Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Desperate Measures (1)
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The Zhuge Clan boasted a perimeter of over twenty li.
In the pavilion nestled within the Black Bamboo Grove to the southwest, a young man lay sprawled out like a starfish. He was lost in deep thought, the breeze tickling the tip of his nose.
Even in the Zhuge Clan—famed for producing geniuses who mastered the Four Books and Three Classics by age five and the Hundred Schools by nine—this prodigy, Zhuge Su, was recognized as unparalleled. Yet for some reason, he scowled deeply, his face twisted in discontent.
"There's something. There has to be."
Zhuge Su bolted upright. He paced back and forth across the pavilion before suddenly hooking his legs over the railing and hanging upside down.
A servant sweeping the Black Bamboo Grove glanced his way, then promptly returned to his chores. It was just Zhuge Su's usual habit whenever he hit a wall.
"Ah, this is driving me insane."
After dangling from the railing for half a gak, blood rushed to his head, making it feel like it might burst. But the physical agony paled compared to the riddle that refused to yield.
Zhuge Su righted himself and fixed his gaze on the massive map affixed to one side of the pavilion.
The enormous chart—spanning at least ten ja in both width and height—was densely inscribed with notes and symbols in a riot of colors.
"The current state of murim doesn't add up."
He stared holes through the map, paced about, scrutinized it again, paced some more—repeating the cycle dozens of times. With no answers emerging, he irritably ruffled his hair. His eyes flicked to the mountain of documents stacked on the table, and he bit his lip hard.
"I'll find it, no matter what."
Barefoot, Zhuge Su leaped from the pavilion and sprinted toward the clan's Archive Pavilion—the largest collection in the world, save for the imperial library.
Everyone scrambled out of his path as he ran, eyes gleaming with manic fervor. They had learned the hard way from past encounters that tangling with Zhuge Su in this state meant nothing but misery.
Exactly five days after Zhuge Su turned into a ghost haunting the Archive Pavilion, the former Sword Sovereign arrived at the Zhuge Clan gates, bringing the current one along.
"Please, come in, Senior."
Word of the Sword Sovereign's visit had the clan leader, Zhuge Chu, rushing to the main gate for greetings.
"I hear you've taken the helm of the Zhuge Clan. Congratulations."
"Father grew fed up and forced it on me, claiming he couldn't bear it any longer."
Zhuge Chu wore an expression of pure injustice, drawing a light chuckle from the Sword Sovereign.
"The former leader often mentioned wanting to retire soon and spend his days fishing in peace."
"Sure enough, not a single day has passed without him fishing since stepping down."
"Is he at the residence now?"
"No. He ventured a bit farther today. Won't be back until evening."
"I see."
The Sword Sovereign offered a serene smile, exchanging warm greetings with familiar elders before following the leader inside.
"Nothing's changed here at all."
He declined the offer of the guest hall and entered the leader's office instead. He slowly surveyed the simple yet dignified space.
"Yes. Everything's just as Father left it. Plenty bear the marks of heavy use, but I saw no reason to replace them."
His tone was casual, but Zhuge Chu's eyes, lingering on the furnishings, brimmed with respect and affection for his father.
"Your father must be delighted."
"Haha! He actually scolded me for being too frugal."
Despite his words, Zhuge Chu's face lit up as he waved it off. The Sword Sovereign grasping his sentiment filled him with joy.
Once the formalities wrapped up, the Sword Sovereign summoned Neung So Hwa.
"So Hwa."
"Yes, Master."
"This is the leader of the Zhuge Clan. Greet him properly."
Neung So Hwa rose gracefully and bowed to Zhuge Chu.
"I am Neung So Hwa."
Zhuge Chu stood as well, returning the bow with utmost courtesy.
"I am Zhuge Chu, leader of the Zhuge Clan."
Noting how the Sword Sovereign dismissed his trailing disciples but kept only Neung So Hwa, Zhuge Chu had already guessed her status. Rumors of the Sword Sovereign—returning to the world after forty years—playing a key role in the downfall of the Janggangsu Alliance had spread across all of murim.
