Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 90

5. The Zhuge Family

The Zhuge family was a martial arts clan, their bonds forged by blood. To become a core member, one had to be related to the Zhuge lineage, either paternally or maternally. This made them far more exclusive than other sects.

Among these families, the Zhuge family of Angyeong was the most reclusive.

They were descendants of Zhuge Myung, a prodigious inventor and genius strategist from a thousand years ago. They prided themselves on being his successors, holding their bloodline in high esteem. They rarely allowed outsiders into their main residence, except for special occasions.

However, a group of people had recently entered the main residence of Angyeong, throwing the Zhuge family into an uproar with their unannounced arrival.

“What? Are you saying that Hwi was attacked by unidentified individuals and had to flee here?”

Zhuge Mun, the head of the Zhuge family, was a slightly thin and refined scholar of 57 years old. He had briefly left the main residence to inspect the family’s businesses and was shocked by the report from his chief steward.

“They were assassins targeting the Third Prince, Your Highness.”

“Hmm, what on earth is happening to this country…”

Zhuge Mun groaned at the chief steward’s reply. He had a rough idea of who was trying to kill the Third Prince.

The person who would benefit the most from Jo Won-rak’s disappearance was the Second Prince, Jo Won-gyun. There was also the Crown Prince, Jo Won-gi, but he was a severe opium addict, so far removed from the succession that few officials in the court didn’t argue for his replacement.

‘So, Jo Won-gyun must have orchestrated this to eliminate his powerful half-brother.’

The problem was that Zhuge Hwi was one of only five masters of the highest level in the Zhuge family. Moreover, the heavy cavalry he had personally trained as a general of the Imperial Guard was an elite force that even the martial arts sects of the Jianghu [the martial world] could not ignore. It was only natural to be curious about the unidentified enemies who had driven them to the point of annihilation.

As far as he knew, none of the forces supporting Jo Won-gyun had such overwhelming power.

“And among the Third Prince’s party were a person from the Northern Continent and the Third Young Master of the Hwangbo family.”

“Mura? Hwangbo Sung was there?”

Zhuge Mun couldn’t help but be surprised again. Hwangbo Sung had gone to the Northern Continent for trade with his brother three years ago and had been lost at sea. The world believed it was an accident caused by a typhoon.

However, the Zhuge family, which operated the Cheongeungbang (Blue Eagle Society), the best intelligence organization in the Jianghu, had a relatively accurate understanding of the circumstances and prior signs of the incident. They had also determined that Hwangbo Sung’s disappearance was the work of Hwangbo Gwang, the current head of the Hwangbo family. However, they did not make it public because there was no clear evidence, and it was not beneficial to clash with the Hwangbo family.

And now, Hwangbo Sung had appeared here.

‘Is a storm of blood about to descend on this country, which has been peaceful for so long?’

Either of these two incidents alone would cause a huge ripple effect, but both were about to happen at the same time. Zhuge Mun shook his head and left his office to meet Zhuge Hwi and the Third Prince’s party. He wanted to hear a clearer account of the incident to prepare for what was to come.

“Brother, I am ashamed.”

Zhuge Mun met Zhuge Hwi in the hallway of the guest quarters. As soon as he faced the head of the family, Zhuge Hwi bowed his head deeply and apologized. He had come back like a beaten dog, when he should have come with good news. He was too ashamed to show his face.

“It’s alright. We’re family; we should help each other in times of trouble. And what’s there to be so awkward about between you and me?”

“Brother…”

Zhuge Hwi was Zhuge Mun’s cousin. Zhuge Mun, who only had sisters, had always cherished him like a younger brother. That was why he had wholeheartedly supported Zhuge Hwi, who had set his sights on a career in the military from an early age. Thanks to his cousin’s support and his own outstanding abilities, Zhuge Hwi had become a general of the Imperial Guard at the age of 50. Zhuge Mun was very proud of this.

But now, his proud brother was standing before him, looking like a defeated general. He was bandaged and leaning on his sword, guarding the Third Prince’s residence. It was a pitiful sight.

“Let’s greet the Third Prince first and then talk.”

