Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Owner of the Treasure (3)
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Gwakno and I talked all through the night until dawn broke.
There was just too much piled up between us. Of course, the main listener was Murong Cheon.
"...I see."
Murong Cheon didn't get overly angry or sad. Nor did he seem indifferent.
He was in a state unbiased by any emotion.
But Gwakno knew. He knew just how furious Murong Cheon was and how frustrated.
"Now it all makes sense."
"..."
"House Hoyeon... those bastards are one of the Six Great Houses now, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"Has the Sima Clan completely fallen?"
"Not entirely, but from what I've heard, they're barely hanging on by a thread. It's been a while since I last heard rumors from the martial world, so I don't know their current state."
The Sima Clan had stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Zhuge Clan in strategy, scholarship, and formations.
They were said to lag a step behind the Zhuge Clan in martial arts, but the Sima Clan's techniques were still renowned throughout the land.
It was the house that had served as the Grand Strategist during Murong Cheon's time as Martial Alliance Leader.
"Still, time has softened people's views toward the main house quite a bit."
"..."
"The Wudang Sect's help was crucial."
The corners of Murong Cheon's mouth lifted.
"Wudang Sect, you say?"
Even amid the fierce public backlash, their support had allowed the house to establish itself in Hubei.
In that sense, the Wudang Sect could certainly be called benefactors.
'Did that old Daoist pull some strings?'
The Wudang Sect's sect leader, who had been one of the Martial Alliance elders back then, was still a good man in retrospect.
Who knew about his Daoist cultivation, but as a person, he was solid. He could be fiery at times, but that was unavoidable during wartime.
Fundamentally cautious and kind, he was someone who truly understood the meaning of righteousness.
"Do you remember Heo Dojin?"
"The former Wudang Sect Leader?"
"Yes, the one who served as a Martial Alliance elder."
"Of course."
"Is that old man still alive?"
Gwakno shook his head.
"I heard the sect leadership changed, but I have no way of knowing if Heo Dojin is alive or dead."
"I see."
Murong Cheon drew in a deep breath.
Fresh air filled him from head to toe. The quiet flames in his heart seemed to calm a little.
"Anyway, my guess was right."
"Pardon?"
"About why Daeho couldn't pass on his martial arts."
Daeho's meridians had deteriorated rapidly due to the sudden onset of meridian blockage syndrome.
Still, since he'd even fathered Suhyang, he must have been active for a few years after relocating to Wuhan.
He surely would have had the mind to teach his secret arts. Yet they had all been lost.
"There were infiltrators in the main house."
A deeper shadow fell over Gwakno's face.
"I... only realized it shortly before the Young Lord passed."
It was back when he could do nothing to escape the Divine Soul Demonic Citadel.
"The Young Lord even suspected Chief Steward Seok."
I'd half-expected that, but hearing it confirmed made sense.
All sorts of incidents had plagued them after the relocation.
Dozens of house warriors had been attacked by masked assailants, and some affiliated warriors had even gotten drunk and gotten involved in assaults or murders.
And then there was the assassination of the lady of the house.
It was presumed to be the work of one of the inner guards, who vanished without a trace that very day.
The crowning incident was the mysterious fire in the Martial Scripture Pavilion. That pavilion was the root of any martial house—the single most vital place—and even there, disaster struck.
As time passed, the incidents grew more severe. A string of events that could destroy not just one person, but the entire house.
A chain of malice from someone.
This was no coincidence.
And that someone didn't even bother hiding their ill intent. They were dead set on dragging the Murong house down.
Exiled to Wuhan—that alone was enough to break one's spirit—and with his body failing from meridian blockage, Daeho had faced such crises year after year.
No one would listen to pleas for help. Instead, they were scorned for failing to control their own warriors while blaming outsiders.
It was the kind of situation where going mad wouldn't be surprising.
"Shortly before the Patriarch passed, he told this worthless old servant that there were spies from House Hoyeon in the house."
"..."
"He wasn't in his right mind from illness, but the Young Lord was certain."
"So it was true."
"...In the end, I am the sinner."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Gwakno's face filled with indescribable anguish.
"Spies aside, the Young Lord knew my state, so he didn't pass on martial arts to the eldest young lady."
"...!"
"I begged to leave several times. I even slipped away twice in the dead of night without anyone knowing. But somehow he found out... and with that ailing body, he dragged me back."
Tears finally streamed from Gwakno's eyes.
"He said family doesn't abandon each other, and if you're going to abandon family, there's no need to pass on martial arts."
"...Did he."
"I thought it better to end my life than harm the house, but I feared disappointing the Young Lord, so this worthless life clung on till now."
Murong Cheon's jaw clenched.
'Daeho, you fool.'
He had always been kind.
As the patriarch of the house and lord of a martial clan, what a heartbreaking decision it must have been to let the transmission end in his generation.
He must have feared Sujing being kidnapped by House Hoyeon spies and having the house's arts stolen. Even if hidden secretly, Seok Ung or the spies might take them.
But beyond such fears, protecting his people came first.
Daeho had made his choice, and in the end, Gwakno became family to the Murong house once more.
