Chapter 70
Chapter 70: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
Yanghwi fixed his gaze intently on the headpiece adorning the newly arrived elder.
It was the Crouching Dragon Crown, an ornate style of scholar’s headwear known as a jinhyeon crown, distinguished by its vertical crests.
Spun and woven originally from delicate silk cords, it had also earned the name of yungeon.
Yet the reason this particular piece was hailed as the Crouching Dragon Crown—or the Zhuge Crown—went beyond mere design.
Beyond being linked to Zhuge Kongming the Crouching Dragon, the progenitor of the Zhuge clan, this ornament was fundamentally distinct from standard scholar caps.
‘So that is truly the Crouching Dragon Crown, the hereditary treasure of the Zhuge family.’
Comparable to the Pine-Patterned Ancient Sword of Wudang or the Green Jade Buddha Staff of Shaolin, the martial landscape held many sacred armaments and relics imbued with wondrous power.
Among these legendary items, the Crouching Dragon Crown was a fabled artifact whispered to confer the peerless wisdom of Kongming himself upon whoever wore it.
Passed from patriarch to patriarch alongside the White Feather Fan, it served as both a cherished ancestral heirloom and the sovereign token of the clan leader’s authority.
‘Though at this very moment, that is hardly the issue.’
A thread of energy slithered across his form like a creeping serpent.
It was thin enough to remain nearly undetectable, yet meticulous enough to leave no gap unsearched.
First the Sound Empress, and now this patriarch. Did every elder develop an urge to probe youths with their qi the moment gray hair touched their temples?
‘He surely assumes this goes unnoticed.’
A quiet smirk stirred within Yanghwi.
Extending one’s qi to evaluate another was indeed the swiftest method to determine their cultivation depth and martial standing.
Even so…
Reaching out to inspect an opponent inevitably exposed one’s own inner state in return.
Tracing the path of that invasive strand, Yanghwi easily mapped out the cultivation realm and martial capability of the Lord of the Zhuge family.
‘Around the apex realm. Likely someone who has brought the apex realm to full maturity.’
Though his present internal cultivation remained modest, Yanghwi possessed the profound comprehension and enlightenment of the apex realm itself.
The nuanced control of qi, the subtle brush across the skin, the delicate touch testing each meridian point—from these faint signals alone, he could gauge the Zhuge clan head’s level.
‘A fruitful discovery.’
During the wandering journey of his prior existence, he had been nothing more than an unattached, vagrant martial artist.
Opportunities to encounter an authority of this caliber—a clan head guiding one pillar of the Five Great Houses—had been extraordinarily rare.
The apex realm. A monumental threshold, yet far from unachievable.
It provided a clear benchmark to aim for as he charted his path forward.
“Heheheh. An exceptional young talent indeed. Reaching the second-rate realm at your tender age is no small feat.”
Wearing a pleasant smile, Yanghwi cupped his fists in a proper salute.
‘It seems the immortal core remained completely hidden from him.’
Unsurprisingly, his cultivation still lagged behind that of the Sound Empress.
That was only natural, as the Lord of the Zhuge family was merely around sixty years old.
Attaining a seat among the Ten Paragons Under Heaven required a supreme genius to refine their craft for nearly a full century.
Furthermore, the true terror of a noble house’s master lay in the staggering reach of his clan and the sheer weight of his political backing.
“Baek Yanghwi of the Baek house offers greetings to the supreme leader of the Zhuge noble house.”
“Supreme leader? What high praise! Young man, I am merely the master of a single household. Moreover, I have not come before you today in my official capacity as the clan head.”
“Then allow me to offer my respect properly. Baek Yanghwi of the Baek house greets Uncle Zhuge’s Granduncle.”
Upon being addressed with the familial title of Granduncle, the Lord of the Zhuge family beamed with evident delight.
“Granduncle. Strictly speaking, you have chosen the proper term. You are a youth who understands courtesy. It feels as though another grandson has entered my fold.”
His cadence and expressions carried the tender affection of an adoring grandfather, yet Yanghwi kept his senses razor-sharp.
Throughout his past life, he had never crossed paths with Zhuge Pae directly.
Even so…
‘Throughout the turmoil of the Evil Cult Chaos, Zhuge Pae operated as the supreme mind steering the orthodox alliance.’
When assessing the ruthless strategies and calculated maneuvers that Zhuge Pae had executed during those future years, his true colors were unmistakable.
‘Chilled to the bone.’
While Zhuge Seon had an impassioned, fiery nature rarely found within the Zhuge bloodline, his father, Zhuge Pae, was the very definition of a cold-blooded pragmatist.
To put it plainly: he walked the righteous path not out of a moral dedication to justice, but because aligning with righteousness yielded the greatest tangible gain.
‘Then again, that embodies the true essence of the Zhuge clan.’
Had not Zhuge Liang himself ordered the execution of Ma Su simply to preserve ironclad military order?
He was a thinker who favored the broad strategic picture over transient human emotion.
