protectively beside Zhuge Munhyeon and aiming his blade at the Heavenly Wind Unit.
"E-Elder Brother..."
"Fuck..."
"Damn it..."
Gwan Hwipyeong felt the same way.
What else could they do but curse?
Even if they hated it, they were still blood relatives...
Seeing his brothers' reactions, Zhuge Munhyeon wiped the blood from his fist and retorted brusquely, "Huh? What are you doing?"
"Are you really asking? The enemy is the Heavenly Wind Unit!"
"So what?"
"So what?!"
How could he be so clueless?
Why did he look like he hadn't considered the consequences at all?
"Munhyeon, since the Nine Splitting Sword has been reduced to this state, the Heavenly Wind Unit won't let this slide. Even if we can't be of much help, we'll fight alongside you."
"What?"
"Gwan Hwipyeong! It's the Minor Flying Swallow Sword Formation!"
"Don't call us that!"
Despite his annoyance at Zhuge Munho's words, Gwan Hwipyeong quickly arranged the formation around Zhuge Munhyeon in a diamond shape.
As Zhuge Munhyeon watched their movements, the memory of their earlier startled expressions flashed through his mind.
Hmm, could it be...? Was that look of surprise not respect or awe? Were they just shocked out of fear of future consequences? Blood brothers, my ass!
With a deep sigh, Zhuge Munhyeon pushed aside Zhuge Munho, who was blocking his path, and stepped out of the formation.
"M-Munhyeon! We're..."
"Fight? What's there to fight about? They're renowned martial artists too—do you think they're fools?"
"Huh?"
"And... no, never mind."
If we fought, you'd win.
He almost said it.
These guys have been training under him every day, so they probably don't realize how strong they'd become. But there was no need to inflate their egos with empty praise.
"Follow me."
Zhuge Munhyeon brushed past the bewildered Zhuge Munho, sheathed his sword, and approached the Heavenly Wind Unit.
"Tell him to remember his promise when he wakes up. If he breaks it, I'll come for his arm for real this time."
"..."
With that, he strolled leisurely through the Heavenly Wind Unit.
He was truly insane. What if they attacked him? What was he thinking?
The Heavenly Wind Unit glared but didn't block Zhuge Munhyeon's path. Instead, they parted to let him pass.
"What are you waiting for? Let's go."
"..."
"Hurry up. I'm hungry. And don't forget to grab your Iron Weights."
Zhuge Munhyeon waved his hand dismissively as he strode ahead. Behind him, Zhuge Munho and Gwan Hwipyeong, each clutching their Iron Weights, followed nervously, their shoulders hunched and eyes darting around.
"Straighten your shoulders, you cowards! What are you so scared of? It's just a narrow path!"
"Huh?"
A narrow path? This is the passage through the Blade Mountain Sword Forest!
Even after they had put considerable distance between themselves and Zhuge Munhyeon, who walked closely behind them, they kept glancing back, startled, as if expecting to be chased.
When something that was once unified split and fought, a movement to reunite inevitably arose.
This was the natural order of the world.
When a nation fell and powerful figures across the land clashed to seize more, a standout among them—a crane among chickens—conquered the world and forged a new unity.
The current state of the Martial World mirrored this pattern.
For ages, countless factions had risen and fallen, locked in a relentless cycle of plunder and counter-plunder.
As the number of protected weaklings dwindled, mid-tier powerhouses began to dream anew:
Unification of the World.
Those with power were stretching their limbs, preparing to claim dominion over the world.
Those who had withdrawn from worldly affairs were slow to react, but those who moved according to worldly gains were swift.
These were the Prestigious Clans of old, who had preserved their power intact, or those who had cultivated their strength in the shadows...
Among these factions was the Namgung Clan of Anhui.
With their Main Clan located in the Provincial Capital Hefei, they had recalled their Branch Clans scattered across the land during times of turmoil to consolidate their internal strength.
They reduced unnecessary expenditures, avoided reckless conflicts, and focused on nurturing and developing their martial artists.
For generations, they endured the emergence of bandits and rebels who rampaged across the land as if it were their own domain, silently accumulating power.
After generations of such dedicated effort...
They finally bloomed.
The current Patriarch, Namgung Cheongeuk, had achieved Great Completion in the Emperor's Sword Form, one of the clan's most revered sword techniques, and finally attained the Aura realm.