“Yes.”

Zhuge Mun entered the room where the Third Prince, Jo Won-rak, was staying and knelt on one knee to greet him.

“Zhuge Mun, a recluse of the Jianghu, greets the Third Prince, Your Highness.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Head of the Family. I have had to rely on your family due to unforeseen circumstances. I hope you will protect this unworthy person until the Imperial Guard of the capital arrives.”

“I will obey your command, Your Highness.”

Zhuge Mun took measures to ensure that Jo Won-rak, who had been greatly startled today, could rest comfortably, and then left the room. He then spoke with Zhuge Hwi in the back garden of the guest quarters.

“You and your men should not have been defeated so easily, even if a decent sect had ambushed you. What on earth happened?”

“Actually, we managed to fend off the initial ambushers. But then, suddenly…”

The more Zhuge Hwi explained, the more surprised Zhuge Mun became.

“Jiangshi [Chinese hopping vampires]? Then is this the work of the remnants of the Baegyo [White Lotus Sect]?”

“It’s not certain. Those Jiangshi were dressed like people from the Northern Continent. According to our benefactor, they are called Death Knights and Liches in the Northern Continent.”

“That…”

Zhuge Mun’s expression hardened. As trade between the North and South continents became more active, cultures were also being transmitted. In his youth, Zhuge Mun, who was curious about the cultures of distant lands, had read a book about the legends of Rhodelia. There were mentions of Death Knights and Liches in that book, and they were described as very powerful magical creatures, especially the Lich, which was almost an immortal being.

That such legendary creatures would actually appear, and in the Song Empire of all places!

“Then, is it not related to the Baegyo?”

“Well, if the Baegyo had continued to operate in secret in the Northern Continent after being expelled, it wouldn’t be strange for them to summon magical creatures from the North.”

The Baegyo had committed all sorts of atrocities in the Southern Continent 200 years ago and had become the public enemy of the martial world. The Baegyo was so strong at the time that not only the righteous and evil sects, but also the Green Forest [outlaw groups] and the government had joined forces. Even masters from other countries, such as Yemaek and Barat, had joined the fight against the Baegyo. The martial arts alliance that was formed fought fiercely for nearly 10 years before finally being able to subdue the Baegyo. And then the Baegyo disappeared from the Jianghu.

The thought that the remnants of the Baegyo had reappeared made Zhuge Mun’s head spin.

“Anyway, this is a big problem. When I think about the chaos that the Baegyo’s Jiangshi and cursed magic soldiers caused on the continent 200 years ago…”

The Zhuge family was one of the sects that had taken the lead in subduing the Baegyo at the time. Therefore, they knew very well how sinister and vicious the Baegyo’s magic and magical soldiers were, and the power of the Jiangshi they created. If the Baegyo had not only regained their past strength but also obtained the black magic of the Northern Continent, they would likely become an enemy that could not be dealt with, because there were no heroes as outstanding as those of 200 years ago in the Jianghu, which had enjoyed peace for a long time.

‘And even the imperial family is about to become a mess due to the succession competition…’

“Anyway, we must inform the various sects of the Jianghu about this. We must prepare, whether by organizing a subjugation force or otherwise.”

Zhuge Mun nodded at Zhuge Hwi’s words and said,

“Hmm, I’ll take care of that. By the way, if those magical creatures are as powerful as you say, enough to wipe out the Imperial Guard, how were you able to escape here?”

“That’s thanks to our benefactors. Young Master Hwangbo and his lord, Marquis Luke, appeared at the critical moment and saved us.”

“Marquis Luke, the lord of Young Master Hwangbo?”

Zhuge Mun asked with a puzzled look.

“Yes, I heard on the way here that Marquis Luke was the one who rescued Young Master Hwangbo, who was wandering around the Northern Continent with serious injuries. I heard that he has been under his care since then.”

Zhuge Mun was very knowledgeable about the systems and culture of the Northern Continent, so he also knew that the title of Marquis was given to a very powerful noble. But how could such a person come all the way to this distant Southern Continent with only one retainer and defeat the cursed magical creatures?

