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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Wuhan was experiencing its busiest days in years.
Yet, beneath the surface, it felt like a storm in a teacup.
Daily life in Wuhan remained largely unchanged.
There were no refugee columns, a common sight during wartime.
This was because the recent events that had shaken Wuhan were confined to the Jianghu.
Both righteous and unorthodox factions generally avoided harming ordinary civilians.
While rogue unorthodox martial artists might disregard this rule, they would quickly be dealt with by the local unorthodox sect controlling the area.
They wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who caused trouble, regardless of their affiliation.
Once a sect established control over a region, the civilians became a source of income, whether through taxes or “donations.”
But if martial artists openly oppressed the common people, the government would intervene.
The very existence of the Martial Governor, a military position overseeing the Murim, demonstrated the Imperial Court’s intention to maintain some control.
Especially since the current Martial Governor, Han Won-chun, was one of the Imperial Court’s most powerful Transcendent Realm experts.
No Murim faction would risk incurring the wrath of the Imperial Court for a few measly coins extorted from the commoners.
At least, not yet.
In short, sensible martial artists left the civilians alone.
The civilians knew this and avoided provoking them, creating a parasitic yet symbiotic relationship.
Despite this, the common people were deeply interested in the current situation.
Everywhere in Wuhan, people discussed the all-out war between the Banun Clan and the Zhuge Family.
Whenever two people met, they debated who would win.
Wuhan had never been this engrossed in a conflict.
This demonstrated the scale of the impending war, a rarity in recent times, and the Zhuge Family’s generally fair governance of the Hubei Murim.
If even the civilians were this interested, the Murim members were even more so.
For days, the Zhuge Family estate had been overflowing with visitors.
Those responding to the Zhuge Family’s call for aid, those coming from all corners of the Nine Provinces to offer support, those seeking to curry favor with the Zhuge Family by betting on their victory…
The Zhuge Family, demonstrating their commitment to this war, was even recruiting mercenaries who passed a basic vetting process.
“Chief Administrator, reinforcements from the Ssanggeuk Sect in Yangyang have arrived. One First-Class and five Second-Class.”
“Chief Administrator, my friend, White Crane Sword Yoo-won, has arrived. I’ll go greet him. Ah, classify him as First-Class.”
“Chief Administrator, urgent report from the Star Net Unit. The Guangxi Man Family’s reinforcements have arrived at the Banun Clan. We’re still identifying the members!”
“The Black Tiger Mercenary Group we hired earlier wants a different lodging. They say it’s too cramped for their numbers.”
“We’ve received word from the Hengsan Sect. They’ve been attacked by the Black Sword Devil Jeong Po and might not arrive on time.”
Zhuge Jong, the Zhuge Family’s Chief Administrator, known as the Ten Hands of Ice, felt his head burning despite his nickname.
The constant stream of reports and requests was overwhelming.
On the verge of overload, he demonstrated why he held his position.
“Have Branch Leader Yu-un greet the Ssanggeuk Sect members. Tell the Star Net Unit to cooperate with the Beggars’ Sect to identify the new arrivals. We don’t need details, just their numbers and general composition. The Black Tiger Group? Why is that coming to me? We have plenty of rooms, tell them to sort it out themselves. The Black Sword Devil again? He’s running rampant. The Hengsan Sect news needs to go to the Family Head, take my report to him.”
His hands moved rapidly, forming hand seals.
His speed and efficiency lived up to his nickname.
“Chief Administrator, Young Lady Seon-ah, who went to the Guya Workshop, has returned.”
“Seon-ah? Where’s the Biwoon Squad Leader?”
Zhuge Seon-ah had arrived before her message.
Zhuge Jong showed uncharacteristic surprise, but his hands kept moving.
“It seems she returned separately from Squad Leader Pan. She brought five others with her. One of them is Young Lady Peng Ha-ryeong of the Peng Family.”
“The Peng Family? From the Northern Peng Family? But all our Branch Leaders are away…”
“Chief Administrator! The Family Head…!”
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Zhuge Chong, the Zhuge Family Head, was known as the Triple Excellence Scholar, a master of martial arts, scholarship, and etiquette.
As if to live up to his title, he had three sons.
But they weren’t to his liking.
Were they incompetent?
No.
All three were capable, as expected of direct descendants, and he was proud of their abilities.
But they lacked warmth.
They were either stoic, sly, or reclusive.
So, he doted on his niece even more.
“Seon-ah, welcome back! You’ve been through so much.”
He rushed out, practically barefoot, and embraced her, patting her back.
Those who knew his usual formality were shocked.
“I was careless. I should have sent Branch Leader Neung-un instead of just Squad Leader Pan. I was careless.”
He had sent her with Squad Leader Pan to avoid attracting attention, hoping they could slip through unnoticed.
That attempt at secrecy had backfired.
Embarrassed by the display of affection in front of the others, Zhuge Seon-ah blushed and gently pushed him away.
