Chapter 73
Chapter 73
Translator: Penny
Chapter 73
As Sayo and Zhuge Munhyeon arrived, Zhuge Dowon greeted them warmly and immediately ordered tea to be prepared. However, his expression hardened when he heard about the Namgung Clan's movements.
"The Faction Leader has instructed us to gather more detailed information and report directly to the Patriarch first," Sayo reported.
"Hmm..." Zhuge Dowon murmured thoughtfully.
"While this could be seen as mere intelligence gathering, I'm concerned that Mok Jaun is leading the Azure Heaven Sword Corps," Sayo added.
Zhuge Dowon nodded gravely.
If the purpose was simply to expand trade or assess regional conditions, the Azure Heaven Sword Corps should have been led by someone from the Stewardship Office, which handled financial matters, or an Elder from the External Hall.
But the Pavilion Master of the Warrior Corps—the one who oversaw the Namgung Clan's military forces on behalf of the Patriarch—was in command.
Such a move typically signaled impending war.
"More importantly, aren't they said to be surveying the Heretical Factions? That's practically preparing for an assault."
"Is the Namgung Clan trying to expand its territory into Hubei Province?"
"For now, the Faction Leader is speculating as much."
"Do you know which regions they're surveying?"
"We can't pinpoint them. They're surveying all areas south of the Yangtze River, excluding the Black River Gate's sphere of influence."
Black River Gate.
A massive Heretical Faction that controlled southern Hubei Province, and Sayo's sworn enemies.
She had been betrayed by Beggar Disciples who had allied with the Black River Gate, forcing her to flee north.
"They intend to avoid conflict with the Black River Gate."
"That would be a burden even for the Namgung Clan. We can only speculate about a secret agreement between them. Since it's beyond our reach, we have no justification to investigate further. What are your plans now?"
"Well... they haven't made any significant moves beyond gathering intelligence yet..."
"But if they seize control of the Heretical Forces, it could pose a serious problem."
"Indeed."
The Zhuge Clan was just beginning to accelerate its reconstruction efforts. They were about to expand southward. But what if the Namgung Clan attacked the Heretical Forces first and secured their territory? The Zhuge Clan's path would be permanently blocked.
"Patriarch, their intent is clear. You know how the Martial World never lets debts of gratitude or grudges go unaddressed..."
"Hmm..."
Zhuge Dowon's expression darkened further at Sayo's words.
"All this just because we expelled their envoy?"
Zhuge Munhyeon flinched at that statement. He knew the reason went far beyond that.
The Nine Splitting Sword... The beating had been a bit excessive. After encountering a worthy opponent for the first time in ages, his excitement had refused to subside. This was undoubtedly retaliation.
But they couldn't protest to the Namgung Clan.
Their target wasn't the Zhuge Clan, but the Heretical Forces.
"Sayo."
"Yes, Patriarch."
"I understand your intent. Tell the Faction Leader to accept our gratitude and ask him to keep us informed of future developments."
"Understood."
Despite his inner turmoil, Zhuge Dowon maintained a gentle smile as he turned to Munhyeon.
"Munhyeon, I'd love to share tea with you on this rare visit, but the timing is unfortunate. Please return for now."
"...Yes. I'll take my leave."
Sensing the Patriarch's troubled state, Zhuge Munhyeon departed the Patriarch's Hall without another word.
As soon as they left, messengers sprang into action.
Not just a few—even the servants were mobilized.
"It seems the Patriarchal Council will be convened."
"Indeed."
Zhuge Munhyeon nodded in agreement with Sayo's words.
Countermeasures were needed in response to Namgung's movements.
They had just driven off the wolves, only to have a tiger suddenly appear...
His stomach churned with frustration.
Those bastards. Despite his clear warnings, they dared to act this way?
Yet Zhuge Junggi wore that same mocking smile as before.
His eyes held the same glint as when he had revealed the Namgung Clan's true intentions.
What a peculiar habit. But there was no doubt he had grasped something crucial from the unfolding situation. It was as if he were sitting at a Go board, calculating every possible move his opponent could make. He should probably hear him out.
"Sayo."
"Yes?"
"Could you perhaps keep me informed about the Namgung Clan's movements?"
