Chapter 310: Zhuge Clan (8)

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In noble clans, rebellions by collateral branches were common occurrences. Zhuge Yan and Zhuge Won were the children of such collateral branch rebels.

Naturally, it was a rebellion their parents had raised when Zhuge Yan and Zhuge Won were young, and neither had participated in that rebellion. However, annihilating a collateral branch that raised a rebellion was an ancient principle of noble clans.

The logic was that if spared because they were guiltless, they would surely sharpen their blades to avenge their parents.

In fact, because there had been several noble clans that were ruined after sparing children out of the compassionate thought of how one could kill children, exterminating rebellious collateral branches was taken for granted.

Zhuge Gyeom, who was the new Clan Head at the time, also resolved to kill Zhuge Yan and Zhuge Won. However, Zhuge Yan, at the age of barely ten, had spoken.

“If you spare my younger brother and me, we will be of great help to you, Clan Head, in making the Zhuge Clan the Greatest Clan Under Heaven.”

Before Zhuge Gyeom’s chillingly sharp blade, Zhuge Yan had spoken like that without batting an eye. At that time, Zhuge Yan’s age was ten, and Zhuge Won’s age was eight.

Zhuge Gyeom found those words intriguing. Because when Zhuge Gyeom was the new Clan Head, he had never once revealed his ambition to become the Greatest Clan Under Heaven. Even though he had become Clan Head, it was too early to bare his fangs due to the elders who still held immense power.

“The Zhuge Clan is inherently a place that cannot become the Greatest Clan Under Heaven.”

Zhuge Gyeom had spoken feigning ignorance. That was precisely what the existing elders of the Zhuge Clan always said.

However, Zhuge Yan shook her head.

“You do not think so, Clan Head. I can tell.”

“On what basis do you jump to such conclusions?”

“When the Clan Head inauguration ceremony was held, the look in your eyes as you looked at the elders was like that. It was the look of someone looking at obsolete ways that needed reform.”

Zhuge Yan had spoken boldly, looking directly at Zhuge Gyeom.

“And yet, after becoming Clan Head, you showed no special moves. To me, that could only be seen as putting the existing elders at ease while preparing something greater.”

“……Haha.”

Zhuge Gyeom had laughed. Certainly, a considerable portion was conjecture and exaggeration, but being able to draw a reasonable hypothesis from such limited information was an immense talent. Moreover, to possess the boldness to state such an opinion before the Clan Head. Even more so for a ten-year-old child, rather than someone in their thirties who could roughly grasp a person’s inner thoughts, it was all the more extraordinary.

In fact, Zhuge Gyeom had been secretly searching within the clan for a quick-witted strategist. Being the Zhuge Clan, there were many smart people, but he had been troubled because they mostly only knew how to memorize passages as bookworms.

“Good.”

Zhuge Gyeom had grinned. He liked it. Instead, he stripped Zhuge Won of his surname and brought Zhuge Yan into the direct line.

The elders foamed at the mouth in opposition to bringing a blood relative of a treasonous collateral branch into the direct line, but Zhuge Gyeom ignored them.

From then on, Zhuge Yan began learning the work of the Outer Garden under Zhuge Gyeom. Being exceptionally clever, Zhuge Yan absorbed it rapidly, like dried tree roots soaking up water.

“Your duty is to become a bad person. Do not treat people compassionately. Everyone has their circumstances. Your duty is not to show understanding for them.”

Zhuge Gyeom educated Zhuge Yan truly harshly. Regarding matters tied to money, one had to be as cold-hearted as possible. Considering that more people died from money than from blades, Zhuge Gyeom’s conviction was that it naturally had to be so.

“If you do not become a bad person, there will be no reason for me to keep you alive either. Remember this. Your lowly roots, that is.”

Even while doing so, Zhuge Gyeom continually held and shook Zhuge Yan’s weakness. It did not matter if Zhuge Yan herself lost focus for a moment and was slapped or subjected to verbal abuse. The problem was that the life of her younger brother, Zhuge Won, who had now become her shadow guard, was at stake as well.

