Chapter 97: Chapter 97
The quiet Mount Hua Sect greatly stirred at the sudden visit from the Zhuge Clan.
“The Zhuge Clan has come to our mountain?”
“Why did they…?”
The Daoists of the Mount Hua Sect explicitly revealed their doubt and hostility while staring at the Zhuge Clan’s party.
The Eight Great Clans and the Nine Great Sects and One Gang.
It was a natural matter since they were enemies who had crossed a river of no return.
The sharp atmosphere continued.
“Everyone, be quiet.”
However, the disturbance soon ended at the low words.
The Sect Leader, who had appeared at some point, passed the Daoists, approached the Zhuge Clan’s party, and asked.
“For what reason has the Zhuge Clan visited our mountain?”
At the moment the Zhuge Clan’s party was a little flustered by the entirely unwelcoming tone, Zhuge Seong-hyeon stepped forward.
“A late learner of the Murim greets the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who greeted first while politely clasping his fist, raised his head.
“I am called Zhuge Seong-hyeon of the Zhuge Clan. I have visited Mount Hua to accept the contents of the request you made to our clan this time.”
“…Request?”
The Sect Leader’s eyes scrunched up.
“What do you mean by a request?”
“Did you not send a letter directly to our clan’s patriarch this time?”
In an instant, the Sect Leader’s eyes sank.
A letter to the patriarch of the Zhuge Clan?
There was absolutely no such thing.
“I have never sent a letter.”
Around the time Zhuge Seong-hyeon was flustered at the Sect Leader’s appearance of not knowing at all.
“But Cheon-hwi of the Mount Hua Sect…”
“I called them.”
Cheon-hwi appeared between the two.
The Zhuge Clan’s party, who witnessed that surprising divine martial prowess, was startled.
However, what was even more surprising was.
‘This person is Cheon-hwi?’
It was Zhuge Seong-hyeon.
‘He could be that young…’
It was an unimaginable appearance.
There was definitely experience imbued with a long passage of time in the blueprint drawn on the letter.
Was that all?
The detailed mechanical formations and arrays inside it seemed to have been designed by someone who had studied arrays for their entire life.
But he looked to be the same age as himself.
‘From whom did he receive teachings?’
Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi also observed Zhuge Seong-hyeon.
‘A younger kid than expected came as the representative.’
It was briefly the same thought as Zhuge Seong-hyeon.
Inside the blueprint, the gateway based on the Heavenly Demon Ten Gateways was quite a complex thing.
‘I thought at least an elder would come.’
He turned his gaze and scanned those behind Zhuge Seong-hyeon, but there was not a single outstanding person among them.
Will they know how to make it properly?
Around the time Cheon-hwi made an entirely untrusting expression, the Sect Leader’s voice was heard.
“What is the meaning of this?”
The Sect Leader asked in a stiffly hardened tone completely different from until now.
It was a tone that seemed like a reprimand.
‘Should I have told the Sect Leader?’
He understood the Sect Leader’s feelings.
The Zhuge Clan and the Mount Hua Sect were enemies.
But since he called them to the main mountain without even telling himself, the Sect Leader, worries were bound to precede.
“I made a request to the Zhuge Clan.”
“What kind of request?”
The Sect Leader’s brow furrowed.
“I am trying to make a gateway to grow the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, and I need mechanical formations and arrays for it.”
“…Those are words I am hearing for the first time.”
“I forgot to mention it.”
At Cheon-hwi’s words, the Sect Leader placed a hand on his throbbing head and said.
“Is it a matter that requires the Zhuge Clan?”
“For the Mount Hua Sect to become stronger even a day sooner.”
Hearing Cheon-hwi’s calm voice, the Sect Leader’s heart fluctuated greatly.
‘It is necessary for the Mount Hua Sect to become stronger, huh.’
It was a little impudent that he called the Zhuge Clan without saying anything to him, but upon hearing the reason, his heart softened.
‘If Cheon-hwi says so…’
Among the things Cheon-hwi had done so far, there was nothing that was not helpful to their sect.
He recalled the things Cheon-hwi had done.
