Chapter 299: Zhuge Jihee (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 299: Zhuge Jihee (4)
Everyone seemed to be rolling their eyes, myself included.
What in the world is going on?
Cheol Jiseon.
No—Zhuge Jinseon. I was Zhuge Jinseon, and I was desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
Just what happened here? Where did everything go wrong? Why was I here right now?
I had no answers. My head felt heavy as stone.
"Would you like to try this?"
"Hey, Young Master, do you know what happened earlier?"
"…"
I couldn't believe my eyes.
Snow Phoenix on the left, Poison Phoenix on the right… I recognized every one of them. As a young prodigy of the Central Plains, it was impossible not to.
They hadn't introduced themselves, but I knew exactly who they were.
And then there was the last one… I wasn't sure about her.
An unbelievably beautiful woman, stunning enough to make anyone lose their mind.
"…!"
And that woman was staring right at me. Her cold blue eyes locked onto mine, forcing me to look away.
…What is happening right now?
If I had to pinpoint where things went wrong, it was probably the moment I got greedy.
The person sitting exhaustedly between a group of girls, forcing down food… approaching him was my biggest mistake.
…I should’ve just hunted demons instead.
It was my own fault for taking the easy way out, lured by the sight of some crazy bastard lying on the ground in the middle of the exam.
I should have realized he was special, just lying there like that, but my greed blinded me.
And of all people, he had to be the True Dragon.
I only thought he looked scary—I never expected him to be such a magnate.
The True Dragon, Gu Yangcheon.
The youngest martial artist to reach the Peak Realm, and the younger brother of the greatest prodigy, the Sword Phoenix.
Dragons and Phoenixes were chosen from among countless stars, and he was a Young Prodigy who had earned the grand title of a True Dragon among dragons.
His incredible strength at such a young age was already well-known across the Central Plains.
On top of that, he possessed the power to overpower both the Sword Dragon and the Sleeping Dragon at the same time.
They said he was a man who enjoyed many pleasures.
…A philanderer surrounded by beautiful women, they say? And every one of them supposedly stunning.
The Central Plains were always awash with rumors and exaggerations, so it was hard to believe everything.
Especially that last part. I’d wondered how someone who looked like that could possibly have a bunch of girls around him.
Yet, despite my doubts, it seemed the rumors weren't exaggerated at all—everything appeared to be true.
He looked every bit the philanderer, surrounded by women feeding him.
And of all people, I had to be captured by a bastard like him.
What’s more, they said his personality wasn’t great, especially considering he was the Sword Phoenix’s little brother.
…And it was worse than the rumors suggested.
He had the look of a predator eyeing its prey.
He asked me to be his friend or something like that, but all I could feel was:
You dared to mess with me, so I’ll make you suffer until your last breath…!
Or something along those lines.
It made me shiver.
I honestly almost pissed my pants when Gu Yangcheon made that offer with such a terrifying face.
The problem is…
I secretly clenched my fist.
I couldn’t fathom why the True Dragon had dragged me here, but the important part was what he asked next:
-Do you have a sister?
That was the question the True Dragon posed to me.
He doesn’t know, does he?
I was confused.
Meeting the True Dragon was an unfortunate coincidence caused by my own mistake, but I couldn’t help wondering about everything that had happened since.
-What’s your name?
When I answered,
-Add your surname.
The True Dragon insisted on knowing my full name.
He wasn’t bluffing—he grabbed me by the neck and threatened to break my arm if I didn’t answer.
Was he really a martial artist from the Orthodox Sect? Gu Yangcheon was nothing like I’d expected.
…Surely he doesn’t know, right?
I wondered if the True Dragon knew my true identity.
I had to swallow the nervousness rising inside me.
Surely, I hadn’t been caught.
The True Dragon shouldn’t have any information about my identity or my goals.
Even if he did somehow know, I at least had to keep my sister hidden.
No matter the cost.
