Chapter 36
Chapter 36: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
Ten whole days had passed while Zhuge Seon waited for his daughter and his nephew-by-oath, both of whom were still inside the Five Halls of Proper Sound.
Restless and stripped of all composure, he bounced his knee in rapid agitation, an involuntary display of the torment gnawing at his gut. Suddenly, Zhuge Seon sprang to his feet—only to shrink right back down beneath a piercing gaze.
“…”
Seated to the right within the inn where Zhuge Seon cast his eyes, the Sound Empress—disguised in the plain garments of a young tavern maid—was partaking of tea with peerless grace.
I need to know how Seolha is faring. But…
“…”
Zhuge Seon swallowed his words before they could escape his lips.
He was petrified of coming across as an insolent pest.
Despite her girlish visage, the Sound Empress was widely believed to be well past a century old. In terms of martial seniority, she was a revered ancestor from two generations prior. Above all else, pressing an authority who stood among the Ten Paragons Under Heaven was an extraordinarily perilous undertaking.
“…”
His leg resumed its violent trembling. The sheer force generated by a physique honed as the heir of a distinguished noble house shuddered through the floorboards, rattling the entire building.
He stared relentlessly at the threshold, stole an uneasy glance toward the Sound Empress, and then swung his attention right back to the front door.
It was an unspoken plea—a frantic scream stripped of every vocal sound.
Inhaling the subtle fragrance of her freshly brewed tea, the Sound Empress released a soft sigh.
“Descendant of the Zhuge clan. Barely ten days have elapsed. Rushing off right now would only allow you to witness them stumbling about the second hall, or more likely, still trapped within the first.”
The second her voice trailed off, Zhuge Seon pounced on the opening.
“Sound Empress-nim, Seolha and Yanghwi were cast into… into that trial without a single ration to their names! A full ten days have slipped by since then! Seolha does not possess the physical endurance to survive such an arduous initiation for this long!”
“Which is precisely why I ensured Young Hero Baek entered at her side, was it not?”
“Yanghwi is nothing more than a child himself!”
“He is an extraordinary youth who, despite lacking any supernatural endowment, pierced through my masquerade when even the celebrated heir of the Divine Strategist Zhuge stood blind.”
“…”
While Zhuge Seon fumbled for an adequate counter, the Sound Empress cut in once more.
“You need not fret over them perishing of hunger. I personally made arrangements so that wild beasts could roam into the Five Halls of Proper Sound.”
“Which means there is no actual food prepared in there at all!”
Intended as reassurance, her explanation only deepened his horror.
“We cannot simply sit here! Those children could be drawing their final breaths from starvation this very second!”
“An ordinary person can endure half a month without touching a single morsel.”
“That rule applies to grown adults! Seolha and Yanghwi are only eight years of age!”
“Anyone who seeks the path of the martial artist must acquire the cunning to feed themselves under any circumstance.”
With that detached remark, the Sound Empress serenely took another sip from her cup.
By every indication, she possessed zero intention of checking on their progress.
Yet Zhuge Seon could not sit still. Leaving aside the fact that he had never been parted from Zhuge Seolha for this long, what father could comfortably rest while his flesh and blood remained trapped in a trap-infested gauntlet devoid of safety precautions?
Pushed past his breaking point, Zhuge Seon stood, pressed his hands together, and bowed deeply in respectful supplication toward the Sound Empress.
“Sound Empress-nim. This Zhuge humbly begs of you. Could you not grant me permission to lay eyes upon the children, even if only from a great distance?”
“…Haa.”
Studying Zhuge Seon for a silent heartbeat, the Sound Empress gave a weary sigh of capitulation.
Recognizing the fierce paternal devotion underlying his constant fretting, her stern demeanor softened.
“Descendant of the Zhuge clan. You have my consent.”
Just as Zhuge Seon’s expression brightened at the sight of her rising from her seat…
“Hm? How can they already…?”
