Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Zhuge One Sword
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Goon Ja-seong and Zhuge Cheon-sang ascended to the training ground.
Ye-ryeong's eyes, fixed precisely on Ja-seong out of the two, shook wildly with anxiety and unease.
Zhuge One Sword, Zhuge Cheon-sang.
He was the Zhuge Clan's supreme master, famous enough that even she, who lived outside the world of the martial forest, knew of him.
A notorious reputation for his rotten personality always shadowed him like a ghost, yet no one dared belittle his martial prowess.
Now, Ja-seong was about to spar with such a man.
'No way... all because of me, for Master...!'
It had just been the wastrel spouting his usual nonsense without a second thought.
In hindsight, she could have just let it slide, so why had she shown her anger and dragged him into this...?
"If you're thinking it's your fault, stop it."
As Ye-ryeong squeezed her eyes shut in self-recrimination, a cold voice pierced her ears.
Startled, she opened her eyes and turned her head to find the peerlessly beautiful woman with an icy aura, Hwa-ryeon, standing beside her.
A beauty so extraordinary it even intimidated Ye-ryeong, who was said to have no equal in Muhan in terms of looks.
And since they'd met, she'd been consistently cold, which only amplified the intimidation.
Ye-ryeong shook off the feeling as best she could and asked.
"...What do you mean?"
"Because even if you hadn't been insulted and gotten angry, Young Master Goon would have stepped up anyway."
It meant Ja-seong's involvement had nothing to do with her emotions.
But Ye-ryeong couldn't understand why.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because that's the kind of person he is. Young Master Goon."
Hwa-ryeon then explained why Ja-seong had stepped forward.
"You came here at the young master's request, right? From that moment, he felt a sense of... responsibility toward you. Since you'd taken on the burden of ruining your reputation at his behest."
"...You're saying he'd go this far for something like that? He could end up greatly humiliated or even injured if things go wrong?"
"Humiliated? Injured?"
Hwa-ryeon's lip curled up slightly as she countered.
At that chilling smile, Ye-ryeong flinched despite having done nothing wrong.
"Wh-why...?"
Her voice trembled involuntarily as she asked, but the response was curt.
"Just watch. You'll see soon enough."
With those two words that cut off all context, Hwa-ryeon shut her mouth.
In the end, Ye-ryeong clasped her hands together, unable to shake off her anxiety, and gazed up at the training ground.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side from the two women, another person watched the training ground with eyes full of the same anxiety.
It was none other than Zhuge Geun-yeong, the head of the Zhuge Clan's Muhan branch.
If his state of mind could be summed up in one phrase, it would be "on the verge of going mad and jumping out of his skin."
Had there not been so many eyes on him, he might have forgotten all decorum, screamed, and torn out his hair.
'How on earth did things end up like this...!'
Honestly, from the moment Cheon-sang had arrived in Muhan under orders to capture the lecherous demon, he'd anticipated some disaster.
Cheon-sang was that arrogant and utterly unreasonable.
It was embarrassing to share the same Zhuge surname.
If he could, he'd write to the clan head right then to strip him of the name and expel him from the clan.
But reality forbade it.
Like it or not, Cheon-sang was the clan's one and only titled master.
'...Though it's a title closer to a mocking nickname.'
Zhuge One Sword.
It could be interpreted positively as the first sword of the Zhuge Clan, but Geun-yeong knew better.
The title carried an entirely different meaning.
The Zhuge Clan's sole sword.
It mocked them—one of the Five Great Clans—for having only one decent sword worth mentioning.
Whether Cheon-sang knew or not, he proudly boasted about it everywhere.
'Why on earth did you support a guy like that so much...!'
Geun-yeong inwardly cursed the clan head, who had poured elixirs and full support into the martial prodigy that emerged after the long toil and sacrifices of the clan members.
While he resented the Zhuge clan head, Ja-seong and Cheon-sang faced each other on the training ground.
"...Hoo."
Geun-yeong sighed while watching the two, clutched his throbbing head, and climbed onto the training ground.
"I'll confirm once more. Real swords, no out-of-bounds loss—continues until one admits defeat or becomes combat-ineffective. Correct?"
Even as he stated the sparring rules himself, he found it absurd.
Wasn't this basically a deathmatch in broad daylight?
Doing this against guests bearing the Nangong clan head's token?
Did this guy have a brain?
"......."
"What are you waiting for? Get on with it."
Geun-yeong glared at Cheon-sang with an expression screaming he wanted to unleash a tirade of curses, but all he got back was an urging to hurry.
"Hoo...."
With yet another sigh—he'd lost count—Geun-yeong turned to look at Ja-seong this time.
His face carried unavoidable resentment.
In response, Ja-seong shrugged with a bright smile.
'This one's just as insane.'