Achieving various missions and subjugating the White Ghost Castle.
Manufacturing elixirs for the growth of the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
Every single one was a great undertaking and only things that benefited the Mount Hua Sect.
He faintly nodded his head.
His conclusion was that if it was something Cheon-hwi was doing, it was worthy of being blindly trusted.
“I will properly hear the details regarding this matter later.”
The Sect Leader immediately turned his head.
Along with that, he showed a light etiquette to the Zhuge Clan’s party and moved his lips.
“Immeasurable Life Buddha. I welcome your visit.”
“A-Ah, no.”
Around the time Zhuge Seong-hyeon was flustered at the Sect Leader’s attitude that changed like flipping a palm.
“By the way, is this number of personnel everyone?”
Cheon-hwi brought up the words while looking at the party.
“That is so, but…”
Cheon-hwi made a dissatisfied expression.
With twenty people, it seemed like it would take much more time than expected to complete the gateway he had already designed beforehand.
“I want to complete it as fast as possible, but will it be possible within the time frame with this number of personnel?”
“What are you saying right now…!”
“Knowing who we are!”
The moment the Zhuge Clan’s party was getting angry.
“Calm down.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon stopped the party with a calm voice and met Cheon-hwi’s gaze.
“The people I brought here are those who can be counted on one hand in our clan. They can swiftly finish any request.”
“Even the request I sent?”
“That is correct.”
Oho.
Cheon-hwi looked at him with an unexpected gaze.
The martial arts he learned were lowly.
Merely second-rate now?
However, regardless of his martial prowess, he was confident.
‘It’s good that he is overflowing with confidence. But if he can’t properly meet the deadline.’
The corners of Cheon-hwi’s mouth twisted.
“I’ll trust you for now.”
* * *
Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who sat facing Cheon-hwi, unfolded the blueprint he had carefully brought from inside his embrace.
The letter, which had been stiff, was crumpled and blackened with handprints from how many times he had unfolded and touched it while coming here.
“I have checked the blueprint.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon hardened his face.
“Can the mechanical formations and arrays operate according to the design?”
Cheon-hwi, who was looking at the stiffly speaking Zhuge Seong-hyeon, nodded his head.
“Yes.”
“All of this?”
“You can just check it after everything is made.”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon clicked his tongue.
“Good. Then, let us begin the story regarding this gateway now.”
His expression changed suddenly.
His face, which had been hardened until just a moment ago, was at some point smiling brightly.
It was as if it was the pure and innocent face of a young child who had discovered an interesting thing.
“I have roughly understood the blueprint. But there are a few doubtful points. First of all, from here…”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon continued his words while pointing at the seven unfolded blueprints.
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed as he saw that.
‘As expected of the Zhuge Clan.’
Not only did he grasp it at once after seeing a blueprint that was usually hard to even recognize, but he was also asking while piercing through the core.
Meanwhile, Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who had shared the entire conversation, clicked his tongue without realizing it.
‘They say there is a heaven above the heaven.’
All this time, he had been revered as a genius in the Zhuge Clan, and he himself thought so too.
But he wasn’t.
He met a true genius today of all days.
“By the way, would it be okay to do it like this?”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon cautiously asked with a tense face.
“If we make it like this, by any chance, if it goes wrong, one could suffer a severe injury.”
The blueprint he had continuously read while coming to the Mount Hua Sect had drawn out exclamations of admiration at the mechanical formations and arrays of that unique method.
Then, as time flowed, he was astonished.
‘It is cruel to call it a Daoist gateway.’
The gateway that utilized the methods of mechanical formations and arrays seemed like a gateway used by sects crazy for martial arts rather than Daoists.
‘Right, just like the Heavenly Demon Cult’s…’
Zhuge Seong-hyeon violently shook his head.
Here was the Mount Hua Sect. How could he recall the Heavenly Demon Cult?
“Wouldn’t it be better to change it to be a bit safer?”
“No.”
Cheon-hwi cut his words cleanly.
“As long as they don’t die, it doesn’t matter.”
“A-As long as they don’t die?”