“F-Family Head, I’m fine. I’m the one who failed the mission…”
“It’s alright. That artifact is nothing. We can restore it within the family, as we’ve done before. Your safe return is far more important.”
The Soul Anchor, a treasured artifact hidden by the Zhuge Family, was powerful enough to trap even the Transcendent Realm expert Black Sword Devil and his Black Sword Unit.
To prevent its secrets from leaking, they had been secretly restoring it within the family.
When the current crisis arose, they had rushed it to the Guya Workshop for help.
“Are you hurt anywhere? I received the message from Mount Hwang, but seeing you in person, I was worried.”
“I’m truly fine. Squad Leader Pan was injured far more seriously.”
While they talked, Namgung-Woo stood awkwardly, feeling like an outsider.
He exchanged nods with the Family Head’s attendants, who seemed to share his discomfort.
They returned his nod with apologetic looks.
Sensing their exchange, Zhuge Chong finally turned his attention to them.
“Ah… I apologize for my display of emotion in front of our guests. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Namgung-Woo revised his initial impression of the Family Head.
The position of Zhuge Family Head was comparable to that of a high-ranking official.
Despite his status, Zhuge Chong prioritized courtesy.
Namgung-Woo smiled faintly.
“Don’t mention it. It was heartwarming to see your love for your family.”
“Haha, thank you. I’ve already heard about the heroes of the Azure Sky Group. I’ve prepared accommodations for you. Let’s go.”
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Mount Tianzi in Hunan Province.
Located above Zhangjiajie, said to be the inspiration for the mythical Peach Blossom Spring, Mount Tianzi boasted scenery that rivaled even Mount Hwang and the Five Great Mountains.
Eight hundred rivers and three thousand peaks created a majestic landscape, and the countless bizarre rock formations gave it an otherworldly beauty.
Its beauty was such that people said, “How can one claim to be old, even at a hundred years, without having seen Zhangjiajie?”
This mystical mountain seemed untouched by time.
And it was here that the Banun Clan resided.
“Is that so?”
The Black Sword Devil looked at the man reclining on the grand chair.
He seemed untouched by the passage of time, defying the natural order.
A living legend of the Murim, having witnessed both the Righteous-Unorthodox War and the Blood Cult Disaster, few knew his true age.
He had lived for a very long time.
The poet Du Fu had called seventy years of age a rarity, but this man had surpassed seventy-seven, and was approaching ninety.
Yet, he maintained his youth.
It was truly bizarre.
This man, said to have undergone both Body Transformation and Age Reversal, was the founder of the Banun Clan, the Fallen Immortal Dongfang Huo.
Dongfang Huo pondered the Black Sword Devil’s words, then propped his chin on his hand.
“So, you failed to retrieve the Soul Anchor?”
“But I brought the head of the Hengsan Sect’s Crimson Flower Sword.”
Crimson Flower Sword, an elder of the Hengsan Sect, was a renowned expert in Hunan.
Even the Black Sword Devil had struggled to defeat him.
“Well, it’s fine. There were unforeseen circumstances. I understand. Let’s forget about this failure.”
“…That man is dangerous. Don’t underestimate him.”
The Black Sword Devil warned Dongfang Huo, who seemed too nonchalant.
The young swordsman he encountered. He had been prepared to die.
Even within the Banun Clan, where individual strength surpassed that of the Nine Great Sects, the Black Sword Devil was considered highly skilled.
The fact that a young swordsman stronger than him had joined the Zhuge Family was a serious concern.
But Dongfang Huo simply chuckled and waved him away.
“I may not know how strong their leader is, but don’t forget. This war won’t be easy.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Go and rest. The day is approaching.”
“…I’ll take my leave.”
After the Black Sword Devil left, Dongfang Huo turned his gaze to the side.
“You heard that? Even a master like him is giving a warning. I’d say he’s a worthy opponent to awaken you.”
“…Indeed.”
In the empty hall, Dongfang Huo’s words were met with an impossible reply.
A figure emerged from behind a pillar. Even the Black Sword Devil hadn’t sensed his presence.
“He’s your responsibility.”
“…After this is over, the Grand Method is guaranteed, right?”
Dongfang Huo smirked.
“Of course! The Soul Anchor hidden by the Zhuge Family and the Seven Star Lamp Life Extension Method. With those two, we’ll be one step closer to our goal. I, Dongfang Huo, guarantee it.”
The Seven Star Lamp Life Extension Method.
A grand method to extend one’s lifespan by channeling the power of the seven stars into lamps.
It was said that even Zhuge Liang had attempted this method at Wuzhang Plains to prolong his life.
Even he had failed, so the success rate was low, but with the Soul Anchor, it was a different story.
“We will live. Forever. Defying this accursed fate.”
Those who defied fate.
Those willing to do anything to achieve their goal.
That was the Banun Clan.
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