Chapter 132

Chapter 132
## Chapter 132: Desperate Measures (1)

The territory held by the Zhuge Clan stretched across a perimeter exceeding twenty li.

Deep within the Black Bamboo Grove situated to the southwest, a pavilion stood where a young man lay spread-eagled on the floor. He remained motionless, lost in contemplation as a gentle wind brushed against his face.

Even within the Zhuge Clan—an estate famous for birthing brilliance, where children typically mastered the Four Books and Three Classics by five and the Hundred Schools of Thought by nine—this young man, Zhuge Su, was viewed as a singular genius. However, at this moment, his brow was knit in a heavy scowl, his expression radiating deep dissatisfaction.

“It’s there. Something has to be there.”

Zhuge Su snapped into a sitting position. He paced the length of the pavilion several times before abruptly hooking his knees over the wooden railing, allowing his body to dangle toward the ground.

A servant who was busy sweeping the fallen leaves of the Black Bamboo Grove caught sight of him, but simply went back to work without a second thought. This was merely the eccentric behavior Zhuge Su displayed whenever he encountered a mental blockade.

“Ah, this is driving me mad.”

He remained inverted for half a gak, causing the blood to pool in his skull until it felt as though it might crack. Yet, the physical pressure was nothing compared to the frustration of the enigma he couldn’t solve.

Zhuge Su flipped himself back onto the deck and concentrated his vision on a massive map mounted to the pavilion’s wall.

The gargantuan chart—nearly ten ja in both height and width—was cluttered with an overwhelming amount of scribbles and icons in various pigments.

“The current state of murim is illogical.”

He stared intensely at the map, paced the floor, returned for another look, and paced again—a cycle he repeated dozens of times. Finding no clarity, he ran his fingers through his hair in a fit of irritation. His gaze shifted toward the towering piles of records on the desk, and he gnawed on his lip.

“I will uncover it, no matter the cost.”

Without pausing to put on shoes, Zhuge Su leaped from the pavilion and sprinted toward the Archive Pavilion—the world’s most expansive library, second only to the imperial archives.

The clan members ducked out of his way as he tore past, his eyes burning with a localized madness. Experience had taught them that crossing paths with Zhuge Su when he was in this state resulted in nothing but headaches.

Exactly five days after Zhuge Su had essentially become a ghost within the Archive Pavilion, the former Sword Sovereign arrived at the gates of the Zhuge Clan, accompanied by the man currently holding that title.

“Please, enter, Senior.”

News of the Sword Sovereign’s arrival had prompted the clan’s current leader, Zhuge Chu, to hurry to the entrance to greet the guests.

“I was informed you have taken charge of the Zhuge Clan. My congratulations.”

“My father lost his patience and shoved the responsibility onto me, claiming he could no longer stand the burden.”

Zhuge Chu put on a look of mock tragedy, which elicited a soft laugh from the Sword Sovereign.

“The previous leader often spoke of his desire to step down and spend his remaining years fishing in tranquility.”

“And indeed, he has not missed a single day of fishing since the day he retired.”

“Is he at the estate currently?”

“No. He traveled a bit further out today. He won’t return until the sun sets.”

“I see.”

The Sword Sovereign smiled warmly, trading pleasantries with the familiar elders of the clan before following the leader into the inner compound.

“This place hasn’t changed a bit.”

He turned down the invitation to the guest hall, opting instead to go to the leader’s private office. He took a slow look around the room, which was understated but held an air of authority.

“Indeed. I’ve left everything exactly as my father had it. Many things show signs of wear, but I didn’t see any reason to change them.”

Though he spoke casually, Zhuge Chu’s eyes softened with reverence as they swept over the furniture his father had used.

“Your father must be quite pleased.”

“Haha! Actually, he chewed me out for being unnecessarily stingy.”

Despite the remark, Zhuge Chu’s face was bright as he dismissed the notion. Having the Sword Sovereign recognize his filial piety gave him a sense of quiet pride.

Once the initial greetings were finished, the Sword Sovereign called for Neung So Hwa.

“So Hwa.”

“Yes, Master.”

“This is the leader of the Zhuge Clan. Present yourself properly.”

Neung So Hwa stood with fluid grace and bowed toward Zhuge Chu.

“I am Neung So Hwa.”

Zhuge Chu rose from his seat as well, returning the gesture with deep respect.

“I am Zhuge Chu, leader of the Zhuge Clan.”