"It wouldn't be difficult... Yes, I will. But what was the favor you mentioned earlier?"
"I'll tell you later. Go now. You must be busy."
"...Yes."
Sayo bowed hastily and departed.
The situation with the Namgung Clan might escalate rapidly. Now that the Beggar Disciples stationed at Yungjungsan were bound by fate to the Zhuge Clan, the stakes were higher than ever.
Damn it, I was trying to investigate those Half-Immortal bastards... It's best to postpone that for now. The Namgung Clan took priority.
"Oh? You brought him back again?"
"Yeah."
As they returned to the manor, Zhuge Munho and Gwan Hwipyeong exchanged puzzled glances.
"Everyone, gather here for a moment."
"...?"
Seated in the shade of a ginkgo tree, Zhuge Munhyeon released the acupoints and nerve points he had suppressed on Zhuge Junggi.
"Hey, you—!"
Junggi's eyes snapped open, and he wanted to demand, What the hell is this?! Why did you drag me around, making me eat dust, only to bring me back here?! But the atmosphere...
Zhuge Munhyeon, who was calmly observing him, showed no anger or displeasure. Yet, for some reason, Junggi felt intimidated.
Could he really be that clueless?
Sensing that a single word here could lead to unpleasant consequences, Junggi clamped his mouth shut and forced his eyes to appear docile.
"Now, speak."
"About what?"
"You heard everything at the Patriarch's Hall. You must have some thoughts on this, right?"
"Well... thinking about it doesn't make it any easier. Ultimately, it's the elders who will decide."
"It's okay. Just tell me what you think."
Zhuge Junggi frowned at Zhuge Munhyeon's words, then sighed and shared his thoughts.
"I'll keep it simple and assume the worst-case scenario. It seems the Patriarch already shares similar concerns."
"Go on."
"If the Namgung Clan clears out the Heretical Factions in northern Hubei Province and establishes a branch there, the Zhuge Clan will become isolated."
"..."
"We can't protest. This is a conflict between the Orthodox and Heretical Factions, not an attack on the Zhuge Clan. In fact, raising objections would only tarnish our clan's reputation. We've neglected this issue for so long due to our lack of strength, so we're essentially responsible for this situation. Public opinion will likely turn against us, demanding that the Zhuge Clan express gratitude to the Namgung Clan."
"Hmm..."
He was right.
As Zhuge Pyeong nodded in agreement, he casually suggested, as if it were a simple matter, "Then why don't we just attack the Heretical Factions first?"
"Oh, that's right! There's that method too!"
"See? That's how he is! He gets smart sometimes. He's an intermittent genius, I tell you!"
Gwan and Hwi clapped their hands, praising the brilliant idea, while Zhuge Munhyeon frowned.
Ugh, those guys... How can they only think about what's right in front of them? But he couldn't blame them. Had they always been so narrow-minded?
When they were young, they had often been praised as child prodigies. But after becoming martial artists, they had become so focused on training that they stopped thinking about anything else. After all, words you didn't use often tended to slip your mind, right? Talent was the same. If you didn't use it, it atrophied, and your thinking became narrow.
Gwan Hwipyeong's case was even more pronounced.
Was it an inverse relationship?
The more his martial arts skills improved, the more his mind seemed to harden, as if his brain were gradually turning into muscle.
"You understand, right?"
"..."
"They're the ones who had no choice but to become warriors in the Zhuge Clan."
"Ah!"
Zhuge Junggi nodded vigorously, as if he immediately understood Zhuge Munhyeon's words, and let out an exclamation.
Gwan Hwipyeong felt a strange sense of unease.
It wasn't an insult, but it felt like one.
"Ahem, Junggi."
"Yes, Elder Brother."
"After hearing your explanation, it seems there's a reason we can't attack."
"Yes. I suspect the Patriarchal Council is grappling with the same dilemma."
Zhuge Junggi nodded in response to Zhuge Munho's question, who had taken over the conversation from the dispirited Gwan Hwipyeong.
Zhuge Munhyeon had already reached the same conclusion.
The reason they couldn't immediately attack the Heretical Factions.
"A shortage of warriors."
"As expected... you understand well."