Zhuge Pae, the prevailing Lord of the Zhuge family, was forged from that exact mold.
“Baek Yanghwi. Young man, my son has spoken endlessly of your deeds.”
“Uncle treats me with immense warmth, so he likely colored his accounts with grand praise.”
“I thought so as well. Yet after meeting you face-to-face, it seems his commendations were not exaggerated in the least.”
As Yanghwi inclined his head courteously, Zhuge Pae pressed on.
“Before all else, I must convey my deepest gratitude. You enabled our Seolha to become the direct disciple of the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress. For that, you have my sincere thanks.”
Yanghwi raised his eyes slightly to read the elder’s countenance.
‘Those sentiments are genuine.’
A granddaughter as precious and bright as Zhuge Seolha was impossible to disregard. She was plainly the treasure of his heart.
‘If that is the case, perhaps I can extract a greater advantage here.’
As anticipated, Zhuge Pae’s following statement overflowed with apparent benevolence.
“A favor granted must be repaid in kind. If there is anything our main family can grant you, speak freely, young man.”
A reward guaranteed not merely by an heir, but by the supreme master of one of the Five Great Houses himself.
Yanghwi was certainly not one to let such an opening vanish.
‘Since he places the offer before me, I should take full advantage. What should I request?’
Gold and silver? Hardly.
His present circumstances were far from desperate enough to waste an open reward on mere currency.
Precious pills and elixirs? Not necessary either.
Having already secured twenty pills refined from the Seven-Branch Three-Berry Ginseng, his priority was to patch over other weaknesses.
‘No, reconsider this. Is there truly an open choice here?’
Reflecting on Zhuge Pae’s cunning nature from his previous lifetime…
Rather than demanding an item, Yanghwi lowered his stance with polite reserve.
“When an esteemed senior offers a boon to a nephew-grandson-by-oath, how could a junior dare voice specific demands? I shall simply receive whatever Granduncle deems fitting to bestow.”
Zhuge Pae’s eyebrow twitched upward.
“If that is your answer, then you shall walk away with nothing. After all, anything I bestow would be less advantageous to me than granting nothing at all.”
With those words, Zhuge Pae’s face lost every shred of warmth, turning stern and unyielding.
The tender gratitude displayed moments earlier was extinguished instantly.
What was the intention behind this shift?
‘Is this a genuine threat, or simply a test?’
He had dropped his friendly demeanor without a second thought.
Yet considering the magnitude of enabling a child to enter the tutelage of the Wave-Piercing Sound Empress, one of the Ten Paragons Under Heaven, the core principle remained unshakable.
There was only a single proper answer.
“I never viewed my actions as laying down a heavy debt of gratitude, and demanding compensation for what ought to be done would be entirely improper. I shall merely follow Granduncle’s judgment.”
Staring deeply into Yanghwi’s eyes, the edge of Zhuge Pae’s mouth curled into an approving smirk.
“Young man. Your resolve is remarkably solid. Not a single child has ever maintained their composure before this Zhuge Pae in the manner you have.”
‘That comes as no surprise, Clan Head.’
Displaying false warmth only to snap into an icy demeanor in a heartbeat.
Behind whatever emotional mask he wore on his features, his interior remained as frigid and immovable as ancient frost.
Doubtless, even his direct grandson Zhuge Hwaun lived in terror of Zhuge Pae.
A swift glance toward Zhuge Hwaun standing nearby confirmed that very assumption.
“Having committed no offense, and having performed an action worthy of gratitude, what reason would I have to shrink back in shame?”
“Hahaha! Splendidly said!”
Letting out a booming laugh, Zhuge Pae’s demeanor instantly reverted to profound gravity.
‘This youth. How ought I to deal with him?’
Stepping into the second-rate realm at the tender age of nine.
Had he been the cherished scion of an ancient, elite sect, it would be plausible.
Yet this boy originated from an insignificant, third-rate martial clan.
To make matters more startling, had he not devoted himself to earnest martial training for barely a year?
‘There are only two possibilities. Either divine fortune smiles upon him, or he was born endowed with heaven-gifted martial talent.’
Rumors indicated he had experienced an astonishing fortuitous encounter.
Perhaps it was not merely one of those explanations, but both intertwined.
Furthermore, martial aptitude was far from his only dangerous asset.
‘He stays unruffled, demonstrating absolute poise. He leaves no openings, revealing a profound and calculating mind.’
Such a prodigy could never be allowed to drift along without oversight.
More precisely…
One had to either draw him close to elevate him further, or grind him into dust should he pose a hazard to the clan’s future.
Before being a doting grandfather repaying a kindness shown to his granddaughter, his duty as the Lord of the Zhuge family demanded a definitive course of action.
‘A favor was acknowledged, and once settled, the debt ends. A leader must weigh the consequences that follow.’
Should he crush him, or claim him?
Which path promised the greater return for the ultimate rise of the Crouching Dragon?
The deep bond the boy shared with his son, Zhuge Seon.
