A Harmonious Family
The members of the Zhuge Clan had paid a visit to the Sichuan Tang Clan. Ostensibly, it was to allow the betrothed couple, Zhuge Hye and Tang Hwi, to spend time together and strengthen the ties between their two families, but the reality was quite different.
Fwip.
Zhuge Hye snapped her folding fan open, concealing the lower half of her face as she cast a cold, sharp gaze at the man hosting her. Under her scrutiny, Tang Hwi squirmed as if he didn't know what to do with himself. Of course, he was only squirming because his conscience was far from clean.
"My visit was already agreed upon, but I never expected you wouldn't send a single letter inviting me over."
"Ahem."
"Even if this is just a sham engagement, shouldn't you have at least sent a formal invitation asking me to come for my lessons? Or was I asking for too much?"
"..."
"Because of your silence, I ended up looking like some desperate wench who couldn't wait to see her fiancé! And that's not all...!"
Even after his silence, Zhuge Hye continued her nagging as if she had caught him red-handed, causing Tang Hwi's shoulders to shrink even further. Her scolding was so precise and articulate that even the most stubborn old scholar from a village academy would lose an argument against her tongue. Just whose daughter was she to be this incredibly sharp?
Ah. Right. She's from the Zhuge Clan.
Since she was a daughter of the brilliant Zhuge Clan, every single point she made felt like a direct stab to his solar plexus. Tang Hwi seriously wondered if this was the true form of the legendary Mind Sword.
"My lady. Why don't we begin our lessons on formation arts first? Since you won't be staying long, it would be far more efficient to receive the instruction while we have the time."
"Mmm. That is indeed more efficient."
Fortunately, just as Tang Hwi hoped, the Zhuge Clan's habit of prioritizing logical thinking allowed him to escape the storm of nagging. Offering a silent, deep prayer of condolence to the poor man who would marry her in the future, Tang Hwi focused on the lesson. He produced a small pebble. However, Zhuge Hye could immediately tell it was no ordinary stone; it thrummed with a subtle, spiritual energy.
She's reacting to it. As expected of someone with the Five Elements Body, she's highly sensitive to the natural energy of the five elements infused within the pebble.
This pebble was something Tang Hwi had crafted himself. Anticipating the day he would teach her formation arts, he had raided one of his secret storehouses from his past life during his spare time to retrieve it.
"It doesn't seem like an ordinary pebble."
"The formations that can be deployed with this pebble are, of course, merely simplified versions compared to those of the Zhuge Clan. However, its value is entirely different from a common stone. I figured a lady of your constitution, highly sensitive to the five elements, would recognize it."
"It certainly seems that way. But is it really alright to use something so precious for a mere lesson?"
"Normally, it wouldn't be allowed. But since it's you, my lady, it doesn't matter."
It was indeed a single-use item, but under the current circumstances, the rules changed.
When someone with the Five Elements Body circulates their qi, the energy of the five elements naturally flows around them. Regardless of the quality or type of internal energy they cultivate, the natural energy of the five elements will flow, meaning the pebble can be recharged and reused simply by keeping it near her.
In short, as long as Zhuge Hye was around, it could be recycled indefinitely. However, unaware of this fact, Zhuge Hye couldn't help but flinch slightly at Tang Hwi's words.
What does he mean by that? It doesn't matter because it's me?
To Zhuge Hye, whose mind operated on the equation of 'a man generously using expensive items for a woman equals a form of courtship,' Tang Hwi's kindness was deeply confusing. Yet, seeing his perfectly calm demeanor, she assumed she was overthinking and quickly focused back on the lesson.
"This pebble has absorbed the energy of nature. It was likely formed by staying in a place rich with natural energy for a very long time. As a result, these pebbles embodying the principles of the five elements—Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and Earth—were born. If Lady Zhuge, with your natural talent for the five elements, utilizes them, you will be able to display groundbreaking mastery in formation arts. Let us begin by integrating the five elements into a formation."
"Excuse me, Acting Patriarch?"
Zhuge Hye crossed her arms, pushing up her far-from-small—in fact, quite voluptuous—breasts from below, emphasizing their presence.
"The principles of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements are the absolute basics of formation arts. Do you think the Zhuge Clan's formations are so pathetic that we don't even integrate the five elements?"
"You merely follow the principles of the five elements; you do not actually manipulate the natural energy of the five elements itself."
Tang Hwi replied, tossing the pebble in his hand like a jackstone.