Zhuge Hwi’s testimony that followed resolved some of the questions.

“Young Master Hwangbo defeated one of the magical creatures with the Three Thunder God Fist, and Marquis Luke defeated the other two.”

Hwangbo Sung was a master who had made quite a name for himself in the Jianghu before his disappearance. He had reached the peak of his cultivation at a young age, and there were rumors that he would become the second Fist King. In fact, the Hwangbo family, who believed in this, had fully supported him. Therefore, Zhuge Mun was not too surprised to hear that he had used the Three Thunder God Fist. However, he couldn’t help but be surprised that it was not Hwangbo Sung, who had revived the Fist King’s martial arts, who had eliminated all the magical creatures, but his lord, Marquis Luke, who had eliminated not one but two of them.

“Is he that strong?”

“Yes, I only saw him fight for a moment, but he was truly an incredibly powerful master. He seemed to have reached the peak of both magic and swordsmanship.”

Zhuge Hwi shuddered as he recalled Luke’s defeat of the magical creatures. If he were to fight Luke, he felt that he wouldn’t last even 10 seconds. How could he have reached such an amazing level in two fields at such a young age? Could he be comparable to the masters who had reached the absolute realm, of which there were only two in the Jianghu? In any case, Zhuge Mun could not help but be greatly surprised by his cousin’s explanation.

‘I need to see him in person.’

With that thought, he headed to the building where Luke and Hwangbo Sung were resting.

2

Luke and Hwangbo Sung were resting in the building right next to Jo Won-rak’s residence.

“It’s more comfortable than I thought. The ventilation is good too.”

Luke, who had changed into the clothes of the Southern Continent that a servant had brought him because his original clothes were dirty with dust and sweat, smiled faintly as if he liked them. Hwangbo Sung, who had also changed into new clothes like Luke, savored the tea of his homeland after a long time and opened his mouth.

“Lord, how long do you plan to stay in the Zhuge family?”

“I plan to stay until my business is done.”

The reason why Luke remained in the Zhuge family even after taking the Third Prince’s party there was because of the Ironwood.

“Surely they won’t refuse to give me the Ironwood after I saved the Third Prince and their family members, right?”

“I don’t know. The people of the Zhuge family are so unique that you can’t understand them with the mindset of an ordinary person.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll just use another method when the time comes.”

As Luke shrugged his shoulders, Hwangbo Sung asked the question he had been holding back.

“But Lord, what were those Jiangshi-like creatures?”

It had been almost two years since Hwangbo Sung had settled in the Rhodelia Continent, but he had never heard of such creatures. They were clearly wearing the attire of knights and mages from the Rhodelia Continent, and they were more solid and powerful than most masters of the highest level.

“They are Death Knights and Liches.”

“Death Knights and Liches?”

“Yes, they are the strongest of the undead magical creatures that can be created from the corpses of Sword Master-level knights and mages of the 7th circle or higher.”

Luke frowned as he recalled the undead he had defeated.

‘No matter how I think about it, it seems like Arsen is the one who created those magical creatures.’

There was a reason why Luke was so sure. To create Death Knights and Liches, rare materials such as the corpses of Sword Masters or high-ranking mages, and a special place where magical energy could easily permeate were needed. These were not elements that a black magician working alone could easily secure. The reason why Death Knights and Liches had not appeared in the Rhodelia Continent until now was because the church and the magic community had been keeping a close watch.

‘The only ones who can shake off such surveillance are black magic groups that have secured a large force in secret.’

As far as Luke knew, there were two such groups: Dark Moon and the Veritas Magic Tower. Dark Moon was faithful to his teachings that one should not do anything that goes against human morality, so they did not create undead. But what about the Veritas Magic Tower, Arsen?

‘They are the kind of people who will use any means necessary for their own interests. They have always been like that.’

If it was profitable, they were the kind of people who would summon not only Death Knights and Liches, but even the Demon King from the Demon Realm. He could tell from the magical creatures he had encountered at the border of the Holy Empire before. They had put a wraith into the body of Seimon, who had died 500 years ago, and turned him into a combat weapon. And during the Magic Tower War, they used that magical creature to attack the opposing magic tower. Perhaps the materials for creating the Death Knights and Liches were obtained during that time.

