NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17 - Episode 5: Three Visits (1)
Chapter 17 – Episode 5: Three Visits (1)
“Yes, Young Lady.”
At the guard’s words, Sima Lin fell into deep thought.
“They’re actually operating under that name? I thought that group was nothing but bandits now?”
The Iron Flame Gang had a terrible reputation.
In truth, the Sima family hadn’t done much to influence this. They had merely created a few situations and given slight pushes.
Their bad reputation was largely their own doing.
That’s why it was even more puzzling.
The very fact that the Iron Flame Gang is aiming for a resurgence like this.
“The Golden Fortune Bank has reportedly invested a considerable sum. And the local government is turning a blind eye in exchange for money. Plus, the local government is turning a blind eye in exchange for money. Plus, their reputation isn’t all that bad.”
“Why is that?”
“They’ve been building roads while eliminating local bandit groups. The Great Dragon Escort Agency first opened the paths and established escort routes. I hear there’s increased commercial activities happening in several counties. Even local residents are using these roads now.”
“They’re doing better than I expected.”
Sima Lin nodded.
That explained the sudden shift in public opinion.
‘But that’s just looking at the results.’
It sounded simple, but in reality, there were necessary conditions for doing such feats.
First, the Iron Flame Gang, which was no different from a bandit group, needed to be brought under control.
Second, the Golden Fortune Bank—who valued money above all else—had to invest in such a gang.
And lastly, the Great Dragon Escort Agency had to mediate between the two.
The problem was, getting those three organizations to cooperate with each other wasn’t as simple as it sounded.
Could you imagine a banking house investing in bandits, and those bandits are supported by an escort agency?
‘That’s absurd.’
Building such relationships of trust doesn’t happen without reason.
From this, Sima Lin made one deduction.
“There must be someone behind this.”
And Sima Lin knew well the intelligence capabilities of the Sima Noble Family.
Seo Ryeonhwa, her guard and capable subordinate, wasn’t the type to come just to report on a situation with no answers.
“There’s a man who’s being called the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.”
At those words…
“Zhuge Liang?”
Sima Lin’s eyebrows twitched.
Seo Ryeonhwa knew from that reaction that these words had soured her young lady’s mood. That was why she had put this report last.
“Surely you don’t mean that Marquis of Wu, right?”
“I regret to say that it is indeed that Zhuge Liang, Young Lady.”
“Hmm.”
Sama Lin scoffed, lightly twisting the fan in her hand.
“Now that’s interesting. Zhuge Liang, you say? People do love Zhuge Liang, don’t they? In my opinion, he was just a pitiful man who accomplished nothing and worked like a mule until his final years.”
“Is that so?”
“After all, it was the Great Founder who actually achieved victory. It’s quite unfortunate. The victor is forgotten, while the loser is still talked about.”
(TL Note: As in Emperor Xuan of Jin, Sima Yi. His posthumous and temple name is Gaozu. Not to be confused with Emperor Gaozu of Han or Emperor Gaozu of Tang.)
‘But the Great Founder isn’t exactly popular…’
Seo Ryeonhwa had such thoughts but kept them to herself.
In truth, it wasn’t just Sima Lin’s problem. The people of the Sima family had a bad habit of having to look down on anything involving the Zhuge family, their eyes practically rolling back in their heads whenever the surname Zhuge was brought up.
“So! Who is this man? What connection does he have with the Zhuge Family?”
“None at all.”
“?”
“He just shares the surname. His ancestors were distantly related to the Zhuge Family, but that was generations ago.”
“…So he’s not some hidden talent they nurtured?”
“There’s barely any interaction, and I hear he was poor since childhood. He’s a native of Sichuan.”
“Well, now.”
With those words, Sima Lin’s hostility deflated.
No matter how negative her feelings toward the Zhuge Family were, it would be strange to maintain antagonism toward someone who wasn’t even a distant relative.
As she pondered this, Sima Lin suddenly smiled.
“Heh.”
“What is it?”
“I just had an interesting thought. Would you like to know?”
‘No.’
Seo Ryeonhwa was a composed person, so she knew how to distinguish between her inner voice and what she should actually say out loud.
“Yes, I’m curious.”
“Aren’t you wondering how the Zhuge Family would react if they heard someone being called the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang?”
That man was the reason why this so-called Green Forest Road Alliance was thriving. And the Zhuge Family, being the noble family they are, wouldn’t ignore such a provocative title. It’s not a matter of their pride, but their ancestor’s name.
They might even accuse him of treason.
And if that led to a clash between the Zhuge Family and the Green Forest Road Alliance?
Seo Ryeonhwa guessed Sima Lin’s thoughts and internally clicked her tongue.