"It's truly an honor to meet the Sword Sovereign of our era."
"No need for such flattery. I haven't fully earned the title yet."
"Circumstances forced a halt. But the journey will resume soon."
At the Sword Sovereign's words, Zhuge Chu clasped his hands together.
"I wish you great fortune."
"Thank you."
"I'd love the prestige of hosting the Sword Sovereign's Journey from our home, but alas, our skills fall short. Haha!"
The Sword Sovereign responded to Zhuge Chu's jest with a gentle smile.
"Once the Sword Sovereign's Journey concludes, we'll likely begin compiling the new Martial Rankings. The ten-year cycle is upon us, after all."
"More upheavals than ever before."
"Indeed. The shifts lately have been profound. You can practically hear the sighs of the juniors handling it from here. Haha!"
Zhuge Chu kept the talk light, but the Sword Sovereign could not.
"There may be changes even greater than the leader imagines."
Zhuge Chu's expression shifted subtly at the Sword Sovereign's gravity. He seemed to anticipate the topic.
"Is it due to recent events? With the Heavenly Demon Cult clashing head-on against Southern Murim, it's no wonder."
"That's not the whole of it."
The Sword Sovereign shook his head, drawing a low groan from Zhuge Chu.
"Hmm. You foresee a collision far beyond that. To be honest, our clan shares the concern. The Heavenly Demon Cult's advance into Southern Murim—pressuring the Ha Hu Clan with absurd pretexts, step by methodical step—feels like stacking stairs for the climb."
Aware of the weight his words carried, Zhuge Chu paused to steady his breath.
"As you predict, the Ha Hu Clan and Southern Murim are mere starting points. The Heavenly Demon Cult aims for all of murim."
"So it appears."
The Sword Sovereign agreed without undue agitation, leaving Zhuge Chu off-balance.
Zhuge Chu sensed their perspectives diverged ever so slightly.
"Is there something our clan has overlooked?"
"The Blood Cult. They're on the move."
Zhuge Chu froze at the Sword Sovereign's reply, momentarily speechless.
Those in the know were aware of the Sword Sovereign's repeated warnings about the Blood Cult. Yet they had fallen on deaf ears without hard proof. Even the Zhuge Clan's exhaustive probes had turned up nothing.
As Zhuge Chu faltered for a response, the Sword Sovereign continued.
"Do you know of Sima Geon?"
"Of course. The most talked-about name lately. Coming from the Heavenly Demon Cult and skyrocketing to fame after just a handful of battles? Rare indeed."
"I met him at the Ha Hu Clan. Heard something intriguing. He knows of the Blood Cult."
'Who doesn't know they exist?'
Zhuge Chu swallowed the retort clawing up his throat.
"To be precise, it's not mere knowledge. He's already clashed with them several times."
"Pardon?"
Shock washed over Zhuge Chu's face.
"Once during his time with the Heavenly Demon Cult. Again near Shaolin Temple, tangling with those attacking the imperial escort. Twice he's confirmed their operations. Pay special heed to the ones who struck the imperial escort. He claims the turmoil in the imperial court ties back to the Blood Cult."
"That can't be..."
Zhuge Chu trailed off, his pupils quaking violently.
"Would the Blood Cult, having infiltrated the imperial court, ignore murim? They crave it even more than the throne."
"Moving in the shadows, then."
"That's my view. And this chaos? A golden opportunity for them."
"Terrifying words indeed."
Zhuge Chu shuddered at the mere notion. Unbidden, his thoughts drifted to his youngest son—holed up in the Archive Pavilion, muttering about murim's baffling turns and unnatural flows.
"How is she?"
Sima Geon asked cautiously.
Dang Cheon Hwa had examined So Su Rin's body in silence for quite some time. He finally withdrew his hands, frowning deeply.
"Is it bad?"
Cheol Woo, unable to contain his impatience, pressed again.
"Not at all. There's clear progress, even if slower than hoped."
"Then why the sour face? You gave me a fright!"