"Following the principles is merely a form of imitation. But directly manipulating the natural energy of the five elements is on an entirely different level. One must either be an absolute master who understands it so deeply that they can move natural energy at will, or possess an innate, extraordinary talent for the five elements like you do, my lady. And if I may add, the former can never defeat the latter."
"Hmm?"
Zhuge Hye cast a surprised look at him. If her assumption was correct, the former referred to Tang Hwi, and the latter to herself. Yet, Tang Hwi had just openly declared that he could never defeat her in the five elements formation arts. Or rather, while he might win for now, he spoke with absolute certainty that if she learned under him, the student would eventually surpass the master. Before she could fully process her confusion at his complete lack of pride as a martial artist, Tang Hwi continued.
"As a side note, depending on the results you achieve, I will give you the right to choose which part of the 'Monstrous Dragon' we break first."
"Let's begin immediately."
Even though she knew it was bait, Zhuge Hye bit without hesitation. There was absolutely no reason to refuse an opportunity to ruin her half-brother, whom she despised enough to want dead.
"First, the difference between a formation that follows the principles of the five elements and one that manipulates their natural energy is simple. Do you know what it is?"
"The output itself must be on a different scale."
"Correct."
The formation Tang Hwi had previously set up in the Poison Medical Pavilion's spiritual beast sanctuary hadn't actually changed much. If it had been altered drastically, he wouldn't have been able to finish it with just a brief touch-up. All he had done was directly inject the natural energy of the five elements and circulate it, completely altering its durability. Zhuge Hye had vaguely noticed this, but she hadn't been able to figure out how it was possible for this exact reason. He had only made a minute adjustment, so how could she possibly discern why its durability was so vastly different?
"The five elements can be seen as a simplified imitation of nature's cycle, brought down to a level humans can comprehend. Ancient formation masters claimed they could create a permanent, eternal construct through this cycle, but they ultimately failed. This is because the five elements merely mimic the creation and destruction of nature."
"Nature is indeed mysterious. But while the span from its beginning to its end is incredibly vast, it is not eternal."
"Exactly. Since they were trying to mimic something that wasn't eternal to begin with, failure was inevitable. However, it was not a meaningless failure. As I have shown, a formation that directly manipulates the five elements has a completely different output compared to one that merely follows its principles."
"And that is precisely why I am sitting here receiving lessons from a younger man like you, Young Master Tang."
Tang Hwi felt the lesson was progressing quite rapidly, but he figured it was only because they were at the beginning. He had expected that since the members of the Zhuge Clan were exceptionally intelligent, they would breeze through the theoretical parts.
"Therefore, I intend to teach you the Five Elements Divine Art."
"Isn't that a martial arts manual? The name itself has 'Divine Art' in it..."
"Indeed. But even if one learns it, if they cannot use it, how can it be called a martial art? It is like a walnut shell without the walnut. In the first place, even if most people master this technique, they can only accumulate the natural energy of the five elements; they cannot actually wield it."
This was the fatal flaw of the legendary, supreme martial art known as the Five Elements Divine Art. Even if one accumulated the energy of the five elements through breathing exercises, without an innate talent for the five elements, they couldn't even utilize the energy. Thus, while it was a divine art, it was only truly divine for someone with the Five Elements Body. If an ordinary person practiced it, they would merely accumulate energy and become slightly healthier.
It's closer to a set of calisthenics, really.
It was a divine art so useless to the average person that calling it a martial art was almost embarrassing.
"In any case, this technique cannot even function as a divine art unless practiced by someone with your level of talent. Wouldn't it be better for you to learn it and let it finally shine in the world?"
"..."
Speechless, Zhuge Hye stared at her fake fiancé in utter disbelief.
Even so, how can he pass on a martial art to someone else so casually?
Even third-class trash would desperately hide something as basic as the Three Talents Sword Style as if it were a priceless treasure. While true martial artists might look down on simple horizontal slashes, vertical cuts, and thrusts, to third-class martial artists, even those were treasures. That was how precious martial arts were. Unless it was a master-disciple relationship, they were never easily passed on. Even if a master found a brilliant raw gem of a talent they liked, they would only reveal a mere fraction of their martial arts, never the whole thing.
What a strange man.
The way Tang Hwi conducted his lessons was completely alien to Zhuge Hye.
Meanwhile, at that very moment...
"My son...! This feels... so strange...!"
"It's alright, Mother. I told you, we can stretch it further."
Tang Hwi's real body was currently busy assisting Tang Suryeon, using a wooden dildo to stretch her anus.