Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: After the Rebellion
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Well, it was a perfectly natural decision.
In hindsight, if Zhuge Kunying's rebellion hadn't happened, they all would have ended up dead.
While lost in such thoughts, I suddenly recalled Zhuge Cheonsang's bizarre behavior during his rampage.
In the midst of fighting so fiercely, he had abruptly dashed off toward the Great Heavenly Pavilion, intent on killing Zhuge Kunying and the other key figures of the clan.
His actions—pressing on toward the heavyweights while half-ignoring my relentless attacks—had felt utterly out of place.
What was it? Like some kind of will was at work?
It was as if some invisible someone was commanding Zhuge Cheonsang.
"In the end, we couldn't catch the mastermind who passed the Grand Law to the Elder Council."
"…Yes. It feels like things aren't fully resolved."
Zhuge Kunying nodded in agreement with my words.
Just yesterday.
Once the situation had more or less settled, we summoned Elder Guk and the Zhuge Chief Steward for a direct confrontation.
The Zhuge Chief Steward claimed Elder Guk had handed over the Grand Law, while Elder Guk insisted he knew nothing about it.
To determine whose story was true.
—I was there. It was definitely Elder Guk who passed on the Grand Law.
—What nonsense is this…? I know nothing at all about this thing called Blood Jade!
I had half-expected it, but even in front of Elder Guk, the Zhuge Chief Steward stuck to his story, and Elder Guk reacted with utter disbelief.
Both sides presented completely opposing claims.
On top of that, a few surviving elders backed the Zhuge Chief Steward's account.
Two elders, who had been relatively clear-headed, made exactly the same claim as the Chief Steward.
—Hah, haa…!
As Elder Guk grew flustered in the worsening situation, a new witness appeared.
—Ah, that night? Elder Guk was at my quarters. He was looking after my sickly little brother, who was wheezing away.
A testimony emerged from a collateral blood relative, claiming that at the very time the Grand Law was supposedly passed on, Elder Guk had been caring for his sick brother at his own residence.
—No, how…?
Zhuge Kunying's face now spread with bewilderment.
Both sides' claims contradicted each other, yet each had witnesses to support them—a contradictory mess.
This forced me to consider a new possibility.
Namely, that both claims could be true.
—Could someone else have impersonated Elder Guk?
—Are you saying there's another sorcerer in the clan besides me?
Having already witnessed the Jade-Faced Seductress's transformation arts, I raised this hypothesis. Elder Guk pondered briefly before cautiously replying that it wasn't an impossible idea.
And so began the search for the sorcerer.
We investigated everyone in the clan, including the guests, and thoroughly searched every building, but the results were underwhelming.
—We checked everyone, but there were no signs of any sorcerers. However, there is one thing that bothers me…
—What is it?
—Do you remember the girl named Soso? The one I rescued?
—Ah, yes. She was the maid in charge of my guest quarters, so I know her face. But why…?
In response to my question, Elder Guk answered with a suspicious expression.
—She vanished all of a sudden.
—…Pardon? What do you mean?
—Exactly that. They say she hasn't been seen anywhere in the clan since yesterday.
So, after we rescued her, she disappeared once the rebellion ended?
A thread of suspicion naturally arose.
Could that maid be the mastermind behind everything…?
But I quickly shook my head.
That was too much of a leap.
Her sudden disappearance that day was certainly suspicious, but without evidence, I couldn't pin her as the black hand based on a faint hunch alone.
—…Still, just in case, we should track down where that maid went.
—Leave that to us. We're already inquiring after her whereabouts. No matter where she goes, she'll have to pass through Yangyang, so we'll surely find her.
Zhuge Kunying spoke confidently, but even now, a day later, no news had come of the maid's location.
It had only been a day, so we needed to wait longer, but a strange conviction welled up inside me that we'd never find her.
At the same time, my half-joking leap in logic started feeling more and more like it could be true.
Could that maid really have been the mastermind?
I couldn't help but stick out my tongue at her thoroughness—she had fooled even me, who had her serving right by my side.
Her cunning in toying with the Zhuge Clan's head and elders for decades was astonishing.
Weren't those the smartest folks in the Central Plains martial world? She had exploited their obsession with power at the perfect moment, nearly shattering an entire great clan.
Just what was the identity of this black hand?
Could she be a front for Tyrant Heaven Fortress?
Hwaryeon shook her head at my speculation.
"It can't be Tyrant Heaven Fortress. We can pretty much be sure the culprit is a sorcerer, right? If so, there's no way it could be them."
"Why do you say that… Ah."
Mid-question, I recalled my previous conversation with Elder Yeon.
The imperial court viewed sorcerers as Demonic Cult puppets and cracked down on them relentlessly, right?
"Yes. And Tyrant Heaven Fortress led the charge in purging sorcerers from the Central Plains. No sorcerer anywhere would have warm feelings toward them."
If that was true, it would be impossible for Tyrant Heaven Fortress to employ a sorcerer.
"Then who the hell are they?"
Not Tyrant Heaven Fortress, yet targeting the Zhuge Clan—who could they be?
"…Could it be the Demonic Cult, by any chance?"
"Please don't even joke about that. It's horrifying."
I smacked my lips at Hwaryeon's firm words.