No, that must be it.

‘Arsen, that bastard. I thought he had disappeared after fighting Erenes, but he was hiding in the Southern Continent and creating undead.’

Perhaps the three he had defeated were not all of them. There were countless mages and knights who had died during the Magic Tower War. And if they had been secretly stealing the corpses of superhumans for 500 years, just like they had stolen his body in the past, there might be a huge army of undead.

‘Damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get!’

Just as Luke was frowning in frustration, he sensed a presence, and then the door opened and a servant came in and said something.

“What did he say?”

“He says that the head of the Zhuge family is coming. It seems he wants to meet you and me.”

At Hwangbo Sung’s translation, Luke relaxed his frown.

“Is that so? I was about to go see him anyway, so this is good.”

A moment later, two people entered the building: Zhuge Hwi, and a middle-aged scholar who was slightly thin but had a neat and intellectual impression.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Zhuge Mun, the head of the Zhuge family.”

At the scholar’s greeting, Hwangbo Sung bowed respectfully with a fist salute.

“I am Hwangbo Sung. It is an honor to meet a sage of the Jianghu.”

Zhuge Mun’s alias was Cheongisu-sa (Heavenly Scholar), which meant the greatest sage of the Jianghu. However, Zhuge Mun himself considered his alias to be excessive.

“Haha. A sage is too much…”

Hwangbo Sung introduced Luke to Zhuge Mun, who was waving his hand with an embarrassed expression.

“I don’t know if you heard from General Zhuge Hwi, but this is my lord.”

“Luke de Rakan.”

Luke extended his hand with a greeting, but Zhuge Mun did not take it. It was not because he did not know the custom of shaking hands in the Northern Continent, but because he was surprised by Luke’s words.

‘Rakan!? Was Marquis Luke a member of the Rakan family?’

Zhuge Mun had heard of Rakan, who was revered as a hero by the knights of the Northern Continent. But he had never imagined that Luke would be a member of the Rakan family.

It was because Zhuge Hwi had mistakenly not mentioned Luke’s surname.

The warrior of Lodesia, Rakan.

He was a hero who single-handedly defeated a terrifying black magic user, once called the Demon King.

His level as the Sword Emperor was comparable to the legendary masters of the Jianghu [a martial arts world], known as the Fist King, Sword Immortal, or Divine Spear.

‘So that’s it. He had extraordinary skills befitting a descendant of a hero.’

Perhaps he was even stronger than Zhuge Hwi had described.

The intense gaze that belied his age and the extraordinary aura emanating from his entire body were hard to find even among the most renowned masters of the Murim [martial arts world].

Zhuge Mun, who now seemed to understand, belatedly realized his rudeness and apologized.

“I apologize. I didn’t realize you were the descendant of such a distinguished hero…”

As fluent Lodesian flowed from his lips, Luke spoke with intrigued eyes.

“No, it’s alright. But you speak our language well.”

“I took an interest in it when I was younger and learned it.”

After the greetings, they moved to a table.

Once the servant had brought refreshments, Zhuge Mun formally expressed his gratitude to Luke.

“Thanks to you, the Third Prince and my cousin were able to be safe. I swear to my ancestors, I will repay this debt without fail.”

‘Repay it without fail? Hehehe. I’ll be looking forward to it.’

Luke, who was calculating in his head how much ironwood he could extract, smiled inwardly with a sly grin.

“By the way, what brings you to the Southern Continent?”

“Well… there was an unexpected accident.”

“An accident?”

“It’s more like I was betrayed by a trusted ally, or rather, the blade of the axe came off the handle and struck my foot.”

Seeing Luke’s hardened expression, Zhuge Mun did not ask what kind of accident it was.

Just from Luke’s words, he could roughly guess what had happened, and he thought it would be rude to pry.

“Anyway, in the midst of the chaos, a subspace opened, and I was sucked into it and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in the Song Empire.”

“Sucked into a subspace… that reminds me of a similar old tale.”

“A similar tale?”