"The time ordained by heaven has come. Spread the will of the Azure Heaven across the land!"
At that thunderous declaration, the Namgung Clan's warriors, who had long endured their pent-up ambitions, surged forth across Anhui Province.
Was their dedication solely for the Patriarch's sake?
How many warriors had toiled tirelessly to nurture this single individual?
The trunk, grown from deep, sturdy roots, stood thick enough to withstand the fiercest winds, while its branches spread rapidly, casting a shadow that would soon envelop all of Anhui.
Having swiftly subjugated the region around Hefei, the Namgung Clan now dared to dream even bigger:
Conquest of the World.
To become the master of a new world.
But why was Namgung the only one dreaming such a dream?
In Shandong, bordering the north, the Hwangbo Clan, having subjugated the Ak Clan, wielded formidable power.
To the south, the Sword Queen of Mount Putuo, reigning over the tip of Zhejiang Province, remained a formidable force, while the Heretical Factions of Jiangxi began to forge an alliance.
Despite their surging momentum, none of these powers had yet breached Anhui Province.
Any clash between them would inevitably lead to one faction seizing the spoils while the others weakened.
The solution lay with the Zhuge Clan.
They had to secure the Zhuge Clan before anyone else.
This was crucial not only for immediate concerns but also for their ultimate goal: conquering the world.
Namgung Cheongeuk swiftly dispatched envoys, instructing them to bring the Zhuge Clan back by any means necessary—persuasion or coercion.
But then...
The Main Hall was filled with figures clad in Purple-Azure Robes.
It was rare for a clan patriarch to personally preside over a meeting. Typically, major and minor affairs were handled by the Young Patriarch or the Elders.
Yet Patriarch Namgung Cheongeuk had summoned all the retainers stationed at the Main Clan headquarters because of a letter sent by the delegation dispatched to the Zhuge Clan.
Namgung Cheongeuk gazed at the messenger who had delivered the letter, holding it reverently in both hands. Even before reading the contents, his expression was grim.
The sender was the problem: Namgung Yu, who had accompanied the delegation to the Zhuge Clan.
Why was he writing instead of Namgung Cheonung, the delegation's leader?
This clearly indicated that something untoward had occurred.
"San-ah."
"Yes, Father."
"Read it."
"Yes."
At Namgung Cheongeuk's command, Young Patriarch Namgung San approached the messenger and tore open the sealed letter.
It was a long letter.
Although the contents were still unknown, Namgung San's expression darkening suggested their suspicions were correct.
"Report the contents."
"Th-that is..."
Namgung San hesitated, his face grimacing.
The situation seemed far worse than they had imagined.
But.
"Speak."
"...Yes."
Under the Patriarch's repeated command, Namgung San let out an almost imperceptible sigh and cleared his throat.
"Reporting to the Patriarch. We should have returned immediately to deliver this news, but..."
The contents of the letter, which Namgung San relayed to everyone, were enough to silence the Main Hall.
However, the silence didn't last long. Soon, murmurs filled the hall.
The Nine Splitting Sword had been defeated.
The report even stated that he was staying at a physician's clinic in Wuhan, Hubei Province, to recover from his severe injuries.
Moreover, his defeat had been inflicted by the son of the Zhuge Clan, who had only recently come of age.
"...At the time, Yu had already been defeated by the same opponent and was unconscious. However, according to the Heavenly Wind Unit's report, the Martial Arts Duel was conducted fairly, and the Azure Vault Commander gave his all."
This was yet another shock.
It wasn't just anyone—it was the Nine Splitting Sword.
While not the absolute pinnacle of martial prowess, he was undeniably among the elite, leading the Azure Vault Sword Corps, one of the Main Clan Warrior Corps representing the Namgung Clan's name.
How could such a figure be defeated by a sixteen-year-old Zhuge Clan descendant who had just come of age? And while giving his all?
Crack!
Namgung San paused, hearing the armrest crack under the force of Namgung Cheongeuk's grip, as if his anger were about to shatter it.
The murmuring gradually subsided, and a deathly silence descended upon the Main Hall.
"...Is that all?"
"No, sir."
"Continue."
"...Yes, sir."