‘How can she come up with such a crafty and malicious scheme in such a short time?’
Isn’t this why the reason Sima Yi is less popular than Zhuge Liang?
Seo Ryeonhwa kept such thoughts to herself
* * *
Zhuge Hyeonmong’s eyes gleamed.
‘Finally.’
He’d been busy lately, mostly with the Green Forest Road Alliance.
He had to pay considerable attention to coordinating various matters between the Iron Flame Gang, the Great Dragon Escort Agency, and the Golden Fortune Bank. It’s a matter of course that he was the one handling it since the only one who could harmonize these three organizations with their different natures is only himself.
But now, the Green Forest Road Alliance was somewhat on track.
And three months later, Zhuge Hyeonmong was finally able to receive the item he wanted.
“What the heck is this thing? I made it as you asked, but what are you even gonna use it for?”
Ma Jin-gwang handed over pieces of an incense burner to Zhuge Hyeonmong, not bothering to hide his weary expression.
The reason it took three months was simple. It wasn’t an easy task. Zhuge Hyeonmong was relentless, demanding revisions until the materials and craftsmanship met his standards.
It was to the point where Ma Jin-gwang started questioning his own image.
‘Maybe I’m not as scary as I think. Maybe I have a pushover face?’
That’s how persistent and tenacious Zhuge Hyeonmong was.
After finally obtaining the object of his obsession, he immediately requested an extended leave from the Great Dragon Security Agency.
By the time a third of that leave had passed, he completed the incense burner.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary incense burner. Most people would probably use it as such.
But what Zhuge Hyeonmong sensed was somewhat different.
‘There’s something off about it.’
Despite merely swapping internal components and reassembling them, the burner now churned mana into strange vortices.
Like a whirlpool, mana was being sucked into the burner.
And the mana that flowed through created peculiar waves.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
‘This won’t connect.’
Mana is like a medium that can carry information.
If it didn’t contain the right information, no matter how much or how good the quality, it wouldn’t cause any phenomenon.
Similarly, the mana flow that the incense burner was generating now was also meaningless.
Zhuge Hyeonmong tried to intervene in the flow of mana by waving his wand but achieved no particular results.
‘It’s like trying to change the flow by stirring flowing water.’
However, there had to be a way to interact with it.
Since it was in the form of sacrificial offerings, maybe there was a specific order for it to be used properly.
Perhaps a sequence tied to the artifact’s form? Written records? Oral traditions passed down like secret arts? Or a trial left by ancestors for descendants?
Before he knew it, a smile was forming on his lips.
‘This is interesting.’
Few things in his life had aroused such a desire to challenge.
It wasn’t like there was no way to solve it at all, with enough time, he could crack it.
Zhuge Hyeonmong waved his wand.
Then, a bundle of incense sticks in the corner came undone, and they flew over one by one in succession.
If a martial artist had been present, they would have been astonished, calling it Void Hand or Sword Telekinesis. In fact, it was merely a basic spell of telekinetic magic that could be done even with just 1st Ring.
However, using that telekinetic magic to carefully undo the tied bundle and bring over the fragile incense sticks without a single scratch was an entirely different matter.
But Zhuge Hyeonmong now could do that much without much effort. It had already been about three months since he had learned magic.
‘Good thing I prepared in advance.’
He couldn’t risk exposing his magic.
There were stories of sorcerers or people wielding supernatural powers, but they never had a good reputation. Nor were their ending.
When he was young, he sometimes saw fortune tellers and fake Taoist priests causing commotions while smearing pig’s blood, and they certainly didn’t have good reputations.
A gentleman should avoid unnecessary trouble.
That’s why even before requesting leave, Zhuge Hyeonmong had carefully set up the Bewildering Maze Formation around his house.
It wasn’t just the usual Bewildering Maze Formation. It was one that Zhuge Hyeonmong had further refined and developed.
It wouldn’t break easily, required minimal maintenance, and could exist indefinitely as long as Zhuge Hyeonmong maintained the core components pristine. Not only that he added a function to not only make people get lost but also to eject them out of the Formation if they didn’t enter through the Life Gate.
For reference, after installing this Formation, no one suddenly came to his house uninvited, which greatly satisfied Zhuge Hyeonmong.
“Finally, some peace for my research.’
Thinking that, Zhuge Hyeonmong stuck an incense stick into the incense burner.
* * *
Meanwhile, an elegant young man in refined clothing approached Zhuge Hyeonmong’s humble dwelling.
‘So this is the place. Where the one with that arrogant title resides.’
The young man recalled a conversation from a recent gathering.
“Young Master Zhuge Jun, there are rumors of a man in these parts being called the reincarnation of Lord Zhuge Liang… Are you aware of this?”