It seemed plausible enough, but we only had a hunch there too.
With that, talk of the black hand fizzled out, and the meeting moved on to the next topic.
Or rather, it was forced to.
"So, what will you do about punishing the surviving elders and Chief Steward Zhuge Sun?"
A voice laced with faint killing intent.
All eyes turned to the end of the table.
There sat unfamiliar, almost alien faces.
Vice Commander of the Lake Heaven Corps, Zhuge Ho.
Commander of the Lake Branch Corps, Zhuge Myeong.
Commander of the Lake Person Corps, Zhuge Cheong.
The commanders of the clan's core martial forces.
The one who had just spoken was Lake Person Corps Commander Zhuge Cheong, seated at the very end.
Dressed in pristine white martial robes without a speck of dirt, his face looked haggard from days without sleep, yet his eyes gleamed ferociously.
"Those men plunged the clan into the brink of annihilation. They must be dealt with via cruel execution."
Everyone fell silent at words tinged with personal grudge.
They knew why he felt that way.
When the clan's heavyweights headed to the cave of the Blood Explosion Technique cultivators, the commanders had gone to the cave as well.
And Zhuge Cheong claimed to have spotted his elder brother—long gone from the clan—among the beast-like screaming cultivators.
From what I heard, they had been close brothers since childhood, so seeing his brother turned into a blood-thirsty beast…
It was impressive he was maintaining this level of composure.
"…Don't worry, Lake Person Commander. They will pay the appropriate price. I promise you that."
Zhuge Cheong's words prompted Zhuge Kunying to respond with feigned coolness.
Hearing this, Zhuge Cheong stared steadily at Zhuge Kunying for a moment before lowering his gaze.
"If you say so, then I have no further requests."
With that reply heavy with layered emotions, the meeting concluded.
*
As soon as we left the Clan Head's Residence after the meeting, one of the clan's warriors approached me and Zhuge Kunying.
When we asked why, astonishingly, it turned out the Zhuge Chief Steward was asking for us.
"What could it be?"
"Who knows…."
Puzzled, Zhuge Kunying and I headed to the prison where the Zhuge Chief Steward was confined.
After the rebellion ended, the Chief Steward had volunteered to be imprisoned.
Aside from when we summoned him for the confrontation, he had remained silent in his cell. So why call for us now?
Harboring questions, we arrived at the prison and soon saw the Zhuge Chief Steward sitting quietly on the cold stone floor.
"…You've come."
As if sensing our presence beyond the iron bars, he slowly opened his eyes.
When we asked why he had summoned us, he dropped a bombshell.
"Please let me bear all the crimes committed by the Clan Head during this time."
"…Pardon?"
What was this?
He was saying…
"Are you asking to take the fall for Clan Head Zhuge's sins and die?"
"Yes. Execute me as the ringleader who drove the clan to the edge of destruction, and win the hearts of the clan members."
Zhuge Kunying immediately objected to the Chief Steward's shocking proposal.
"We can't do that! Shifting the blame to you and executing you…"
"Then what do you plan to do? Surely you're not thinking of sparing me?"
"…!"
Zhuge Kunying was at a loss for words.
Watching him, I sighed inwardly.
He had hesitated oddly during the meeting earlier, clearly wanting to find a way to save the Chief Steward.
The Zhuge Chief Steward shook his head at Zhuge Kunying, who could say nothing.
"That won't do. Young Master Il, you are now the one to lead the Zhuge Clan as Clan Head. Carrying an unstable element like me would be too great a burden. Please judge coldly."
"…Chief Steward."
Zhuge Kunying's face twisted at the Chief Steward's plea to be put to death.
I hated to say it, but I agreed with the Chief Steward.
Even if he had handed over the ledger at the end to aid the rebellion, it didn't erase what he had done alongside the Clan Head and elders up to now.
Not only Zhuge Cheong, who had openly shown his animosity, but several heavyweights who learned the truth were demanding the execution of all involved.
Sparing the Chief Steward in that climate would risk splitting the clan, which had just escaped the swamp of corruption.
Zhuge Kunying surely knew that.
"……."
Pain flickered across Zhuge Kunying's tightly pressed lips.
Seeing his face brought back the moment he had first introduced the Chief Steward.
—This is Chief Steward Zhuge Sun, in charge of our main house's internal affairs. He's like an uncle to me.
—Hoho, Young Master Il is too kind. I am Zhuge Sun.
The direct-line eldest son and the clan's Chief Steward.
It seemed their bond was far deeper than I had thought.
To think he couldn't accept reality like this.
In the end, Zhuge Kunying couldn't reply right away and left the cell first, murmuring only, "…I'll think it over."
As I turned to follow, the Chief Steward called me back.
"A moment, if you would?"
"Ah, yes. Do you have something to say to me alone?"
I stood before the bars again and looked at the Chief Steward.
Then, the man who had been gazing silently up at me suddenly bowed deeply in respect.
"Wh-what's this all of a sudden?"
Blocked by the bars, I couldn't stop him in time and floundered, but the Chief Steward slowly spoke.
"I am paying respects to the great benefactor of the clan. You halted me when I strayed down the wrong path and rampaged, and opened my eyes with brilliant light. How could I not be grateful?"