LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 31 - Episode 7: Demonic Cultivator (5)
Chapter 31 – Episode 7: Demonic Cultivator (5)
He had a dream.
In his dream, Zhuge Hyeonmong was looking at someone.
It was a clean-looking man wearing old scholarly robes.
His beard was not thick but stylish, his hair was always neat, and his posture was straight—despite being a scholar, he didn’t give off a particularly frail impression.
‘Father?’
He was indeed Zhuge Hyeonmong’s father, Zhuge Ziyi.
Whether he actually called out or not, Zhuge Ziyi turned to look at Zhuge Hyeonmong.
He held a folding fan in one hand and fanned himself gently.
It was the folding fan his father always called the White Feather Fan.
Old and worn, yet something he cherished dearly—an item that had disappeared one day and hadn’t been seen since.
“Hyeonmong. It’s been a long time.”
“It has been a long time, Father.”
Despite being in a dream, Zhuge Hyeonmong gave his father a respectful bow before asking, “But what kind of mess have you created?”
His father’s actions had caused considerable trouble, not just this current predicament, but also the fifty thousand tael debt.
Hearing his son’s complaints, Zhuge Zhiyi seemed to consider something before wearing his trademark smile.
“It just turned out that way. It was unavoidable.”
“……”
It was just a dream, yet he felt angry.
No, he was about to get angry, but it evaporated. More than that, he was utterly dumbfounded.
This might be a dream, but if Zhuge Ziyi had been present in reality, he would have said the exact same thing…!
“Originally, this is something I, Zhuge Ziyi, should have handled…but circumstances aren’t favorable, so I will leave it to you.”
“Hey, don’t talk like you’re leaving behind some inheritance.”
“I believe in my son.”
“You’re saying you believe in me in this situation?”
“Because the trial I’ve left is one you can overcome. If you conquer this challenge, you will undoubtedly shed a layer of yourself. Confucius also said, ‘A gentleman is firm in adversity.’ Do you know what this means?”
“It means a person becomes stronger after overcoming their trials, doesn’t it?”
“To think you already know that much—I have nothing more to teach you!”
Zhuge Ziyi gently fanned himself and began to ascend into the sky.
Zhuge Hyeonmong tried to reach out to grab him, but Zhuge Ziyi was already flying away.
Right after, Zhuge Hyeonmong had a realization.
‘This is just a stupid dream.’
It would have been better if it had been Allen’s dream.
Simultaneously, with a stinging pain, Zhuge Hyeonmong opened his eyes.
***
“How long are you going to sleep?”
A stinging sensation on the back of his head made him open his eyes.
He felt damp. His whole body was numb and aching, as if all the fatigue from before had caught up with him.
Zhuge Hyeonmong turned his head toward the source of the voice.
A thin, gaunt middle-aged man with a stern expression was staring at him with terrifying eyes.
It was the Demonic Cultivator he had faced previously.
Zhuge Hyeonmong habitually scanned his body with mana.
‘Nothing there.’
All the hidden weapons and poison pouches he had received from Tang Hwa-ryeong were gone. The magic wand he was holding was also gone.
The fact that every single thing that could pose a threat to his captor had been confiscated means that the Demonic Cultivator was quite cautious.
“What an odd fellow. To remain so calm and collected in this situation, I wonder if you’re actually sane.”
‘That’s rich coming from someone who kidnapped me.’
Though thinking this, Zhuge Hyeonmong opened his mouth and spoke.
“Why did you wake me up?”
“Hmph.”
Gal Sa-ryang narrowed his eyes.
“I wake you when I want to wake you.”
“Considering my physical abilities and value as a hostage, it would be more convenient for you if I were unconscious rather than awake.”
Zhuge Hyeonmong understood why Gal Sa-ryang had targeted him.
It was suspicious that someone ignorant of martial arts had managed to track him here.
Moreover, the fact that the group had been able to dismantle the Formation with his instruction and allowed them to reach his hideout easily must have made the Demonic Cultivator wary of him.
He was captured alive because he was considered an important person.
However, Zhuge Hyeonmong’s value ends there.
Even he knew waking him was a bad idea; who knew what tricks he might pull?
The Demonic Cultivator also knew that carrying him unconscious would have been faster and easier.
Yet he still woke him up.
So, there must be a reason.
“Kekeke.”
Slap!
His head turns with a burning sensation.
Gal Sa-ryang had slapped him.
“Insolent brat. So eager to show off how smart you are, huh?”
“…I was simply curious.”
Zhuge Hyeonmong said this even after the unexpected slap, causing Gal Sa-ryang to frown.
‘He’s not afraid at all.’
He had deliberately picked a fight to break his spirit, but the man didn’t budge.
That was quite a blow to his pride.
But there was no time to waste.
“I have questions for you. And a task.”
Zhuge Hyeonmong nodded.
“I am Zhuge Hyeonmong. Though I bear the Zhuge surname, I am neither from the Zhuge family nor a branch family. I am a descendant of the Arcane Faction that had been long separated from the Zhuge Family. I was able to break your sorcery by using techniques passed down through that lineage. Does that answer your question?”
“……”
Gal Sa-ryang stared dumbfounded at Zhuge Hyeonmong’s words.
He hadn’t even asked, but this guy was already answering the question.
‘What the hell is this guy?’
“Stop hitting me. We don’t have time for that, do we?”
Just as he was considering whether to hit him again out of annoyance, Zhuge Hyeonmong said this.
“You bastard, how did you know?”
“Isn’t it obvious? No need to waste time with pointless questions.”
Zhuge Hyeonmong retorted somewhat irritably.
He usually treated those in power with respect, but it seemed pointless with Gal Sa-ryang.