I-It’s fine. I was bound to run into him eventually.
Whether it was the Snow Phoenix, the Poison Phoenix, or the True Dragon, if they all passed the entrance exam, we were bound to cross paths.
I wondered if that was really the case.
But maybe this was actually fortunate.
I’d been half forced to come here, but honestly, it worked out in my favor, given how things turned out.
What’s more, the True Dragon had even helped me pass the exam by getting bands for me too.
So it’s beneficial… right?
“…Ough.”
Then, my eyes locked with someone.
I made direct eye contact with the True Dragon who had dragged me here.
The moment our eyes met, I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore.
…He’s too scary.
He was so frightening that I felt my knees would give out just from looking at him.
“Friend.”
“…Y-Yes!”
My voice trembled every time Gu Yangcheon called me that.
Why does he keep calling me that?
Was this just another way of saying ‘slave’ to him?
It had to be.
I was certain I’d become a slave after being captured by the True Dragon.
“Are you not going to eat?”
The True Dragon picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and showed it to me.
“I-I don’t really have the appetite right now…”
“Really? You should eat well. You’re still so young, tsk tsk.”
After hearing my response, the True Dragon simply shrugged and went back to shoving food into his mouth, seemingly unconcerned.
Because of that, the side dishes in front of him were quickly being swapped out.
The ones swapping the dishes were none other than the Snow Phoenix and the white-haired lady.
They were busily switching out side dishes for the True Dragon.
…They’re going that far?
Just who is the True Dragon to them?
It felt as if I was hallucinating—none of it seemed real.
“Young Master, are you not thirsty?”
“I a- …Wait, what did you put in there?”
“Nothing special. Just a leaf that’s good for digestion?”
“…What’s the name of that leaf?”
“Heeryung Leaf.”
“That’s… a poisonous herb that paralyzes your insides.”
“How silly! Young Master, do you really think a person would be paralyzed just by drinking this? I felt better whenever I drank this when I felt sick.”
“You know, they call it a poisonous herb for a reason…”
The person who cheerfully offered the poisonous tea was none other than the Poison Phoenix.
The situation was rather strange.
It was said that the True Dragon was engaged to the Sword Dancer from the Namgung Clan.
Then, was the beautiful lady over there… the white-haired one… Namgung Bi-ah, who held the title of Sword Dancer?
That was highly likely.
She was said to be the greatest beauty of Anhui—and her beauty lived up to those words.
It was the first time I had seen someone more beautiful than my sister.
“Oh, right. Friend.”
“Yes…”
“No need to talk so formally. We’re friends, right?”
“…”
“Answer.”
“M-Mhm!”
Friend my ass.
How could he call this a friendship?
I didn’t know much about friendship, having no friends of my own, but I was certain this wasn’t it.
…Save me, sis.
I thought of my sister and gritted my teeth.
I had to endure it.
-You will run into danger.
My sister had warned me before I set off for the Central Plains.
-I don’t want you to go, but if you insist, I wish you good luck, little brother.
…
My sister was always right, and it seemed she was right once again.
I shouldn’t have come.
A wave of sadness washed over me as I regretted my decision.
“Oh, by the way, I moved your accommodations.”
“…Pard— I mean, what? What do you mean by that…?”
“You told me you sleep in some run-down place. How could you afford to stay somewhere like that? I moved all your belongings, so sleep here.”
As the True Dragon spoke with a smile,
“…”
I was now certain that my future was fucked.
That devil of a bastard really was going to use me as a slave for the rest of time.
I’d messed with the wrong guy.
Should I run away?
No…
Now wasn’t the time.
I prioritized my goal above everything else.
I had to make a name for myself at the Heavenly Dragon Academy.
I had to meet many people, build connections, and gain many things.
And I must revive my sister.
Additionally, I intended to reveal my surname one day and reclaim my destroyed clan.
That was why I had set off for the Central Plains.
I thought about what my sister had asked of me.
-Jinseon.