As Luke showed an interested look, Zhuge Mun began to speak.

“A long time ago, there was a country called Yin in this land. The founders of Yin were goblins from the far north, and they civilized the humans who were living like beasts in the fields at the time.”

‘Huh? This is definitely…’

The Yin country that Zhuge Mun was talking about was similar to the magic empire of Avalon. No, if you changed the goblins to fairies, it was exactly the same.

“Humans learned many things from them. However, most of the goblins looked down on humans, and the humans became dissatisfied and rebelled. The rebels were repeatedly defeated by the goblins, but then a man named Hee-chang appeared, and the situation changed.”

Hee-chang, who had learned sorcery from a kind goblin, used a spear of light and darkness to pierce the earth’s ley lines [energy pathways] where dragons roamed, creating a large hole.

And the bad goblins were sucked into that hole and never appeared again.

‘A spear of light and darkness, the earth’s ley lines, a large hole…’

At Zhuge Mun’s story, Luke recalled the situation before he was sucked into the subspace.

The barrier that was absorbing all power.

To escape from there, he released his demonic energy, and Grand Duke Gregory released aura imbued with divine power.

The opposing energies collided inside the barrier, and in the process of backflow, created a subspace.

‘The series of events is similar to the old tale the head of the family told. Considering that there are many metaphorical expressions in oral traditions and legends, a similar event might have happened in the Southern Continent a long time ago.’

While Luke was deep in thought, Zhuge Mun spoke again.

“Frankly, your story sounds like an old tale and is hard to believe. But the fact that you are the benefactor who saved the Third Prince and Hwi remains unchanged, so I will help you with your return home and anything else you need to the best of my ability.”

Luke, whose ears perked up at those words, immediately brought up what he had intended to request when he met the head of the family.

“In that case, I would like some ironwood.”

“Ironwood?”

“I don’t know if the head of the family knows, but I have already tried to purchase ironwood before.”

Luke told him about the fact that he was developing a personal Gigant [a large mechanical construct] and that he had inquired about purchasing it through the Kirillov Trading Company.

At those words, Zhuge Mun looked like he finally understood.

“Hmm, so that was it. I was wondering why the northern merchants were looking for ironwood.”

“Now that you know the reason, can you sell it to me?”

Zhuge Mun, who had been silent for a while at Luke’s question, stood up from his seat.

“Follow me.”

Zhuge Mun led Luke to a rocky mountain behind the main house.

After passing through complex formations constructed with sorcery, a cave guarded by about a dozen warriors appeared.

“We greet the head of the family.”

“Glory to the clan!”

Receiving the powerful and disciplined greetings of the clan’s warriors, the group approached the cave.

The cave was blocked by a thick iron door, and Zhuge Mun, standing in front of it, spoke.

“Originally, this place was the clan’s greatest forbidden area until 10 years ago. But I think it’s okay to show it to our benefactor, so I’m guiding you.”

Although the value of the cave had decreased compared to the past when the conflict between the righteous and the evil was fierce, it was more to show it because he had cooperation with Luke in mind.

In order for the Zhuge clan to survive in the recent turbulent political situation, including the imperial family, it was advantageous to have even one more friend with great military power.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The iron door, which was a full 30 centimeters thick, opened.

There were not just one, but three such iron doors.

After opening the three thick iron doors and entering, a vast hollow space appeared, so large that it could be called an underground city.

The underground hollow was like a spider web with passages leading in all directions, and it was not dark at all. Flowers and trees were growing fresh in various places.

This was because there were ores emitting bright light embedded in the ceiling, making the inside as bright as daytime.

‘Amazing! Only the dwarves of the ancient magic empire could create something like this…’

To Luke, who couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, Zhuge Mun briefly explained the origin of the cave.

“According to legend, this cave was a mine for goblins. Even now, small amounts of cold iron or black iron are mined from the deepest part of the cave.”

However, currently, it was mainly used as a warehouse to store the Zhuge clan’s supplies, a workshop for making weapons, and a laboratory for sorcery experiments, rather than mining.

“The ironwood is in this room.”

The place Zhuge Mun led him to was a workshop for making wooden oxen.