Noticing that the Sword Sovereign had sent away his other followers and kept only Neung So Hwa, Zhuge Chu had already deduced who she was. The news of the Sword Sovereign—emerging after forty years of isolation—playing a pivotal role in the collapse of the Janggangsu Alliance had already swept through the martial world.

“It is truly a privilege to meet the Sword Sovereign of our time.”

“There is no need for such praise. I haven’t entirely earned that reputation just yet.”

“The journey was halted by events, but it will resume shortly.”

At the Sword Sovereign’s comment, Zhuge Chu pressed his palms together.

“I wish you immense success.”

“My thanks.”

“I would have loved the honor of hosting the Sword Sovereign’s Journey from this house, but I fear our martial skills are lacking. Haha!”

The Sword Sovereign met Zhuge Chu’s humor with a faint, knowing smile.

“Once the Sword Sovereign’s Journey is finished, the process of drafting the new Martial Rankings will likely begin. The ten-year mark is approaching, after all.”

“There have been more shifts than ever before.”

“Quite true. The recent changes have been massive. I can almost hear the groans of the youngsters tasked with organizing it from here. Haha!”

Zhuge Chu tried to keep the conversation light, but the Sword Sovereign’s expression remained heavy.

“There may be transformations coming that are even larger than you suspect.”

Zhuge Chu’s face grew serious at the Sword Sovereign’s tone. He seemed to have been waiting for this shift in topic.

“Is this regarding the recent turmoil? With the Heavenly Demon Cult clashing directly with Southern Murim, it’s understandable why you’re concerned.”

“That is only one part of the problem.”

The Sword Sovereign shook his head slowly, causing Zhuge Chu to let out a low, concerned sound.

“Hmm. You believe a much larger collision is imminent. To be honest, our clan shares that worry. The way the Heavenly Demon Cult is moving into Southern Murim—harassing the Ha Hu Clan with flimsy excuses, one step at a time—it feels like they are building a staircase for an ascent.”

Recognizing the gravity of his own words, Zhuge Chu took a moment to compose himself.

“As you suspect, the Ha Hu Clan and Southern Murim are just the beginning. The Heavenly Demon Cult is aiming for the entirety of murim.”

“It would seem so.”

The Sword Sovereign’s calm agreement caught Zhuge Chu off guard.

Zhuge Chu felt that their viewpoints were slightly out of alignment.

“Is there a detail our clan has failed to notice?”

“The Blood Cult. They are active.”

Zhuge Chu went stiff at the mention of the name, losing his voice for a moment.

Those in high circles knew the Sword Sovereign had been sounding alarms about the Blood Cult for some time. However, without concrete evidence, most had ignored him. Even the Zhuge Clan’s extensive intelligence networks had found nothing.

As Zhuge Chu struggled to find words, the Sword Sovereign went on.

“Are you familiar with Sima Geon?”

“Naturally. He is the most discussed name in the land. A man from the Heavenly Demon Cult who became famous overnight after just a few skirmishes? Truly rare.”

“I encountered him at the Ha Hu Clan. He shared some fascinating information. He is aware of the Blood Cult.”

‘Who isn’t aware they exist as a legend?’

Zhuge Chu bit back the dismissive comment that nearly escaped.

“To be more specific, it isn’t just hearsay for him. He has fought them on multiple occasions.”

“What?”

Zhuge Chu looked genuinely stunned.

“Once while he was still within the Heavenly Demon Cult. Later, near the Shaolin Temple, when he intercepted those attacking the imperial escort. He has confirmed their movements twice. You should pay particular attention to the attackers of the imperial carriage. He believes the chaos within the imperial palace is linked to the Blood Cult.”

“That is impossible…”

Zhuge Chu’s voice trailed off, his eyes trembling with shock.

“If the Blood Cult has managed to wiggle into the imperial court, would they leave murim alone? They desire the martial world even more than the crown.”

“So they are moving in the darkness.”

“That is my assessment. And this current instability? It is the perfect chance for them.”

“Those are chilling thoughts.”

Zhuge Chu felt a shiver run down his spine. Suddenly, his mind went to his youngest son—currently locked in the Archive Pavilion, rambling about how the flow of the martial world felt wrong and artificial.

—

“What is her status?”

Sima Geon spoke with a tone of concern.

Dang Cheon Hwa had been inspecting So Su Rin’s condition in total silence for a long time. Finally, he pulled his hands away, his brow furrowed.

“Is it getting worse?”