My sister had gently touched my cheek with her pale, withered hand and earnestly pleaded with me.
-No matter what happens, you must not use that power. Promise your sister.
I made a pinky promise with her, feeling her weak, shaky finger.
I steeled myself with determination.
You can do it, Jinseon.
I decided to forget the name Zhuge Jinseon.
For now, I was Cheol Jiseon of the Eulpyung Cheol Clan.
* * *
Meanwhile, Gu Yangcheon watched Zhuge Jinseon intently, his eyes glowing with curiosity.
I thought to myself as I observed Cheol Jiseon’s stiff expression.
That bastard keeps rolling his eyes around.
It was clear he had a lot on his mind, his brain working overtime.
For now, it looked like he had resolved something within himself, but it was certain he was hiding something.
I could tell from his reactions.
He didn’t seem used to hiding things—utterly predictable.
That worked out in my favor. It made things easier.
It was simpler to keep an eye on him if he was close.
I’d keep him around me for now.
Since I found him so quickly, I needed to keep him close and win him over.
The best approach was to become close to him, but I’m not too fond of that, so I’ll keep it brief.
I wasn’t good at getting close to people, so I’d give it a shot for now, but honestly, who knew what would happen?
So far, the start wasn’t bad.
We became friends, and I even moved him out of that shithole he was staying in—so he should be happy, right?
It already felt like I’d gotten closer to him.
I nodded to myself. I was doing well, considering it was me.
You’ve really grown, Gu Yangcheon. Making friends.
He flinches whenever he sees me, but I’m sure that’ll change with time.
Probably.
I briefly filled my stomach and took a sip of tea.
“…?”
My tongue tingled. What was this strange sensation?
Then, Tang Soyeol slightly averted her eyes.
“…Hey, you.”
“Teehee.”
“Teehee, you say…?”
“Please… this is really good for digestion, Young Master. Please drink it.”
“An ordinary person would die if they drank this…”
I told her I wasn’t going to drink it, but Tang Soyeol insisted I drink this poisonous tea.
“Nah… They won’t die… I think?”
Why was she hesitating? She was only making it scarier.
“…Why do you keep trying to make me drink poisonous tea?”
“I-It’s not bad to build up your immunity to poison, you know. Plus, it tastes good.”
“…”
I didn’t think Tang Soyeol was trying to kill me by making me drink poisonous tea.
“But even if I drink this, it wouldn’t boost my immunity, and it doesn’t even taste good.”
Unless I drank a bucketful or bathed in poison, my immunity wasn’t going to increase with such a small amount.
Besides, most people would die before building up any immunity if they drank or bathed in poison.
If it weren’t for the Tang Clan’s Mind Art…
The Tang Clan’s Mind Art enabled one to use Poisonous Arts and become a skilled assassin working behind the scenes.
It also made it possible for Tang Soyeol to consume and even enjoy poisonous herbs.
Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity, huh…
It was self-explanatory. She had immunity to almost all types of poisons.
It was a peak state the Tang Clan had long dreamed of.
One of Tang Soyeol’s eyes was turning a bright green as she neared that state.
In my past life, the Poison Queen was known to have reached the Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity state.
If I thought about that, it was right to call Tang Soyeol the greatest when it came to poison in the Central Plains, though I didn’t know about her martial arts.
It was still too early to say.
Tang Soyeol was mediocre as a martial artist, but she put effort into her training, so her level would naturally rise over time.
One day, I’d have to assume she would become the Poison Queen.
But of course, the future will be different this time.
I will change the Poison Queen’s fate.
I won’t let her meet such a miserable end.
How ironic that I’m now trying to save the person I once killed.
I reflected inwardly.
I secretly felt guilty every time I saw Tang Soyeol, so I would try my best to save her.
“…Anyway, I’m good, so you can drink it instead.”
“Uh… Young Master.”
“What.”
“Can I drink from the cup you drank from?”
“…?”