“Then do you know what I’m going to ask you to do?”
“It seems to be one of two things.”
“Which are?”
“Either you want me to convince the group to throw off the pursuit, or you want me to solve something with my abilities, correct?”
He was correct.
Seeing that he had precisely identified one of the two options, Gal Sa-ryang nodded inwardly.
“That’s right. I don’t like wasting time, so I’ll get straight to the point. If you accept my proposal, I’ll spare your life.”
“You’re not planning to cripple me and then claim you spared my life, are you? Please be clear about this.”
“……”
After a moment, Zhuge Hyeonmong reached an agreement with Gal Sa-ryang.
In exchange for solving whatever request he had, Gal Sa-ryang would spare his life and refrain from any unnecessary harm.
Of course, he didn’t trust the bastard to keep his word.
‘He’s probably going to kill me.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong wasn’t naive enough to think that a Demonic Cultivator, of all people, would faithfully keep his word.
The only reason he went along with it was because he calculated that Gal Sa-ryang wouldn’t lay a hand on him until the request was fulfilled.
“So, tell me.”
“Use that smart head of yours to figure it out.”
“I am a Zhuge, not a shaman.”
It was a valid point.
It was clearly a valid point, but for some reason, it made him angry.
‘Just earlier you were flapping your gums before I even asked…!’
Suddenly, Gal Sa-ryang recalled Jianghu’s adage, never argue with a Zhuge.
It’s better to just punch them rather than wasting time arguing and ending up coughing up blood from sheer frustration.
Gal Sa-ryang struggled to force down his rising anger and said.
“Your task is to dismantle a Formation.”
“A Formation, you say?”
“Yes. This is Ghost Well Valley’s inner depths where a different Formation from the one at the entrance is laid out. I’ve tried to break through it a few times while staying here, but I’ve failed. You might be able to do it.”
“A different Formation? What kind of Formation?”
Zhuge Hyeonmong’s eyes lit up.
He had expected that there wouldn’t be just one kind of Formation.
But to hear there was another kind too—despite knowing it wasn’t appropriate for the situation, he couldn’t help but be interested.
“What does it do? What phenomena occur? How wide is its range? Tell me in detail!”
Gal Sa-ryang looked at Zhuge Hyeonmong with a look that said ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’
“…It’s a Formation that shows illusions when you enter. That’s all I know. I didn’t go in too deep because it was dangerous. Even my poisonous creatures couldn’t map it properly. This cave is merely at the edge.”
“Did you find any books or texts related to the Formation? There must be one within the vicinity.”
“Are there any books or documents related to it? Surely there must be some clues.”
“There are, but…”
A little taken aback by the unexpected reaction, Gal Sa-ryang hesitated a little, uncharacteristic of himself, and said.
“I left them behind.”
“……”
The enthusiasm in Zhuge Hyeonmong’s eyes cooled to an icy gaze.
Gal Sa-ryang, who was stung by the gaze that looked at him as if he were looking at a fool, snapped.
“When would I have had time to pack that? If you hadn’t come so quickly, I would have packed everything! So can you do it or not? If not, I’ll kill you!”
“I can’t tell you without seeing it. Why are you so impatient?”
Gal Sa-ryang felt his blood pressure rising at Zhuge Hyeonmong’s response.
‘I really want to kill him.’
He desperately wanted to wipe that smug look off Zhuge Hyeonmong’s face.
As he struggled to suppress his killing intent, Zhuge Hyeonmong got up from his seat.
“Let’s move now… ugh.”
Zhuge Hyeonmong tried to stand but his legs gave way, and he sat back down.
Gal Sa-ryang looked at him with contemptuous eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“My legs won’t work. Do you have a cane or something I can lean on?”
“This is ridiculous. Are you really a man?”
“I’m just a scholar who never learned martial arts.”
Feeling like he’d die of frustration if he kept talking, Gal Sa-ryang went outside for a moment and brought back a wooden stick that could serve as a cane.
‘If he says he can’t do it after I’ve gone this far, I’ll really kill him.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong stood up using the cane.
“Lead the way.”
‘How persistent.’
Despite the pathetic display, Gal Sa-ryang remained vigilant.
Zhuge Hyeonmong slowly walked out of the cave, leaning on the cane.
And then he could see it.
The bizarre illusion that appeared as soon as he stepped out of the cave.
“…This is Ghost Well Valley?”
A sheer cliff that would make anyone’s spirit falter.
Zhuge Hyeonmong immediately understood why Gal Sa-ryang hadn’t been able to break through this Formation.
Walking across what looked like a bottomless abyss itself was already a daunting endeavor even if you knew it was an illusion.
Gal Sa-ryang bluntly spat out, “Yes. This is what the Ghost Well Valley looks like from above. It’s probably some kind of Formation that distorts visual perception. So, can you do it or not?”
Killing intent subtly oozed from him as he spoke.
If he heard that he couldn’t do it, he would kill him immediately.
Although he was willing to give a little time…
“Ah, I’ve got it. Follow me.”
“What? Wait!”
As Zhuge Hyeonmong calmly stepped out into what appeared to be empty space, Gal Sa-ryang tried to stop him but found himself at a loss for words.
He stepped into what clearly looked like empty space with absolute confidence—he knew better than anyone that this wasn’t as easy as it sounded.
What looked like empty space might truly be nothing, or there might be rocks or traps. It was like walking forward with your eyes closed despite having them open, yet Zhuge Hyeonmong showed no hesitation.
It was proof that he had grasped the essence of the Formation.
‘How long did it take him?’
Even Gal Sa-ryang, who didn’t know much about Formation, could understand that this sort of thing wasn’t something easily done..
‘Just what is this guy?’