Zhuge Yan threw herself into her work desperately. Even so, Zhuge Gyeom was a person who told her she did well when she performed well.

At the appearance he occasionally showed, wondering if she might truly become this person’s daughter, Zhuge Yan poured in even more passion and sincerity. Like numerous strategists serving their lord, or like Marquis Zhuge, she had even pictured herself looking down upon the world alongside this person.

However, even the quick-witted Zhuge Yan had realized recently. When she heard the words ‘wench of lowly blood’ after a long time. That his perception had not changed from back then in the slightest.

Zhuge Gyeom had merely trained Zhuge Yan. In order to wield the weapon named Zhuge Yan more sharply.

From then on, Zhuge Yan had continually regretted.

Back then, had using her wits to survive with her younger brother been right? Wondering if dying together might rather have been the happier choice.

These were words she could not say to her younger brother, Zhuge Won, because she could not bring herself to show a weak side.

* * *

I spread my qi sense as much as possible. Although my qi sense was still tangled with numerous formations, right now we were at the outer perimeter of the Outer Garden. We were largely out of the formations’ sphere of influence.

Within that expanded qi sense, I could feel all the formations of the Zhuge Clan being deactivated simultaneously. The sensation of massive, distorted energy vanishing all at once. Even though intangible, it brought about a shiver.

Now, the hazy fog that was the symbol of formations was also dispersing rapidly. As the hazy fog lifted, people began emerging one by one. It was a bloodthirsty scene, with everyone holding swords.

Among them was a man in a blue unlined robe who emerged elegantly like a scholar without holding a sword.

“To think the Clan Head came out to greet us in person, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.”

I gave a martial salute and paid respects.

In front, Zhuge Gyeom was looking at me with both hands tucked into his blue sleeves.

Looking carefully at Zhuge Gyeom, whom I had met after a long time, he had changed quite a bit.

“You have aged a great deal.”

“Originally, once one reaches this age, one ages with each passing day.”

“And where did you sell off your ears?”

“I heard words I did not wish to hear, so I cut them off and came.”

“How manly of you.”

I let out a smirk. There was no change in Zhuge Gyeom’s expression.

“You crept in like a rat indeed.”

“How embarrassing it has become.”

I laughed, haha. Embarrassingly, Zhuge Gyeom did not laugh along in the slightest.

“How did you know?”

“I thought that wench of lowly blood would stab a blade into my back one day. And I thought now was the opportune time.”

Zhuge Gyeom spoke calmly. Zhuge Yan, who was hiding behind me, trembled.

“Is that not originally how it is? If you know someone will stab you, that is not a crisis, but rather an opportunity. An opportunity to trap and kill your opponent.”

“I-I……”

Zhuge Yan stepped forward. Just seeing that the bold and insolent Zhuge Yan was terrified made it easy to grasp what kind of existence Zhuge Gyeom was.

“I offered all my loyalty. If told to learn, I learned; if told to do, I did. Why did you think I would stab a blade into you?”

“Are you saying you feel wronged? How laughable. Did you not actually stab a blade into my back right now?”

Zhuge Gyeom sneered. This was a war of words Zhuge Yan could not win. Because Zhuge Yan was the traitor. However, Zhuge Yan seemed to have pent-up grievances as well. For someone so smart to jump into an unwinnable battle.

“The reason I stabbed a blade was that your recent actions, Clan Head, seemed to be leading the clan down the path to ruin. Had it been a proper path, I would naturally have followed.”

“That is the limitation of lowly blood. Girl.”

Zhuge Gyeom glared at Zhuge Yan with cold eyes.

“A collateral branch has no sense of belonging to the clan. That was even more the case for you, since your parents died by my hands from the start. A noble clan is something where even if one carries firewood on one’s back and walks into fire, one willingly enters together. Because you will never understand that in your entire life, you cannot escape being a wench of lowly blood.”

“Then why did you take me in?”

“Because you were useful. Did you not say it with your own mouth? That you would help on the path to becoming the Greatest Clan Under Heaven.”