“I-It was a joke. Hehe…”
When I made a somewhat disgusted expression, Tang Soyeol played it off as a joke.
It was a joke, right?
As I rubbed my shoulders to shake off the chills, Namgung Bi-ah, who was pouring water for me, spoke.
-Hey.
It was through a telepathic voice.
-Hmm?
I responded right away, but this was bad. Even speaking telepathically made my Dantian ache.
-That person… who is he?
Namgung Bi-ah asked, glancing at him. She was asking about Cheol Jiseon.
-What do you mean, who? I told you he’s a friend, didn’t I?
I responded, puzzled by her question, but Namgung Bi-ah fixed me with a strong gaze.
It was as if she knew that wasn’t the case.
How sharp of her. She usually spaced out, but she was sharp when it came to things like this.
Perhaps she was just pretending to be dumb and was actually sharp all the time. I even considered that possibility.
Staring into Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes, I gave in and answered.
-A dagger.
-Dagger?
-Yes, a dagger.
A dagger I wanted.
A dagger that could kill Jang Seonyeon and perhaps cut through every obstacle in my path.
The power that bastard possessed was that valuable, and that’s what Cheol Jiseon meant to me.
Because of that, I couldn’t let him go. I had to keep him around.
My eyes locked with Cheol Jiseon’s.
I smiled at him, though he still seemed nervous. The smile was meant to put him at ease.
“Ughh…!”
But the bastard curled up in fear as soon as he saw my smile, as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
…That bastard?
I could give him some love taps as a friend, right? I’m sure of it.
That’s how all my friends were like in my past life, too.
Though back then, I was the one getting beaten up.
But this time, it felt like things were going to be different.
* * *
Four days had passed since that day.
The entrance exam was finally over, and the day to attend the Academy had arrived.
Thankfully, no one from my crew failed the exam. It was somewhat obvious, though.
I was a bit concerned about Gu Yeonseo, but she managed to pull through.
After climbing up the opposite side of the hill where I took the exam, I saw a mountain shaped like a snake appear.
It had a proper name, but everyone simply called it Snake Mountain. How do I say this—I actually preferred it this way because of how simple it was.
I continued up the path until I reached the top, where the enormous structure of the Heavenly Dragon Academy came into view.
It was disgustingly massive.
The buildings of the Namgung Clan and Tang Clan were impressive in size, but the Heavenly Dragon Academy dwarfed them, owing to its purpose.
It was as if they’d built a whole fortress. They’re just wasting money.
I’m sure merchants and people didn’t donate for this. Why did they need to make it so big?
That was my only impression of the building.
As I walked inside, guided by an escort, I arrived in a room where everyone had already gathered.
Each and every one of these people had sharp qi.
Noble clans and noble sects. Only bastards from such places had gathered here, so it was no surprise it felt this way.
Though of course, they’re still little children in my eyes.
I felt a few sharp qi poking me here and there. Bastards with this kind of qi were certainly going to become big one day.
And in the distance, I spotted an old man standing on a platform.
Qinghai Sword.
He was the current head of the Kunlun Sect and one of the top five swordsmen in the Central Plains.
It seemed the martial artists who set up the formations were also from the Kunlun Sect. They felt pretty different.
I hadn’t expected to see that man in a place like this. I had some history with him in my past life.
Though it wasn’t a pleasant one.
After some time, all the Young Prodigies gathered, and when the moment arrived,
-We welcome all of you stars who have made it to the Heavenly Dragon Academy.
Qinghai Sword spoke.
In summary, it was a long and tedious speech. Welcome. Congratulations. Work hard. You are our future! Something along those lines.
To be honest, I didn’t remember most of it since I tuned out halfway through. It didn’t seem all that important anyway.
-Lastly, we will introduce the stars who had the highest scores in the entrance exams.
-Firstly, the first group’s Jang Seonyeon.
I looked up as soon as I heard the familiar name.