“Yes.”
At those words, Zhuge Seong-hyeon was flustered.
Which Daoist would say such words?
And would emit such a gaze?
Zhuge Seong-hyeon, who saw those frighteningly cold and level-headed pupils, swallowed his saliva.
“Huu. I understand. Then we will begin construction from tomorrow like this. In order to know for sure, could I ask you, young hero, to take command of some of these mechanical formations and arrays?”
Zhuge Seong-hyeon fluently continued his words.
“I was thinking of doing so.”
As Cheon-hwi answered calmly, Zhuge Seong-hyeon placed the blueprint back into his embrace.
“Then I will get going now.”
Soon, he was about to get up and leave, but he paused.
“By the way, have you decided on the name of this gateway?”
Cheon-hwi grinned and said.
“It’s the Plum Blossom Seven Gateways.”
* * *
The Sect Leader stared at several sheets of paper densely filled with pictures and letters.
“Is this the thing called the Plum Blossom Seven Gateways?”
“Yes.”
“I will take a look for now.”
Right away, the Sect Leader unfolded the paper.
“Hm? This is…!”
The Sect Leader’s eyes widened.
Immediately following that, for a moment after alternately looking at the pictures and texts drawn on the paper, the Sect Leader’s hand movements began to get faster and faster.
‘Heo! Are you saying one learns martial arts like this? But if it’s like this, one’s body will not be intact even before passing the first gateway! But if it’s this method…’
The more he read, the fainter his mind became.
The total of seven gateways were so complex that each and every gateway was difficult to pass through, and the result was far too vicious.
‘Even asceticism, what an asceticism this is.’
It was ambiguous to even call it asceticism.
It seemed as if everything else was excluded if it was for the sake of becoming stronger.
His hand holding the paper trembled.
“…Did you really think of this?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it will turn out according to this result?”
“It’s fully possible.”
He clicked his tongue at Cheon-hwi’s answer.
They were clearly harsh gateways, but the result was to the extent of covering everything.
‘Huu. I thought there would be nothing left to be surprised about regarding Cheon-hwi anymore.’
His head was complicated.
Following a talent in martial arts, a talent in medical skills.
Now, even a talent in architecture.
It was to the point that a hollow laugh leaked out.
“How is it? It’s fine, right?”
At Cheon-hwi’s question, the Sect Leader pondered.
One could certainly say that if they made this gateway exactly as written and trained the disciples, they could show fast achievements.
However.
“Each and every one is definitely a good gateway, but it is too focused on martial arts.”
“It’s because it is a gateway for martial arts achievement.”
“You are forgetting one thing.”
The Sect Leader glared straight at Cheon-hwi.
“Our sect is a Daoist sect.”
“And a Jianghu sect, too.”
At the refutation, the Sect Leader’s eyes half-closed.
For a moment while looking at Cheon-hwi with a sharp light, the corners of the Sect Leader’s eyes bent.
“Right. Your words are correct.”
Cheon-hwi made an unexpected expression.
‘I didn’t expect him to acknowledge it right away.’
Cheon-hwi shrugged his shoulders.
“Then you are giving me permission, right?”
“Heoheo. Did you think I would refuse?”
“Because, as you said, we are a Daoist sect first and foremost.”
“Heoheo. As you said, if it was in the past, I would have refused, but not anymore.”
The Sect Leader’s voice sank.
“Building up the Dao and carrying out chivalry are both things that are only possible if one has strength. How could a person without strength cry out for chivalry and the Dao in the Jianghu?”
There were bones in the Sect Leader’s voice.
No matter how much they carried out chivalry and the Dao, if they had no strength, they would only die in the end.
‘Now he is a bit like the Sect Leader of a sect.’
When Cheon-hwi was looking at that appearance of the Sect Leader with an expression of liking it.
“By the way, Cheon-hwi.”
The Sect Leader spoke to him.
“If you are planning something like this next time, tell me first.”
“Ah, I will do so from next time.”
The Sect Leader, who heard Cheon-hwi’s definite answer, smiled softly and stroked his beard.