Namgung San felt as if he had swallowed a thorn, his throat dry and scratchy. Every line of the letter seemed designed to provoke the Patriarch's wrath.
"The delegation was unable to breach the Zhuge Clan's Formation and never even set foot in their Main Clan compound on Yungjungsan."
"..."
"Furthermore, Patriarch Zhuge Dowon stated..."
Crack!
The armrest finally shattered.
Namgung Cheongeuk's eyes were bloodshot, and his retainers instinctively cowered before his fury.
The Namgung Clan's envoy, sent to secure the Zhuge Clan, had been humiliated by being denied entry to the Main Clan and driven away. How could their fury not be immense?
Yet they dared not express it.
Namgung Cheongeuk, having forcibly suppressed his rage, swallowed it down and gazed coldly at his retainers.
"If we're bitten on the nose by a rat, are we cats, not tigers?"
"..."
"I thought twenty units of the Nine Splitting Sword and Heavenly Wind Unit would be enough to persuade or intimidate the Zhuge Clan, who are on the verge of collapse... Now, even after suffering such humiliation, we can't even launch an attack?"
His low, muttered words seemed to address everyone present.
The faint fury simmering in his voice pressed down on the Main Hall, tightening the chests of all those present.
"Pavilion Master of Hyeonyeong."
"Yes, Patriarch."
At Namgung Cheongeuk's summons, Namgung Jin, the head of the Hyeonyeong Pavilion—responsible for gathering and processing all intelligence for the Namgung Clan—swallowed hard and replied.
"Didn't you report that the Zhuge Clan was blocked by Wudang to the north, and by the Heretical Factions in all other directions, leaving them only able to guard the foothills of Yungjungsan? That they could collapse at any moment? How could you not know that place was an Impregnable Fortress, impenetrable even by the Nine Splitting Sword?"
"Th-that is..."
"You reported that the Patriarch's Intent Qi was at its peak, and that fewer than a handful of warriors below him had even reached Ejection Qi... So how could a mere sixteen-year-old boy defeat the Nine Splitting Sword?"
"..."
Though the voice was calm, Namgung Jin knew it was an interrogation. His face darkened with each passing moment.
Sending an envoy to the Zhuge Clan had been the Patriarch's decision, but Namgung Jin had been responsible for providing the information that led to it.
"Pavilion Master of Hyeonyeong," the Patriarch continued, "if none of the words you spoke—which were supposed to be my eyes and ears in making this decision—prove true, whom am I to trust in the future?"
"...I will step down."
"Is that all you offer?"
"I will step down and start again from the bottom."
"Very well. Do as you say."
His voice devoid of emotion, Namgung Jin stepped forward, removed his purple-azure outer robe, and neatly folded it at his feet.
By removing the purple-azure robes that symbolized his position as Elder, he was accepting his dismissal.
As he bowed respectfully and left the Main Hall, no one pitied him or dared to challenge the Patriarch's decision.
On the contrary, they accepted it as perfectly natural. In these turbulent times, even the smallest mistake could not be tolerated.
Merit was highly praised, while faults were coldly rebuked. This new rule had brought the Namgung Clan to its current prominence.
"Recommend the next Pavilion Master of Hyeonyeong."
Namgung Cheongeuk sought to fill the position immediately, and the retainers ruthlessly abandoned Namgung Jin.
"What about Seo Maengdo?"
"Appropriate. From this moment forward, Seo Maengdo is the Pavilion Master of Hyeonyeong. Fill the position."
The appointment was swift and decisive.
Seo Maengdo, upon hearing his name called, immediately picked up the Purple-Azure Robes Namgung Jin had discarded and draped them over his shoulders.
Watching this scene, Namgung Cheongeuk rose from his Grand Tutor's Chair, its armrest now broken.
"Young Patriarch."
"Yes!"
"Discuss countermeasures with your retainers and report back to me. How should we handle the Zhuge Clan matter? This time, do it properly... Do you understand?"
"Yes."
The retainers remained silent until Namgung Cheongeuk swept out of the Main Hall, his robes billowing behind him. Only after the doors closed did they exhale deeply, releasing their pent-up tension.
"Alright, let's discuss follow-up measures as the Patriarch instructed," Namgung San said, restoring order to the hall. The retainers, who had been keeping their opinions to themselves under the Patriarch's oppressive aura, immediately began voicing their views.