“Is something amiss, Sound Empress-nim?”
Her eyes widened ever so slightly. Though subtle, her countenance registered a flicker of genuine shock, accompanied by a touch of admiration.
It was a look that seemed to marvel: Well now, look at what these little brats pulled off.
The Sound Empress settled right back onto her wooden seat.
“This is quite unforeseen. There will be no need for us to step outside after all.”
An instant later, the truth behind her words dawned on Zhuge Seon.
Having reached a level of martial skill that firmly marked him as an expert, he, too, detected two familiar presences rapidly approaching the inn.
It can’t be… Already…?!
“Father!”
The moment Zhuge Seon witnessed Zhuge Seolha burst through the entrance, he channeled his movement technique to its limit and shot forward like an arrow.
He swept his daughter up into his embrace.
“S-Seolha! How could you already… No, wait, your voice! You are talking, yet the peach blossom qi is…!?”
“So much has happened! Father, I love you!”
Ambling inside at an unhurried pace a few paces behind, Yanghwi threw a passing glance at the tearful reunion of the Zhuge pair before redirecting his attention toward the Sound Empress.
Whew. Just remembering how she unceremoniously shoved us in there makes my blood boil…
He craved nothing more than to plant a solid headbutt right into her face, yet the Sound Empress existed as a transcendent master far beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, even when measured against the legends of his prior lifetime.
Maintain your composure. Keep a straight face. If she gets wind of what I’m plotting, I’m a dead man.
Yanghwi offered an immaculate cupped-fist salute toward the Sound Empress.
To complete the performance, he plastered on a boyish grin radiating the proud triumph of an ambitious youth who had just conquered an impossible trial.
“Master. This disciple reports that he has successfully emerged from the Five Halls of Proper Sound.”
Fixing him with a quiet, measuring stare, the Sound Empress finally spoke.
“How unexpected. I was certain you would not perish with the young hero guiding the way… yet I assumed you would require at least a full month to see it through.”
“I shall interpret that as your joy upon discovering your disciple’s talent vastly outstrips your initial expectations.”
“True enough, though hearing you proclaim it so brazenly is quite peculiar.”
At that exact moment.
“Yanghwi.”
Approaching with purposeful strides, Zhuge Seon lifted Yanghwi high into the air and crushed him in a fierce hug.
“Thank you. From the depths of my soul, thank you. For shielding our Seolha and for bringing her peach blossom qi under control. I shall never forget this profound debt.”
Evidently, he had already caught wind of how Yanghwi temporarily restrained Zhuge Seolha’s rampaging peach blossom qi through the Harmonious Heaven Primordial Art.
“It was nothing grand, Uncle. The achievement was entirely thanks to the unique properties of my clan’s inherited martial arts; my personal contribution was negligible.”
“Nonsense. I stand deeply indebted to a mere youth like yourself. I swear I will repay this magnificent grace.”
Over the span of ten short days, Zhuge Seolha had transformed so thoroughly that her past demeanor seemed like a distant memory.
Such swift adaptation could easily be credited to her tender years, yet to Zhuge Seon’s eyes, it was the first time in an eternity that his beloved child radiated genuine happiness and vivacity.
Only after squeezing Yanghwi so tightly that every breath was wrung out of him did Zhuge Seon finally place the boy back on the floor.
Ugh, my ribs are practically crushed.
While Yanghwi gently kneaded his aching chest and cleared his throat…
“Mm. Has this family gathering run its course?”
An invisible, profound pressure quietly saturated the tavern.
Before Yanghwi’s eyes, the Sound Empress rose into the air without the slightest physical exertion, floating toward the center of the room.
“Zhuge Seolha. Baek Yanghwi. Present yourselves.”
Yanghwi immediately trotted forward, while Zhuge Seolha peeled herself away from her father, straightened her posture, and fell into place beside him.