Zhuge Junggi chuckled wryly.
Despite the recent improvement in the atmosphere, the Zhuge Clan's fundamental problems remained unresolved.
The most critical issue was the shortage of warriors.
This couldn't be resolved immediately.
Cultivating warriors required considerable time—at least five years, even under the most optimistic scenario.
That timeline assumed every graduate of the Heavenly Star Pavilion would successfully develop into a warrior.
But they couldn't arbitrarily dictate career paths.
Someone had to fill the positions of Formation Master, scholar, and Steward in the Stewardship Office.
In other words, there was no way to stop the Namgung Clan's advance.
Even if they moved immediately, they couldn't possibly outpace the Namgung Clan.
And if they clashed with the Namgung Clan over this matter, it would give them the perfect pretext for an attack. They would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to escalate the conflict in their bid to seize the Zhuge Clan.
By then, it would be nearly impossible to seek help from other clans.
Even Wudang couldn't intervene.
They couldn't disregard the principle of legitimacy either.
"Damn it, we're in checkmate," Zhuge Munhyeon cursed. "We can only watch helplessly."
"Hmm."
Zhuge Munho nodded gravely at Zhuge Munhyeon's words, his expression grim.
The Zhuge Clan might find itself isolated once again.
Before he could even stretch properly, Zhuge Munho said, "Still, it's fortunate we secured Danggangu."
"What?"
"The south may be blockaded, but the north remains open."
Zhuge Munhyeon shot him a contemptuous look as Zhuge Munho sighed in relief.
That Gwan Hwipyeong bastard! Is this really the time to relax? Why was he trying to find some imaginary compromise and declare a mental victory? This wasn't some family tradition...
Regardless of what the Zhuge Clan thought, he absolutely couldn't let this stand.
How could he tolerate the Namgung Clan holding a blade to their throats?
And they were completely ignoring the demands for apologies and compensation!
Zhuge Munhyeon's stomach churned with anger. His eyes blazing with fury, he turned to Zhuge Junggi and demanded, "You have a plan, don't you?"
"What?"
"Yes, there must be a way. You've already anticipated future events and planned several moves ahead."
"Well..."
"Tell me. What's the method you've devised?"
Faced with this near-demand, Zhuge Junggi sighed and shook his head.
"A method... exists, yes. But it's one we can't use."
"Why not?"
"It wouldn't be accepted."
"What?"
"Perhaps the Patriarch and Elders have already considered it in their hearts. But no one would dare voice it aloud. Even if the lines between Orthodox and Heretical Factions have blurred, the Orthodox Factions remain Orthodox Factions."
Zhuge Munhyeon pondered these words, then his eyes widened.
"You? Could you be...?"
"Now you get it? But you can't do it either, can you? So give up. Fighting Namgung was always a reckless endeavor."
"..."
Zhuge Junggi smirked.
But then...
"How could I have missed such an obvious solution? There's such an easy way. When you think about it, we can move much faster than they can."
"Huh?"
Zhuge Junggi couldn't hide his disbelief at Zhuge Munhyeon's sudden enthusiasm.
He's clearly thinking the same thing I am. But why is he so excited? No, judging by his expression, he actually intended to carry it out.
"You're quite something, aren't you? I was just thinking we should crush them all... This is why people need diverse experiences."
If it had been the Demonic Cult... The Heretical Factions? They would have likely wiped them all out. The Namgung Clan would have suffered the same fate.
But as Zhuge Junggi said, the distinction between Orthodox and Heretical factions was meaningless in the current world. Everyone had to find their own way to survive. Talk of Orthodox or Heretical factions was nothing more than outdated nonsense. The threat posed by the Namgung Clan. The Zhuge Clan's lack of warriors.
The solution, as Zhuge Junggi pointed out, was singular:
Co-optation.
Embrace the Heretical Forces surrounding the Zhuge Clan.
In certain situations, persuasion could be faster and easier than outright attack.
"Hehehe, that's it. That's exactly what we need to do."
As Zhuge Munhyeon's lips stretched into a wide, unsettling grin, Zhuge Munho and Gwan Hwipyeong felt a growing unease.
Whenever he wore that expression, he was bound to cause a major incident.
📝 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