Inside, along with half-finished wooden oxen, there were scraps of wood that seemed to be ironwood scattered on the floor.

However, what caught Luke’s eye more than that was the thick layer of dust that had accumulated in the workshop.

“It seems that work has been suspended for quite some time.”

“Huu, that’s right. Perhaps the wooden ox in front of you will be the last wooden ox made by the Zhuge clan.”

At Zhuge Mun’s deep sigh, Luke asked with a slight tension.

“Is there a problem with the ironwood?”

If so, it would be a big problem.

“Due to the drought that has continued for several years in the south, most of the ironwood trees in the Shushan Plateau have withered and died.”

The Shushan Plateau, located near the border between the Song Empire and the Bharat Kingdom, is the only natural habitat for ironwood.

There were tens of thousands of ironwood trees, large and small, on this plateau, but nine out of ten had withered and died due to the long drought.

“Actually, the lack of rain was not a big problem. The problem was that due to the drought, pests such as locusts increased in enormous numbers and began to gnaw at the vegetation, and ironwood was no exception.”

Although ironwood was known for its hardness, it could not avoid withering when pests gnawed at its leaves and roots.

To make matters worse, the natives burned poisonous herbs to drive away the pests, and a large forest fire broke out.

“It’s a disaster, indeed.”

“It was a disaster that made us resent the heavens. It was a great fortune that a few seedlings remained.”

This was the reason why the Zhuge clan refused to sell ironwood.

Originally, ironwood was a precious material, but due to the disaster, a significant amount had been lost, so they had to cherish what remained.

‘It doesn’t seem like he’s lying… Anyway, this has become troublesome.’

Luke did not intend to use the synchronization helm only for his personal Gigant.

If possible, he was planning to apply the synchronization helm to all the Gigants in his territory, not just Orion.

However, in this situation, he had no choice but to withdraw that plan.

‘Should I give up like this? Is there no way, whether by using magic or something else?’

If he could solve this problem, he might be able to continue to receive a supply of the precious material, ironwood, in the future.

However, he could not easily think of a way to revive the ironwood, which had been almost completely wiped out.

The secret chamber located in the center of the Hwangbo clan’s manor.

It was a private space created by Hwangbo Sung to handle secret matters, and only his trusted aides and honored guests were allowed to enter.

There, Hwangbo Gwang was facing the honored guest he had met some time ago again.

“Did. the. test. of. our. cute. ones. go. well?”

At Arsen’s question, Hwangbo Gwang shook his head with a dark face.

“That is… unfortunately, it failed.”

“What? You. said. it. failed?”

“Yes, the three undead that went after the Third Prince’s party were all found destroyed on the main road.”

“Keel! That. can’t. be!”

Arsen’s skeletal eyes flashed brightly, as if he couldn’t believe it.

In response, Hwangbo Gwang shared his speculation.

“It seems they received help from the Zhuge clan in the nearby town.”

With ordinary military power, it was impossible to destroy the Death Knights and Liches that Arsen had created.

However, it seemed possible for the Zhuge clan, a prestigious family of the Murim [martial arts world].

There were four more masters of the highest level comparable to Zhuge Hwi, and they were even making wooden oxen.

‘Still, there’s one thing I don’t understand.’

How did the Zhuge clan know that the Third Prince’s party had been ambushed and provide support so quickly?

Even if Zhuge Hwi, who was ambushed, requested support, and the Zhuge clan immediately dispatched support, it would have been difficult to make it in time.

“So. where. are. they. now?”

“They have entered the Zhuge clan’s main manor and are under protection.”

If the Third Prince returned to the imperial palace like this, it would be a big problem.

The Emperor, who cherished the Third Prince, would be furious if he found out, and if that happened, it would be difficult to find an opportunity to eliminate him in the future.

That was why Hwangbo Gwang wanted to kill Jo Won-rak, who had come out of the confines of the imperial palace, no matter what.

“Arsen, please lend me your strength one more time.”

“Keel. Not. enough. that. you. ruined. three. of. them. You. want. to. borrow. more. cute. ones?”