“Direct disciple, Seolha of the Zhuge clan. Lay disciple, Yanghwi of the Baek clan.”
“Present.”
“Yes, Sound Empress-nim.”
“I formally declare that you have conquered the initiation rite of the Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Gate. You have earned the right to stand as my disciples.”
“Thank you! Thank you with all my heart, Sound Empress-nim!”
Bow after bow poured from Zhuge Seolha until tears of overwhelming relief welled in her eyes. Observing her joy, Yanghwi felt a deep satisfaction settle over him as well.
Though I am only accepted as a lay disciple and will not inherit her entire legacy, being recognized as the student of one among the Ten Paragons Under Heaven will yield boundless advantages.
What particular art should he coax out of her? Since the primary acoustic arts would undoubtedly be reserved solely for the direct disciple, perhaps her peerless lightfoot technique?
In truth, merely securing the privilege to address the Sound Empress as his master was a staggering boon.
It effectively granted the Baek clan the ironclad backing of one of the Ten Paragons Under Heaven.
“Quiet. I shall pose the question a final time. Do you truly desire to become my disciples?”
“I do.”
“This disciple wishes for it with all her spirit!”
“Then let both of you offer the nine prostrations.”
Without hesitation, Zhuge Seolha and Yanghwi performed the nine full bows.
“With this act, before the spirits of heaven and earth, I decree that we three are joined in the sacred bond of master and disciple, an allegiance deeper than ties of blood.”
The Sound Empress shifted her gaze onto Zhuge Seon.
“Descendant of the Zhuge clan. Father of my disciple. Your departure is set for today. Going forward, Seolha shall dwell by my side, and her contact with the Zhuge family shall occur no more than once each year.”
Though suddenly confronted with a prolonged separation from his daughter, the stipulation had been settled long before this moment.
Wearing a solemn look, Zhuge Seon inclined his head.
“This one shall heed every decree that Sound Empress-nim… that the Honored Master has laid down.”
Observing the interaction, a sudden realization struck Yanghwi like lightning.
If Zhuge Seolha was restricted to seeing her kin only once a year… what did that mean for him?
If that applies to me too, I’m in serious trouble.
“Sound Empress-nim—pardon, Master. Is a lay disciple likewise restricted to visiting his home clan only once every year?”
The Sound Empress gave an affirmative nod as if answering the simplest query.
“Did you not declare it yourself, Young Hero? That molding a student into a righteous soul is the solemn duty of the teacher.”
Was this the sting of instant retribution? Having the very logic he deployed to corner her turned right back against him left his tongue tied.
I have far too many obligations waiting at the estate. I cannot allow myself to be carted away right now.
Had he lacked foreknowledge of the future, he might have eagerly followed her tutelage without a second thought, but that luxury was long gone.
For the sake of his mother, who had only a few years left to live, he had to track down a master physician and retain their services. Furthermore, he needed to regularly produce and supply manuscripts to the Baekseo antiquarian bookshop.
Most critically, I must set out to rescue Chudal soon. I cannot afford to have my legs shackled here.
Whatever else unfolded, the hour to rescue Chudal was rapidly approaching.
If he missed that precise window, there was no telling when, where, or even if he would ever encounter Chudal again.
Wetting his dry lips, Yanghwi met the Sound Empress’s eyes.
“Master. Might there be another way to arrange this?”
“Hm, Young Hero Baek.”
“Yes, Master.”
A knowing smirk crept onto the Sound Empress’s lips as she glanced down at him.
“Are you preparing to weave another scheme with that slippery tongue of yours? By all means, proceed.”
“…”
Confronted with such acute wariness, his words died in his throat.
No matter which way he weighed the balance, remaining anchored at his clan’s territory yielded vastly greater benefits than trailing behind the Sound Empress across the realm.
If push came to shove, should he simply renounce the disciple title entirely?
Wait… hold on. Is that not actually the perfect solution?