The principles and ancestral traditions upheld by the Baek Estate.
The strategic territory they occupied and the physical distance dividing them.
Yanghwi’s peculiar position as an adopted eldest son, alongside his razor-sharp instincts.
Weighing every variable, Zhuge Pae arrived at his verdict.
‘Nurture him, and bring him under our wing. It appears Seon reached that very same judgment.’
For an ambitious noble house seeking dominance over the martial world, establishing dependable allies across every province was vital.
Because Jiangxi Province currently possessed no righteous faction prominent enough to attract the Zhuge clan’s interest, supporting the Baek Estate was a remarkably sound investment.
‘A modest expenditure now will yield boundless goodwill later. A thoroughly lucrative transaction.’
“Young man.”
“Yes, Granduncle. I am listening.”
“I shall grant you entry into the Crane Feather Archives from our clan’s private vaults.”
If offering goodwill and hospitality encouraged them to view the Zhuge lineage as an indispensable pillar, the harvest would be bountiful when the time came to call upon them.
Under such circumstances, Zhuge Pae could display unmatched generosity.
“Three shichen. For the span of three shichen, you have full permission to impart any and all martial arts you can read and memorize to your people. Consider this an official gift and a pact of brotherhood extended from our House of the Crouching Dragon to the Baek Estate!”
The instant Zhuge Pae’s terms were spoken, Yanghwi found it impossible to suppress the broad grin stretching across his lips.
“I offer my deepest thanks to Granduncle for your vast benevolence!”
Permitted to transmit whatever manual he could read and commit to memory?
This was an astronomical boon. A sheer stroke of fortune.
The true cornerstone of any martial clan was its martial arts.
On that front, the roots of the Baek Estate were indeed sturdy, but their canopy had never managed to spread outward.
Between palm strikes, fist arts, internal breathing methods, external strengthening arts, and miscellaneous disciplines…
Out of the endless branches of martial combat, the Baek clan possessed only fundamental meditation arts and basic swordsmanship.
‘I will commit roughly twenty manuals to memory and deliver them straight to our clan.’
Carrying away twenty complete martial systems in one visit.
Even Zhuge Pae, the supreme master of the Zhuge clan whose strategic mind bowed to none under heaven, could never have foreseen such a development.
The Crane Feather Archives.
Rather than housing the core martial secrets passed strictly within the Zhuge bloodline, this repository held the vast collection of third-rate and second-rate external martial arts gathered by the clan across generations.
Though generally reserved for retainers who had rendered distinguished service, its doors were now swung open for an outsider for the first time in many years.
“This is the Crane Feather Archives. You must adhere strictly to the three-shichen boundary, young master.”
Escorted by the sentry, Yanghwi crossed the threshold into the Crane Feather Archives.
The thick, fragrant aroma of aged parchment filled his senses immediately.
“Haaaah, hahaha. What an exquisite scent.”
Three pillars were required for an ordinary martial clan to transform into a prominent noble house:
Abundant wealth, capable warriors, and formidable martial arts.
Now, an extraordinary chance to reinforce their most glaring deficit in martial heritage lay directly before him.
‘My time here is limited, so I must gather only the finest selections available.’
Even if these scrolls contained merely second-rate martial arts, that was more than sufficient for his purpose.
What his household currently lacked was not an elusive, peerless divine art, but dependable combat systems that their retainers could study easily and master en masse.
Essentially, they needed robust methods to train a versatile guard force and reward loyal subordinates.
‘Furthermore, as long as the core foundation is present, refining them into first-rate martial arts will be simple enough.’
Yanghwi contemplated possibilities that would have left any conventional martial artist utterly bewildered.
The reason he could pursue such an audacious feat was obvious:
In his prior lifetime, he had navigated endless cycles of grueling trial and error while forging his own martial techniques from scratch.
By fusing the profound enlightenment gained from those struggles with the inherent mechanics of these new manuals, he could achieve in days what normally demanded decades of relentless study from others.
‘To manage that, the foundational framework must still be sound. Even if the conceptual depth is basic, the techniques must be structurally complete on their own.’
Browsing down the towering rows of shelves, he began skimming every volume.
Rather than reading thoroughly, he absorbed only the foundational verses.
Much like an imposing tree reveals its vitality from its very first sprout, a worthwhile martial art made its caliber obvious after just a few lines.
After passing a full shichen in this manner, he picked out roughly twenty martial manuals worthy of being memorized.
‘Is that the final shelf remaining?’
Tucked away in the most neglected alcove of the Crane Feather Archives, the texts resting upon it were ancient, battered, and coated in grime.
He initially considered ignoring it, but having combed through the rest, leaving a single shelf unchecked felt incomplete.
Carrying that casual curiosity, he reached out and examined the ragged texts…
‘Mm?!’
Yanghwi’s eyes widened in sudden disbelief.
“Why would this be sitting here?”
He carefully inspected the faded characters inscribed upon the cover once more.
There was no error.
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