Chapter 327
Chapter 327
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 327
Chapter Title: Murim Alliance Gathering (1)
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As Hugo wrapped up the final stages of the treatment, the conversation he'd had at the Zhuge family before arriving here flitted through his mind.
"You mean a prince? But the imperial bloodline was severed after the palace bloodbath..."
"To be precise, he's an imperial grandson. Of course, it's true that those in the palace at the time met with disaster, but not all of them lost their lives. Quite a few managed to escape by sheer luck."
And one of them was the crown princess, who had only recently become pregnant with the imperial grandson.
After that tragedy, before the world plunged into complete chaos, she fled the capital with her loyal retainers and returned to her family home to live in seclusion.
With the emperor gone—not to mention her husband, the crown prince—she feared drawing unwanted attention and inviting calamity if she acted rashly.
Sure enough, warlords and factions across the land soon stirred, ushering in an era of turmoil. She kept a low profile, focusing solely on recuperating.
She wasn't alone anymore, after all.
"I see. So the child born after that is..."
"Exactly. He's the imperial grandson currently at Shaolin Temple—Joo Kang-in."
Born under such dire circumstances, he grew up under the intense care of his mother and maternal relatives. Unfortunately, his health had been frail from birth.
In her clan's precarious position—like a kite cut from its string in these times—even summoning renowned physicians and using precious elixirs could only do so much.
After much deliberation, they entrusted him to Shaolin Temple, home to high monks with profound dharma power.
Above all, Shaolin's renowned martial prowess ensured his safety.
"Our clan, which has produced many imperial officials, has ties to them, and that's how we learned of it. In the process, we realized his symptoms resembled Hye-mi’s."
"But isn't that supposed to be top secret? Is it really okay to tell me this?"
"It was, back in the early days of the chaos... but over twenty years later, it's become meaningless. In the current situation, even if an imperial heir surfaced, nothing would change."
Indeed, with the fate of factions hanging in the balance, mere legitimacy couldn't resolve things anymore.
Plus, several warlords claiming the title of king were already of imperial blood.
'No surprise there. To them, some unrecognized kid isn't worth bothering over.'
The lack of martial backing—the key to enforcing that legitimacy—played a huge role too.
In the end, all the boy had left was his name.
"Of course, we can't shout it from the rooftops, but since you're the one treating him, you deserve to know this much, don't you think?"
"I understand. In any case, I'll go take a look."
"Hahaha, thank you. Truth be told, I haven't been at ease since we weren't close to your clan. I'll make sure to reward you properly when you return."
That topic ended there.
After arriving at Shaolin, Hugo met the patient through the Zhuge family's introduction and, after over a week of treatment, reached this point.
"His body is recovering, but he's still unstable, so avoid strenuous activity as much as possible."
"Thank you so much, divine healer. I can't tell you how much more comfortable I've been lately. I haven't even had nightmares—I've been sleeping soundly."
"Hahaha, no need for that. Well, I'll be off then."
"Ah, this way..."
Ignoring the protests, Hugo left the room with Joo Kang-in seeing him off. Stroking his chin, he sorted through his thoughts.
The new information from the treatment had left his mind in a whirl.
'His response to treatment is definitely faster than Zhuge Hye-mi's. It took her a full month to even walk properly, but he's reached a similar level in just a week.'
No matter how proficient he'd become, there were limits.
Such a stark difference pointed to another factor.
And that was the preliminary measures each faction had taken before holy power treatment began.
Even setting aside elixirs, the Zhuge family's medical arts were superior—yet the outcome differed, which meant...
'The sermons from a senior monk, aimed at stabilizing him, were more effective than attempts to cure the illness itself.'
As expected, it seemed closer to a divine affliction than any disease or constitution.
Heinrich's holy power could alleviate it, but not fully cure it—that was the issue.
Without addressing the root cause, symptoms would likely recur even after treatment.