"I swore I'd shake off the Divine Soul Demonic Citadel and take responsibility, but the Young Lord forbade it. With House Hoyeon watching, he said giving power to the Murong bloodline would only hasten their deaths."
"..."
"And I haven't even fully cleansed the demonic nature."
Murong Cheon nodded.
"Yes, now I understand."
The guess about spies was correct.
But the real reason the arts weren't passed on properly was familial love.
Fortunately, Wuhan had few dangerous factions and was a good place to live.
Here, his bloodline could survive well enough without great martial prowess.
That must have been Murong Daeho's thinking.
"But I disagree with Daeho's choice."
"Pardon?"
"Even after giving up transmission, Daeho revealed An'ga's existence. Even after deciding, regrets lingered."
Not entering this place was likely due to spy surveillance.
Regrets aside, he wanted to give his children at least one final refuge.
"We must clear our name, wash away the disgrace, and set right what needs setting right. Whether it's misfortune or fortune, I'm back now. I can't just leave the main house as some mediocre clan, can I?"
"...Acting Patriarch."
"You're not at death's door yet. You have another fifty years ahead. Live to see Sujing and Suhyang's children bear grandchildren."
"..."
"This is an order not as family, but as the former Martial Alliance Leader. No veto this time either."
Tears streamed from the bowed Gwakno's eyes.
"I accept your command, Acting Patriarch."
Gratitude and emotion were backed by relief and reassurance.
He had overcome guilt dozens of times a day to survive. And now, by some whim of heaven, the Acting Patriarch had appeared out of nowhere.
And he had declared he would raise the house to soar once more.
No matter what incident arose or misfortune struck, it felt like they could withstand it all.
And the special command given:
Live.
His chest swelled at those warm, dignified words.
"We'll put House Hoyeon on hold for now."
He absolutely wouldn't want to delay. Gwakno knew the Acting Patriarch's temperament well.
Yet he was postponing it.
Because something even more important came first.
"Whether crushing House Hoyeon or collecting debts from the world, we need power for that."
"You're right."
"We'll take everything we need right away. But it's too much for one person to carry."
Gwakno's tear-blurred eyes began to shine.
Murong Cheon—no, Murong Bi—twirled his finger.
"The game of Murong Cheon and Gwak Hogun ends here. From now on, it's back to the troublemaking young master and the ever-worried Gwakno. Turn around."
Gwakno silently turned.
Not a hint of hesitation.
Murong Bi unpacked a small medicine pouch from his bosom.
Suddenly, a faint herbal scent spread across the entire plaza.
"Know what this is?"
Gwakno replied without turning.
"Pure Wind Divine Pill?"
"You remember."
"One of the Martial Alliance's special elixirs you gifted to the Lord."
"My brother said to give it to you. I told you to take it. But I heard you stubbornly refused."
"It ended up going to the Young Lord."
"The Pure Wind Divine Pill you refused back then finally becomes yours."
Gwakno felt no burden or guilt.
"Is this the elixir needed to erase the traces of the Divine Soul Demonic Citadel?"
"To some extent."
Honestly, it wasn't necessary.
Though extremely risky, using Brain Gate True Qi could blow away even the remnants of yin energy stripped of demonic qi.
This was a gift for Gwakno.
Compensation for the family member who had guarded the house until now.
"Your dantian hasn't been used much, so it's faded. That body won't handle this pill's potency. Even activating it, your inner energy won't reach half your former level."
"Yes."
"I'll transmit it fully, so let's clean out those dusty meridians while we're at it."
Murong Bi swallowed the Pure Wind Divine Pill, then—without even melting his own energy—used the Mixed Origin Heart Method's wondrous formula to purge the impurities and transmit it wholly to Gwakno.
The former Martial Alliance Leader's energy transfer was exquisitely refined and elegant.
Gwakno was moved by the powerful true qi coursing through his body after so long.
Two hours later.
The lingering resentment in Gwakno's mind was completely erased, and his faint dantian was fully revived, brimming with abundant true qi.
It would take considerable time to regain his former prowess, but compared to before coming to An'ga, he was like a different person.
Finishing up, the two gathered what they needed and set out.
A bit faster than when they'd come.
The faces of the two who had shared their secrets looked at ease.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Patriarch!"
"Speak."
"The young master and Gwakno are back!"
A trace of relief crossed Murong Sujing's face.
"I see."
"B-But..."
"What is it?"
"You should come see for yourself."
His uneasy tone.
For some reason feeling anxious, Murong Sujing opened the door and stepped out.
"Hey."
She had meant to say they'd returned safely, but her eyes went wide.
"What is all this?"
Over ten weapons, various books, and piles of something emitting a sweet fragrance were stacked on the ground before the patriarch's quarters.
"Gwakno and I brought it from the secret annex."
"What?!"
Murong Sujing was startled. She'd wondered where they'd gone without a word, and they'd gone to the secret annex?
Murong Bi grinned and patted Gwakno's shoulder.
"It was too much for me alone, so I borrowed Gwakno's strength."
Murong Sujing, mouth agape as she stared at the items, turned her gaze to Gwakno.
Gwakno was smiling.
A benevolent yet reliable smile she'd never seen before, filling the viewer with a sense of security.
"We're back, Patriarch."