Cheol Woo, unable to stay quiet, pushed for an answer.

“Not at all. There is visible improvement, even if it’s not as fast as I’d like.”

“Then why the long face? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Cheol Woo let out a huff of relief, though he sounded annoyed.

“You fool! Think about this: what kind of medicinal bath are we preparing for her? The ingredients are worth a fortune. Only a place like the Ha Hu Clan could afford this—any smaller sect would go bankrupt trying to buy them. And that’s not all. This boy and I combine our internal energy twice a day to guide her through meditation and suppress the poison qi within her. Given how hard we’re working, the progress feels small. Too small.”

Cheol Woo, stung by the reprimand, looked away in embarrassment.

“Her complexion looks much better, though. Her hands and feet are finally getting some color back.”

“The road is still long. The poison qi stuck in her bone marrow is stubborn, as is the poison in her internal organs. The only good news is that we’ve managed to stop the chaos from destroying her eight extraordinary meridians.”

“It’s all thanks to your efforts, Elder.”

Sima Geon spoke with genuine gratitude.

While Sima Geon had only been able to push back the rampaging poison, Dang Cheon Hwa had been teaching her how to use her own poison arts to control it. Her internal energy and the poison, which used to clash like oil and water, were finally starting to integrate.

“But if we’ve stopped the rampaging poison, isn’t that enough? We don’t need to scrub out every single drop of it from her system. If she knows poison arts, she could use it as a weapon in the future.”

Cheol Woo’s suggestion was met with a string of insults before he could even finish.

“I’ve never met such a moron! Why would we bother with all this work then?”

“But you said as long as the rampaging qi is controlled, her life isn’t in danger?”

Dang Cheon Hwa glared at Cheol Woo even harder.

“What about her life as a person?”

“Huh?”

“Every time she breathes, she will exhale poison qi, killing any normal person who stands near her for more than a few minutes. The grass will die where she walks; water will become toxic the moment she touches it. People will call her a monster and run away in fear. Is that the life you want for her?”

As Dang Cheon Hwa’s voice rose, Cheol Woo cowered and mumbled an apology.

“I’m sorry.”

“Shut up. And take that away.”

Dang Cheon Hwa pointed to the large tub So Su Rin had just left.

The water—which started out clear and smelling of herbs—was now as black as ink and smelled terrible. It wasn’t as bad as the first day, but the toxins pulled from her body were still incredibly dangerous.

“Tch, a big man like him can’t even handle a little cleaning.”

Dang Cheon Hwa shook his head as Cheol Woo dragged the tub out of the room.

“He just feels bad for what his friend is going through. Try to be patient with him.”

Dang Cheon Hwa didn’t accept Sima Geon’s excuse.

“Feeling bad? No, he just hates doing chores.”

“Haha! I’m sure that’s not it. Regardless, the fact that today’s bath was as effective as yesterday’s shows these herbs are working.”

“It’s still just a drop in the bucket. You need poison to fight poison. If we were back at my home, this would be much easier. We have collections of venoms that could neutralize hers much faster. Bah, if only I had brought a Five Venom Chicken. That would have changed everything.”

“A Five Venom Chicken? Does that actually exist?”

“It’s not a natural bird. It’s one I spent years creating on Haemando. There is a peak there called Five Fingers Mountain, full of poisons that don’t exist in the Central Plains—very aggressive, very lethal stuff. I fed those venomous insects to the chicken.”

“Could a chicken survive that? It sounds like it would die instantly.”

Sima Geon looked at him in total disbelief.

“Exactly. I gave it tiny amounts at first, but most of them died. Survival is rare. The ones that live lose their feathers and their skin rots, but they eventually adapt. Only two of mine ever made it. They are incredibly tough. Imagine how much poison is inside them.”

“That sounds like a thing of legend.”

“It is. It’s basically a miracle cure. Normal poisons? They’re nothing to it. Sigh, there’s no point in talking about it. It just makes me frustrated.”

Sima Geon’s expression shifted as he listened to the elder’s sigh.

“Elder.”

“What?”

“It might not be exactly like your Five Venom Chicken, but we have a creature that has been raised on every medicinal herb and elixir imaginable. It wasn’t just herbs, either—it’s eaten poison plants and venoms of all kinds. It has died and come back to life many times, and now it’s healthier than ever.”

“You have another treasure like that?”

Dang Cheon Hwa sounded shocked.

“Yes. And it is very close by.”

Sima Geon looked toward the door, a mysterious grin on his face.