The first to speak was Mok Jaun, the Pavilion Master of the Warrior Corps, responsible for managing and coordinating the clan's martial forces.
"Young Patriarch, though this operation ended in a painful failure, we haven't gained nothing."
"How so?"
"The young man who defeated the Nine Splitting Sword is undoubtedly skilled, but we can't assume all warriors of the Zhuge Clan are of the same caliber."
"Hmm, that makes sense. If they relied solely on martial prowess, they wouldn't have needed to establish a protective formation around Yungjungsan. Their lack of strength must have forced them to rely on the formation's aid."
"Exactly. Though we suffered the humiliation of retreating without securing the Zhuge Clan, we gained valuable intelligence about them."
"Intelligence? What do you mean?"
"According to the letter, Zhuge Dowon admitted they lack the strength to confront the Main Clan directly. He intends to activate the formation for defense while seeking external alliances."
"Hmm, I suppose that's one way to interpret it."
"Moreover, the fact that they didn't mention any specific faction suggests they haven't yet formed an alliance with anyone else."
Mok Jaun's words drew nods of agreement until Namgung Gang, Head of the Elders' Council and representing the Elders' will, countered with a rebuttal.
"Hmm, the Pavilion Master of the Warrior Corps' speculation is plausible enough. But we can't simply let this go. How can we stand by and watch after suffering such humiliation? Furthermore, now that the Zhuge Clan has discerned our intentions, they'll move swiftly. We risk doing them a favor instead."
"I understand. We absolutely cannot let this pass."
"Do you have a solution?"
All eyes turned to Mok Jaun as the Head of the Elders' Council, the clan's most senior figure, posed the question. The Pavilion Master of the Warrior Corps responded with a calm smile.
"They're no different from turtles hiding in their shells. Since the Nine Splitting Sword and Heavenly Wind Unit couldn't breach their formations and mechanisms, attacking Yungjungsan would be futile."
"But it's not impossible, is it?"
"Of course, if we mobilized the Main Clan's full strength, it could be done. However, most of our forces are already deployed to contain the Hwangbo Clan in the north and the Putuo Sect and Heretical Alliance's northward advance in the south. We can't recall them just to strike at the Zhuge Clan."
"Hmph! You're being frustratingly vague. If you have a plan, state your intent clearly."
As Mok Jaun continued to stall, everyone's faces darkened. He finally spoke, his eyes cold:
"Their shell is confined to Yungjungsan, after all."
"What?"
"Mechanisms and formations don't have legs. How could they move?"
"What do you mean?"
"If they're preparing to blockade Yungjungsan, we simply need to blockade its outer perimeter. We'll isolate the Zhuge Clan from the Heretical Factions, not from us."
In other words, they would blockade the Zhuge Clan's outer defenses.
"Young Patriarch, what do you think?"
"Hmm."
Namgung San frowned thoughtfully at Mok Jaun's words.
It wasn't a bad plan.
Yungjungsan was surrounded by Wudang to the north and the Heretical Factions in all other directions.
If they established branches in the Heretical Faction territories and controlled the strategic chokepoints, the Zhuge Clan would be completely isolated.
They wouldn't even be able to call for help from other factions.
After all, the Namgung Clan had expanded its territory by attacking the Heretical Factions, not the Zhuge Clan.
Moreover, while the Heretical Factions south of the Yangtze River in Hubei Province were united, those north of the river remained fragmented.
We can subdue them without committing significant forces.
"Once we control the waterway's flow, the Zhuge Clan won't last long. They'll likely crawl out of their shell and kneel before us. After that, when we begin our full-scale southward advance, the Main Clan will establish a foothold to dominate Hubei Province."
At Mok Jaun's words, the deep furrow between Namgung San's brows smoothed out completely.
Hubei.
The province lay at the heart of the world.
Wasn't that why the Orthodox Factions' Alliance had established its base in Wuhan for generations? The Yangtze River flowed through the region, allowing access to every corner of the realm.
The retainers were already nodding in agreement with Mok Jaun's strategy.
"Excellent. I'll obtain the Patriarch's approval. Elders, please work with the Pavilion Master of the Warrior Corps to develop a detailed plan."
📝 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