Cheol Woo, tension draining away, grumbled irritably.
"You idiot! Consider this: what manner of medicinal bath are we using for her? Every ingredient is priceless. Only the Ha Hu Clan could sustain it—any lesser power would crumble under the cost. And that's not all. This lad and I merge our qi twice daily, guiding her through meditation to tame the poison qi rampaging inside her. Given our labors, the gains feel underwhelming. Deeply so."
Cheol Woo, sulking at Dang Cheon Hwa's lament, turned away in embarrassment.
"Her color's much improved, though. Hands and feet are regaining their hue bit by bit."
"Still a long road. The poison qi lodged in her marrow endures, as does that entrenched in her organs. The silver lining is we've reined in the chaos tearing through her eight extraordinary meridians."
"All thanks to you, Elder."
Sima Geon offered heartfelt thanks.
Unlike himself—who had merely suppressed the rampaging poison qi—Dang Cheon Hwa had guided her to circulate her own poison arts, gaining mastery over it. Her tangled true qi and poison qi, once immiscible as water and oil, were slowly blending.
"But if we tame the rampaging poison qi, isn't that enough? No need to purge every trace accumulated throughout her body. With poison arts under her belt, she could wield it in a pinch."
Cheol Woo's words drew a barrage of curses before he even finished.
"Have you ever seen such a lunatic! Why bother with all this treatment, then?"
"But you said managing the rampaging qi ensures no threat to her life?"
Dang Cheon Hwa's glare intensified at Cheol Woo's defense.
"What of her future?"
"Eh?"
"Every breath will exude poison qi, slaying any ordinary soul within half a gak just from proximity. Grass beneath her feet withers; water she touches turns venomous in moments. Folk will brand her a monster and flee in terror. That acceptable?"
As Dang Cheon Hwa's voice swelled, Cheol Woo shrank, mumbling.
"My apologies."
"Quiet. And get rid of that."
Dang Cheon Hwa gestured to the massive tub from which So Su Rin had emerged.
The water—once clear and fragrant with herbs—had turned pitch black, reeking foully. Milder than day one in tint and stench, yet the toxins drawn from her body remained brutally potent.
"Tch, brute of a man can't handle this."
Dang Cheon Hwa tapped his temple disapprovingly as Cheol Woo hauled the tub away.
"He's just sympathetic to his comrade's ordeal. Don't be too harsh."
Dang Cheon Hwa rejected Sima Geon's plea outright.
"Sympathy? Nah, he just hates the cleanup."
"Haha! Surely not. At any rate, today's bath matching yesterday's potency means these herbs packed real punch."
"A mere speck, still. Poison counters poison. Had we started at home, it'd be far smoother. We've stores of toxins and venoms that could blunt hers, at least. Bah, should have brought a Five Venom Chicken. Would've made a world of difference."
"Five Venom Chicken? A real thing?"
"No special breed. One I cultivated over years on Haemando. There's a peak called Five Fingers Mountain, teeming with poisons unlike Central Plains varieties—vicious ones, aggressive too. Fed it venomous bugs and beasts."
"Can a chicken even stomach that? Seems fatal."
Sima Geon gaped in disbelief.
"Spot on. Dosed incrementally, but most perish. Survival's no picnic. Yet poison breeds endure—fur molting, flesh wasting—clinging to life. Only two of mine pulled through. Tough as nails. Ponder their potency."
"Sounds legendary."
"Aye. Panacea wouldn't overstate it. Ordinary toxins? Laughable. Sigh, pointless prattle. Just stirs regret."
Sima Geon's eyes lit up amid Dang Cheon Hwa's sigh.
"Elder."
"What?"
"Not quite Five Venom Chicken caliber, but we've one raised on every herb and elixir imaginable. Not just herbs—poison weeds and venoms galore. Died and revived aplenty, yet thrives healthier than ever now."
"Another treasure?"
Dang Cheon Hwa blurted in astonishment.
"Yes. And right nearby."
Sima Geon turned toward the door, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.