At that moment, the room filled with murmurs.
-Jang Seonyeon is the Meteor Sword, right? As expected, he really is talented.
-Isn’t it impressive considering his age?
-He has a good nature, and he’s even handsome. He has everything, huh?
-I happened to be near him during the exam… and the way he cut the stone…
Their words only grazed my ears.
Everyone’s eyes were on Jang Seonyeon as he walked forward, called by Qinghai Sword.
-However, being called first means that he ranked the third highest… Does this mean that there are two others who scored higher?
-Then it’s obviously the Sleeping Dragon or the Sword Dragon.
Qinghai Sword patted Jang Seonyeon’s shoulder and congratulated him.
-Congratulations.
-Thank you…
Jang Seonyeon responded respectfully, but he didn’t look particularly pleased.
The bastard was failing to keep his expression in check. Was his pride wounded by coming in third?
He doesn’t know how to appreciate anything.
Then, Qinghai Sword called another person’s name.
-Next… the first group’s Wi Seol-Ah.
I froze as soon as I heard it.
…Why is her name being called? Wi Seol-Ah?
It was rather out of the blue.
It seemed like no one else had heard the name before either, as the crowd started buzzing again.
-Who’s Wi Seol-Ah? What household is she from? Is she from a Sect?
-She scored higher than the Meteor Sword, yet it’s the first time we’ve heard this name.
Step.
Through that crowd, someone stepped forward.
She immediately drew everyone’s attention.
It was because Wi Seol-Ah wasn’t wearing the face cover she usually did.
Woah.
Someone gasped aloud without even realizing it.
With her golden wavy hair and striking eyes, Wi Seol-Ah’s beauty had fully bloomed.
-…Oh, the Sword Emperor…! The Sword Emperor’s descendant…!
-What?
-That Young Lady is the descendant of the Sword Emperor…!
Rumors of the Sword Emperor’s descendant had already been circulating. Hers was such a peculiar martial art that there was no way she could hide it if she had to use it.
…Is that fine?
The presence of the Sword Emperor’s descendant was so overwhelming that it made everyone forget about Jang Seonyeon.
Though it was problematic how impactful it was.
-Congratulations.
-…Thank you.
Wi Seol-Ah also showed respect and took her place next to Jang Seonyeon.
For a moment, it felt like her eyes met with mine.
When our eyes met, Wi Seol-Ah gave me a light smile, as if she was telling me that she was fine.
What a mess. I didn’t plan any of this.
As the crowd grew rowdy after Wi Seol-Ah’s appearance,
-If the Sword Emperor’s descendant scored the second highest, then just who is the last person?
Just as everyone began to wonder, Qinghai Sword announced the final name.
-Lastly, the person who scored the top score.
The last person who would stand on that stage.
Since two unexpected people had been called up, the last person was the most important. That person would attract everyone’s attention.
For some reason, I felt cold sweat dripping down my back.
By now, I knew what was coming. No matter how much I thought about it, it was obvious.
But still, there was a chance that… that it’s not me, right?
-Second group’s Gu Yangcheon.
A chance, my ass.
My hope was shattered in an instant. The world only seemed straightforward with me when it came to things like this.
To be fair, it would’ve been stranger if I didn’t score the highest after all I’d done.
I began to walk forward.
However, for some reason, it felt eerily quiet compared to when Jang Seonyeon and Wi Seol-Ah were called.
When I slightly sharpened my senses, wondering what was going on,
-…Jeez… Look at how he looks.
-Gu Yangcheon is the True Dragon, right? The little brother of the Sword Phoenix…
-His sister is famous for her personality, and the True Dragon is just like her, right?
-He might look this way, shut your mouth. We have to be quiet if we don’t want to get on his bad side.
“…”
It seems bad rumors have already spread about me. This was all because of Gu Huibi.
I’m sure I wasn’t to blame.
I thought to myself as I walked toward the stage.
What a way to start. It was a dogshit beginning.