At Arsen’s lukewarm reaction, he made a condition.

“If you help me just one more time, I will give you the corpses of seven masters of the highest level later.”

The corpses of masters of the highest level who had not been dead for long were the best material for creating Death Knights.

With the corpses of masters of the highest level, he could create at least mid-level Death Knights.

Arsen, who had been lost in thought for a moment at his proposal, decided to lend him the control of the remaining 30 units that he had brought to the Southern Continent for testing.

“Alright. But. you. must. remember. that. this. is. the. last. time.”

“I will remember, and remember again!”

As Arsen disappeared to get the Death Knights and Liches, Hwangbo Gwang called his subordinate in a sharp voice.

“Gwan-chang!”

“You called, head of the family!”

A black-masked man appeared as if rippling through the water in front of Hwangbo Gwang.

Gwan-chang was the leader of the Black Shadow Unit, a group of ronin warriors that Hwangbo Gwang had secretly raised, and he was particularly skilled in stealth and infiltration.

“What about the information gathering inside the Zhuge clan?”

“My subordinates are currently working hard, but it is difficult to gather information because the formations surrounding the clan are so great.”

Besides their excellent military strategy and wooden oxen, the Zhuge clan was famous for one more thing.

That was their formations.

The formations created by the Zhuge clan were renowned for their power.

Among them, the Great Heavenly Soul-Destroying Formation surrounding the clan was rumored to be stronger than combining dozens of Shaolin Temple’s 108 Arhat Formations [a powerful martial arts formation].

“Hmm, then do we have to wait until they come out?”

However, that would take a lot of time.

If they did not come out by the time the Imperial Guards arrived, he would have to give up on assassinating the Third Prince.

This was because there was an old monster in the Imperial Guards that he could not even dare to face.

That monster, who had reached the absolute realm two levels higher than the peak realm, was called the guardian of the court and the imperial family.

“If only Arsen would step forward himself, it wouldn’t seem impossible to destroy the formation.”

The problem was that he was a busy person in many ways.

And it was not good to keep relying on him.

If he kept doing that, he might end up becoming a subordinate instead of an ally. And that too, to an immortal monster with the power of darkness.

“Head of the family, how about commissioning Guigokja?”

“What, what did you say? That madman?”

Hwangbo Gwang looked startled.

Guigokja.

A person whose birth and name were unknown, he called himself Guigokja, claiming to have inherited the traditions of the now-defunct Guigokmun [a martial arts sect].

He had skillful eloquence and outstanding sorcery abilities, and with his outstanding abilities, he did more evil than good.

He had even instigated giant sects just because he wanted to watch a fight, and he had also defiled auspicious sites or cut off ley lines with sorcery.

Then, four years ago, he claimed to be an envoy of the Supreme God and threatened the imperial family that he would spread drought and plague throughout the country if they did not pay 100,000 gold coins.

At first, the Emperor thought it was the nonsense of a mad sorcerer.

However, drought and plague really broke out in the south, and the Emperor, thinking it was Guigokja’s doing, released the masters of the Imperial Guards to capture him, but failed.

The elusive Guigokja continued to mock the government by boldly walking the streets of the capital, Daeryang.

“I know where he is currently staying. So…”

“But that guy is a wanted criminal!”

If he contacted him for no reason, he could be ostracized by the imperial family.

Until he made his nephew Jo Won-gyun the next emperor, it was not good to be at odds with the Song imperial family.

“However, Guigokja is the only sorcerer in the Jianghu [martial arts world] who can break the Zhuge clan’s formation. What will you do?”

“Kuh…!”

At Gwan-chang’s words, Hwangbo Gwang bit his lip as if he had a headache and wavered from side to side.

Then, he finally made up his mind.

“The leader will meet with him directly and negotiate. The fact that we made contact must never be revealed to the world.”

“Understood.”

As Gwan-chang disappeared from sight, Hwangbo Gwang clenched his fists tightly and glared with burning eyes.

“Whether it’s a hit or a miss, we have no choice but to try.”

He did not want to drag out Jo Won-rak’s matter any longer, so he vowed not to miss this opportunity.