“Even while knowing I would stab a blade into you?”

“Did I not tell you? If one already knows a blade will be stabbed, preparing for it is nothing. Rather, I have caught a big fish called the New Justice Association Leader like this. The best deed you have done in the clan is calling that fellow into the clan.”

Zhuge Gyeom laughed. Zhuge Yan shuddered. Zhuge Yan probably felt as though her very life had been denied right now. Because there was nothing more agonizing for a person who had always played atop others’ heads than the moment she realized she had been on someone else’s palm from the very beginning.

“Does being in the Zhuge Clan change things much?”

I shrugged my shoulders. It was amusing how he treated me like a fish already caught.

“It changes things.”

Behind Zhuge Gyeom, martial artists lined up in ranks.

“They are my sons.”

“Your vitality is impressive.”

Naturally, they were not his biological sons, but adopted sons. I spoke even while knowing that. Because I had gathered through the Demonic Cult’s intelligence agents that the Zhuge Clan was taking in orphans of the jianghu.

However, I had heard those orphans were gradually disappearing, and that strange rumors were spreading that the Zhuge Clan was conducting bizarre experiments on orphans, prompting the Imperial Palace to grow wary so they no longer adopted, yet there were still many.

“Hmph.”

I narrowed my eyes. Now that I could feel qi sense, I could tell.

Those people lined up as adopted sons. Their eyes were somehow dead.

Moreover, what was felt within their bodies was the bizarre energy I had felt from the Zhuge Clan martial artists I met outside. It seemed my qi sense was operating properly now.

“However, because the Clan Head is a martial artist, you know, do you not? That having a hundred second-rate martial artists cannot defeat a single peak martial artist.”

“Likely so. By ordinary methods, that is.”

“You are saying you will use abnormal methods.”

I gripped my sword hilt. Because I did not know what they would do. Hidden weapons might suddenly erupt, or thunderbolt balls might pour down.

“Be careful. Chae-hyang, you protect Zhuge Yan.”

“Yes.”

Peng Chae-hyang spoke in a tense voice as well. The adopted sons of the Zhuge Clan surrounded us.

I did not move for the moment. Because Peng Chae-hyang had to protect Zhuge Yan, and I had to protect Peng Chae-hyang and Zhuge Yan simultaneously. I had to move defensively.

Just then, the ground of the manor suddenly glowed blue along with a certain pattern. Simultaneously, the gaze in the eyes of the Zhuge Clan’s adopted sons unleashed brilliance.

I had experienced something like this before. In Torofan, the stronghold of the Demonic Cult.

When they used a formation, energy was suddenly amplified. This seemed to be a formation that had a similar effect. But the intensity was different.

Capillaries burst in the eyes of the Zhuge Clan’s adopted sons, and blue veins bulged from their muscles. For anyone to see, it was a formation that placed an unbearable burden on the human body.

“Go!”

Zhuge Gyeom shouted. With that order given, the adopted sons of the Zhuge Clan leapt simultaneously.

“This is completely more like the Demonic Cult than the Demonic Cult itself.”

I let out a hollow laugh.

Their eyes had lost reason, and their bodies were forced beyond their limits. While the Demonic Cult’s formations also had aftereffects, they were not formations so extreme that they placed such a burden on the body during the formation itself.

It was a passage that showed how driven into a corner the Zhuge Clan and Zhuge Gyeom were. And one could also understand why Zhuge Yan had resolved to betray.

And tragically for the Zhuge Clan, I currently possessed the power to interfere with such energies. Right now, it was visible to me.

That the power flowing from the ground was entering those people called adopted sons of the Zhuge Clan.

Before they lunged, I raised my blade toward the heavens, then slammed it vertically into the ground.

Boom!

As a force wave erupted, the energy connecting the formation and them was torn to shreds. It was the power of Wind God, which could interfere with natural energy.

“……!”

Zhuge Gyeom’s eyes opened wide. No matter how smart he was, he could not have anticipated this.