The moment a crafty grin spread across Yanghwi’s features, an ominous foreboding brushed against the Sound Empress’s intuition.
Her instinct was proven right instantly.
“Master. No, Sound Empress-nim.”
The honorific snapped straight back from Master to Sound Empress.
“May I present a single inquiry? Having formally been accepted as a lay disciple of the Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Gate, what manner of enlightenment can I expect to receive from your guidance?”
Though she had attained a magnificent realm that ordinary mortals could only describe as grasping the Way, in that fleeting breath, the Sound Empress failed to mask her astonishment.
Yanghwi’s hidden motive was so glaringly obvious that missing it would require utter blindness.
“In short, you are demanding that I substantiate my worthiness to stand as your teacher?”
“How could an insignificant child like myself dare make such an audacious demand? I merely asked out of simple curiosity.”
He referred to himself as a child, pointedly discarding the title of disciple. Though clothed in utmost politeness, the defiant challenge behind his statement was undeniable.
No longer able to suppress her amusement, the Sound Empress let loose a ringing laugh.
“I am the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress, counted among the Ten Paragons Under Heaven! To interrogate my credentials as a master, ahahaha! Do you truly believe you hold the standing to throw such insolence at my feet, Young Hero?”
Taking in the mirth still dancing across her face, Yanghwi’s smile widened.
“Indeed I do. For my natural gifts proved formidable enough to captivate the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress of the Ten Paragons Under Heaven, compelling her to take me as a lay disciple on the very spot.”
“Ahaha, ahahahaha!”
The crisp, silvery laughter of a young maiden reverberated through the establishment.
Yet within heartbeats, an earth-shattering pressure saturated that laughter, causing the timber frame of the inn to groan and shudder as though caught in a violent cataclysm.
Then, just as suddenly, every tremor vanished into absolute silence.
“I find myself unable to dispute your claim. Very well. Let us settle it like this.”
The Sound Empress glided a single pace forward.
Yet amazingly, an identical figure remained perfectly still right where she had stood.
There were now two of her occupying the space.
“Shifting Form, Changing Position!”
Zhuge Seolha cried out in utter bewilderment.
To shift form and exchange position. Displacing physical reality to leave behind two living phantoms.
Hence the legendary terms: Shifting Form, Changing Position, and Two Forms in Phantom Positions.
Was it not recorded that bringing the Nine Lotus Steps—the absolute pinnacle of movement arts within Shaolin’s Seventy-Two Supreme Arts—to total perfection allowed a practitioner to project nine phantoms?
A divine miracle achievable only by one dwelling at the very apex of spatial movement—no, by an entity who had broken through mortal boundaries into the supreme absolute—was unfolding from the Sound Empress as naturally as drawing breath.
“Young Hero Baek. Consider this proposal.”
The Sound Empress glided another step forward, and her form split into three.
Standing thus, all three Sound Empresses tilted their heads and smiled in unison.
“If you remain my disciple, I shall impart to you the ultimate spatial art of the Sacred Sound Jade Spirit Gate, One Step, One Thousand. What say you?”
“…”
The Sound Empress stood utterly confident that Yanghwi would fall to his knees, pleading for the honor of her instruction.
Every witness present harbored the exact same conviction.
How could they believe otherwise?
The transcendent mystery laid bare before them was a miracle that would drive any martial practitioner mad with longing.
Yet Yanghwi did not drop to the floor to beg for her favor. Instead, he serenely closed his eyes.
One Step, One Thousand. So it is One Step, One Thousand.
He drank in that miraculous sphere existing beyond the heavens, an achievement surpassing mortal limits.
His own eyes had witnessed a wondrous pinnacle worthy of pure reverence.
Though matching such a spectacle was entirely beyond his current capability…
A single step that mirrors a thousand.
The instant Yanghwi parted his eyelids and pushed his foot forward a single stride…
“…!”
The Sound Empress’s eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated shock.
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