“But there were quite a lot of items needed to make the gateway.”
“So I am planning to go look for them.”
Cheon-hwi’s gaze headed to one place.
That place was the Jaeryeong Pavilion, which was responsible for the finances of the Mount Hua Sect.
Meanwhile, Hyeon-ryeo, who was at the Jaeryeong Pavilion, firmly pressed her forehead with her index finger, perhaps having a headache while looking at the documents piled up like a mountain on the desk.
“Huu.”
A deep breath came out from inside her lungs.
“At least this is good news.”
She grasped the letter in front of her.
The seal of the Qinghai Province Lord was clearly stamped on the letter made of luxurious gold thread just by looking at it.
“One hundred gold ingots.”
In an instant, Hyeon-ryeo leaked out a laugh.
They had been tightening their belts to save money in order to open the gates of the Mount Hua Sect.
However, since an unexpected huge sum of money had come in, it was perhaps a natural matter for laughter to come out.
Knock… Knock…
“What’s the matter?”
“I have something to talk about.”
At the different voice that was not the thick voice of the Vice Pavilion Lord that should have been heard, Hyeon-ryeo hurriedly stood up from her seat and opened the door.
Cheon-hwi, the owner of the voice, was standing in front of the door.
Hyeon-ryeo immediately hugged Cheon-hwi.
“Hwi!”
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
Cheon-hwi answered calmly.
Since it had already been more than once or twice that he had been hugged by her, he was used to it now.
Hyeon-ryeo broke the hug and raised her head.
“When did you return?”
“It’s been about three days.”
“Three days?”
The corners of Hyeon-ryeo’s eyes shot up.
Soon, she glared somewhere, ground her teeth, and shook her head.
‘No, let’s not pay any more attention to it.’
Entering recently, she had been deliberately distancing herself from Cheon-hwi little by little.
It was also a request from Senior Martial Brother Sect Leader and Senior Martial Brother Hyeon-do.
It was because there were things she felt while watching Cheon-hwi grow differently day by day.
That Cheon-hwi was far too huge of an existence to merely stay in her embrace.
So she wanted to let him go.
“Right. Did you say you had something to talk about?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not good to talk outside, so come inside.”
Hyeon-ryeo immediately guided him to the room.
‘It’s like I came to the Demonic Brain’s room.’
Cheon-hwi examined the inside of the room.
Documents that looked approved at a glance, and papers piled up heavily on top of them.
Just looking at those, he could tell how much she had suffered alone.
‘This is quite a bothersome job, indeed.’
When he recalled the Demonic Brain, who had once processed most of the Cult Leader’s duties for him, a smile formed without him realizing it.
Because in his past life where everyone was an enemy, the person he could at least trust was the Demonic Brain.
Around the time he was naturally getting drenched in memories.
“…Ya, Hwi!”
Hyeon-ryeo’s call brought him to reality.
Cheon-hwi, who regained his senses, sat on a chair that looked old and immediately revealed his purpose.
“I’m trying to get some items procured.”
“Items? What items?”
“Items needed to make the Plum Blossom Seven Gateways.”
“Plum Blossom Seven Gateways?”
“It’s a gateway we are making this time. I also received separate permission from the Sect Leader.”
“…Understood.”
Hyeon-ryeo grasped a brush in her hand while hiding her flustered feeling and prepared to write down.
Seeing that, Cheon-hwi opened his mouth.
“First of all, two hundred arrows without arrowheads and…”
“T-Two hundred arrows?”
Hyeon-ryeo was startled while moving her brush.
“Do you need that many arrows?”
“Because there’s an use for them. If you are really curious, you can just ask the Sect Leader.”
Cheon-hwi mentioned the Sect Leader and continued the words he had paused for a moment.
“Next after the arrows are five hundred Fasting Pills and five torches…”
The more the words continued, the harder it was for Hyeon-ryeo to hide her flustered feeling.
Eventually, at Cheon-hwi’s last words, the hand moving the brush also stopped.
And she dropped her jaw wide open.
“Lastly, two Night Illuminating Pearls, too.”
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