'Should I have him undergo divine descent? But is there even a god in this world suited for that?'
There were religions like Buddhism and Taoism, but none immediately matched their plight.
Lost in thought, he arrived at the Zhuge family's quarters in the guest hall.
"Ah! You're back, Young Master Ha. Hard work today."
At the entrance, the family's representative—the family head's second son, Zhuge Jung-hyeok—greeted him warmly, his face beaming.
Hugo returned a soft smile, subtly gauging the man's mood.
'Why the sudden change?'
Their relationship was cordial but distant—purely business, neither too close nor uncomfortable.
Not close enough for a doorstep welcome.
Looking closer, he realized the attention wasn't on him.
'Come to think of it... things are lively over there.'
In another section of the guest hall for external visitors.
Distracted on the way back, he hadn't noticed, but it seemed guests had just arrived.
Zhuge Jung-hyeok, catching Hugo's glance, explained without prompting.
"Ah, the Nangong family arrived a little while ago. Led by their young master, Nangong Hwang, in person. I remember him from when we were kids."
Hugo nodded slowly to the excited tone.
Indeed, Hubei, home to the Zhuge, neighbored Anhui, home to the Nangong—they exchanged visits often.
Though their main bases were farther apart than Shaolin.
'But he's not the type to get this worked up over peers here for camaraderie.'
Hugo eyed Zhuge Jung-hyeok, who kept glancing that way, with narrowed eyes.
From the journey here and since arriving, he'd seen the man as calm, serious—downright dull.
He'd been impassive even with the youths from the Qingcheng, Jincheng, Ami, and Tang clans in the Sichuan Alliance recently.
The reason became clear upon seeing the Nangong arrivals unpacking and greeting.
"Hello, Young Master Zhuge. You look just like I remember from childhood. Good to see you again."
"I'm glad you remember. How have you been, Young Master Nangong?"
After exchanging brief pleasantries with Nangong Hwang, Zhuge Jung-hyeok turned aside, his face flushing slightly.
His gaze fell on a beautiful girl peering around curiously.
"Ahem, pleased to meet you, miss. I've heard the stories, but this is our first meeting. I'm Zhuge Jung-hyeok, second son of the Zhuge family head."
"Ah! Hello. I'm Nangong So-ran. Nice to meet you, young master."
Zhuge Jung-hyeok's lips twitched at her bright smile and eager greeting.
Watching, Hugo inwardly clicked his tongue and shook his head.
'No wonder he seemed oddly excited.'
She must've caught his eye when the Nangong group arrived.
Her glossy black hair tied up in a neat bun like a noble lady, exuding vibrant health and energy befitting a martial family child, large curious eyes, and refined features.
A stunning beauty worth captivating a young man in his prime, sure—but seeing the family's representative act like this undermined any trust.
'Well, this is a gathering for bonding, so maybe not my place to judge. Still, who sends their daughter—the heir apparent, no less—personally? With dangers lurking en route, what were they thinking?'
Overconfidence in overcoming any threat?
"Oh, it's been a while."
Moments later, seeing the late arrival converse casually with a Zhuge elder confirmed it.
"Lord Nangong Woo! What brings the great hero here in person?"
"Hahaha, cooped up in the family too long—got stuffy, so I tagged along for a change of scenery. Figured I'd let the kids see the world too. How's old Gun-ak these days?"
"Grand Patriarch is as vigorous as ever. Lately, he's taken to tending orchids."
The imposing elder addressed the Zhuge patriarch without formality.
His eyes, scanning the room, lit up sharply upon spotting Hugo in the corner.
'Ah, busted.'
Hugo offered a subtle bow, awkwardly averting his gaze with a smile.
The pressure dwarfed even facing Wudang's Yunhyeon-jin—instinctive, despite no overt action.
"Hmm, is that young man from the Zhuge family? Might as well get acquainted with the next generation. Indulge an old man's whims—could you introduce us?"