This young master clearly knew nothing of Zhuge Cheon-sang's infamous reputation.
Otherwise, he wouldn't dare such recklessness.
Did it have to go this far into a spar?
Couldn't the insult to Lady Gong just end with a protest?
Why accept real swords and no out-of-bounds?
Did he think he'd get a handout?
Swallowing all the questions he couldn't voice, he scrutinized Ja-seong's expression.
A serene face utterly oblivious to the peril he was in.
To Geun-yeong's eyes, it looked like a moth diving into flames.
In truth, that scoundrel might really try to kill Ja-seong.
Then play innocent afterward, claiming it was a mistake.
'...I must absolutely prevent that.'
If Ja-seong got hurt, it could sour relations with the Nangong Clan.
Resolved to throw himself in the way if needed to avert such a disaster, he stepped down from the training ground.
Finally, Geun-yeong took a deep breath and loudly announced the start of the spar.
"Begin!"
At that shout, Ja-seong's figure vanished.
'Huh...?'
Vanished...?
-Kwang!
As Geun-yeong frantically searched for the suddenly disappeared Ja-seong, a thunderous explosion rang in his ears.
Reflexively turning toward the sound, what entered his sight was,
"...Huh?"
Cheon-sang, flung from the training ground and slammed into the wall.
*
Stamping my foot into a firm stance, I became a streak of light and reached Zhuge Cheon-sang in an instant.
Eyes still fixed on where I'd been standing.
Confusion slowly dawned on his face as he lost sight of me.
In that moment, my sword was already pressing against his abdomen.
-Kwang!
A perfect Changgung Ilseom.
Since it wasn't a deathmatch, I'd flattened the blade and struck with the side.
The result: Zhuge Cheon-sang rocketed back with the boom and crashed into the wall.
"......"
"......"
The training ground fell into dead silence.
Some gaped in disbelief, eyes wide; others pinched and slapped their cheeks to confirm if this was reality.
"...Huh?"
Zhuge Geun-yeong in particular was so shocked he stood with his mouth agape, alternating stares between the wall-embedded Cheon-sang and me.
Hm, that grim expression earlier—he must've planned to intervene if I got in danger mid-spar.
But the reality was the exact opposite of what he'd expected.
No wonder he was stunned.
"Th-this... what...!"
Of course, the most shocked was the one who'd been knocked flying.
Zhuge Cheon-sang realized he'd been embedded in the wall in a blink and wore an incredulous expression.
Seeing that, even I was fairly surprised.
For someone hit by Changgung Ilseom and sent flying, he looked far too intact.
I hadn't meant to end it in one blow, but he shouldn't be getting up so easily?
Narrowing my eyes, I scanned his body, and a faint shimmering glow over his skin caught my eye.
Was that the Zhuge Clan's Protective Art?
When did it activate?
There'd been no sign of it before the spar.
No, Zhuge Cheon-sang hadn't even noticed my attack until the end.
So how had the Protective Art triggered?
Automatic activation was unlikely—perhaps a constant-on type?
How? The inner energy drain would be immense.
I observed Zhuge Cheon-sang's faintly glowing Protective Art with keen interest.
Growling at me, he snarled.
"Grk...! You bastard, what trick did you pull...!"
The reality of being knocked out of the training ground by a single strike from someone he'd dismissed as worthless.
No wonder his facial muscles were beyond control.
Gazing at him trembling with rage and humiliation, I said.
"You were wise to waive the out-of-bounds rule. We nearly ended the spar in one exchange."
It sounded potentially misleading after saying it, but it was my honest sentiment.
The Zhuge Clan's Protective Art had piqued my interest that much.
Especially how it could possibly stay active constantly.
"...You little shit!"
Oblivious to my thoughts, Zhuge Cheon-sang took it as mockery.
Eyes bloodshot with fury, he leaped back onto the training ground and swung his sword.
Forgetting it was a spar and not a deathmatch, he swung with full killing intent.
It carried considerable ferocity, but that was it.
-Kang!
His sword flew from his hand and rolled across the training ground, deflected by the heavy sword principle in Cheonwi Jungap's defensive stance.
With him disarmed and exposed, I thrust swiftly at his upper body.
Followed by seven sword shadows.
-Kwang!
Geomyeong Gwancheon's Eight Linked Strikes hammered his torso, sending Zhuge Cheon-sang tumbling across the training ground once more.
Seven bloodstains bloomed vividly over his uniform.
"Hmm...."
I narrowed my eyes at the spots pierced by the sword shadows.
The unnamed Zhuge Clan Protective Art had solidly blocked Geomyeong Gwancheon's initial strike, yet bizarrely yielded easily to the following seven.
Why?
It stopped the first effortlessly, so why breach on the subsequent chain?
The secret to its constant activation lay here.
I was certain of it.