The man showed no intention of letting him slip away.
Feeling surrounding gazes follow, Hugo forced a grin.
"Ahahaha..."
Nangong Woo, Nangong family's retired grand patriarch.
The Sword Saint, one of the realm's strongest transcendentals—a supreme realm master—had come personally and taken interest.
***
"Grandpa, what was that about all of a sudden?"
After greetings with the Zhuge and other factions in the guest hall, on the way back to their quarters.
Nangong So-ran trotted up beside Sword Saint Nangong Woo, asking innocently.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Come on! Back during the Zhuge greetings. Did that guy have something special? You've never done that before—it's intriguing!"
"I was surprised too. First time I've seen Grandpa take interest in someone first. And he looked younger than me—maybe just two or three years older than So-ran?"
"Hahaha..."
As his granddaughter wheedled and his ever-serious grandson chimed in, the Sword Saint chuckled lowly, stroking his chin beard.
How to explain this?
Deciding honesty would help, he spoke slowly.
"Alright, better safe than sorry—you should know too. That fellow? He's from another world."
"...Huh?"
"...Pardon?"
As expected, his grandchildren's faces went blank. The Sword Saint burst into hearty laughter.
He'd already erected a barrier, so no worries about eavesdroppers.
"Another worlder... You mean from another dimension? The ones with bizarre powers?"
"...Impressive. No wonder you took interest, Grandpa. They grow strong fast if conditions align—true wild cards."
They were still young, never having seen one.
Only stories—and mostly about the infamous Heavenly Demon Slayer, now vanished.
"Wow! Real otherworlders exist? I thought it was all made-up!"
"So-ran, we're not home. Behave..."
Ignoring her brother's scolding, Nangong So-ran bounced excitedly, nibbling her lower lip in anticipation.
'Otherworlders from the books! What amazing powers does he have? I wanna see!'
Worth all the begging, tantrums, and antics to get Grandpa to let her come!
She'd regretted the grim sights en route, but this made it worthwhile.
Smiling fondly, the Sword Saint stroked his beard and continued.
"He was right on the cusp. If he'd been below first-rate or hiding in the superhuman... er, absolute realm, I'd have missed it. Peak realm's ambiguity makes it hard to mask the discrepancies in physical prowess, internal energy, aura, and cultivation."
Of course, only someone like me could spot the subtlety.
Finishing proudly, he puffed his chest, expecting awe.
But the response fell short.
"...He looked younger than me, but already at my level?"
Nangong Hwang, who'd listened eagerly, murmured grimly.
As the eldest son and next family head, he'd trained with the best elixirs, arts, and environment from childhood.
Reaching peak realm in his mid-twenties filled him with pride.
Few among the younger generation could compare.
Yet someone in his early twenties matched him...!
"Pfft, bro's clueless? Otherworlder! That's nothing for them! I bet he's superhuman realm. Kinda disappointing if not."
"Ridiculous! Even with their weird sorcery, there's limits!"
"Not sorcery! Legit abilities! Can't grasp it, so it's sorcery?"
"'He'? 'He,' you said? To your brother!"
"Young master of the great Nangong acting so narrow-minded..."
"Keep indulging her, no manners..."
As the siblings bickered, the Sword Saint deflated with a sigh.
'Maybe I spoke too soon.'
'Still, otherworlders are rare—better they know. He's under Zhuge protection, but caution's wise. Smart kids; they'll handle it.'
They seemed immature, but both were geniuses in the family.
No foolish moves.
But he soon realized his judgment hasty.
A few days later.
"Sigh... Miss Nangong. What is it this time?"
"What do you mean? It's the day!"
Hugo ignored the jealous glare from the Zhuge heir prickling his neck and sighed at the visiting Nangong lady.
"The gathering starts today!"
And so, amid much buzz and anticipation, time passed.
Finally, the Murim Alliance Gathering began—its namesake alliance long dissolved, a hollow title now.