NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19 - Episode 5: Three Visits (3)
Chapter 19 – Episode 5: Three Visits (3)
Zhuge Hyeonmong finally cracked the secret of the incense burner. The key to use the burner was to mimic the celestial movements.
The burner drew in and condensed mana, releasing it as fragrant smoke that mirrored the celestial movements.
And if the burner replicated the celestial movements, then the incense sticks obviously represented the stars.
‘Good.’
But even with this realization, the remaining work was far from easy.
Each stick had to be placed at the precise spot, with the correct depth. Depending on the location, the stick’s thickness had to be adjusted to control the burn intensity.
On top of that, powering this incense burner expended a great deal of his mana.
But Zhuge Hyeonmong eventually succeeded.
Seven sticks of incense were inserted into the burner.
That is the Big Dipper.
Heavenly Pivot, Heavenly Swivel, Heavenly Balance, Heavenly Ruler, Jade Sighting-glass, Opener of Brightness, Gleaming Splendor.
The moment he put the incense sticks into the right spots.
“Hmm!?”
Zhuge Hyeonmong felt a sudden drain on his mana, and the incense burner that absorbed it began to emit auspicious energy.
If the mana before had been colorless and transparent, this new energy was a vibrant, clear blue, radiating a dense aura.
‘I see. This is meant to enhance the surrounding environment.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong understood immediately upon feeling the energy.
The world Allen lived in from his dream was swimming in mana. The same magic spells had greater effectiveness and consumed less energy there.
But here, in the Central Plain, the concentration of mana was much weaker.
“This is not to say that mana was so scarce magic couldn’t be used, but rather that Allen’s world was excessively rich in mana.
‘Let’s see.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong created a small magic bullet with his wand and casually flicked it off.
Bang!
The magic bullet shot out like a lightning bolt and cracked the wall upon impact. It left a small crater, about half a finger deep, before dissipating.
Without the enhanced environment created by the burner, it would have barely left a scratch.
With this, he could conduct much more in-depth magical research than before. And maybe, he could cast even spells that normally required more than two Rings.
At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Zhuge Hyeonmong’s mind.
‘Wait a minute, exponential increase in mana!?’
With an ominous feeling, Zhuge Hyeonmong flung open the door and surveyed his surroundings.
And he was at a loss for words.
The Bewildering Maze Formation was going berserk.
It was covered in thick fog, blanketing the entire surrounding area.
“…Sigh.”
Luckily, it was late at night and no one was passing by, but it was clear that fixing the Formation would take a long time.
The good thing was, sorting it out wouldn’t actually be that hard.
It’s just a minor mistake.
‘It should take about a day if nothing else happens.’
Surely nothing unusual would happen in the meantime.
Zhuge Hyeonmong thought optimistically.
* * *
The next day.
Zhuge Jun came downstairs looking somewhat tired.
Noticing his tired appearance, the other successors showed concern.
“Jun. You look tired today. Did that thing yesterday not get sorted out?”
When Peng Ak, who was eating with a huge sword leaned against the table, asked, Zhuge Jun weakly nodded.
“I couldn’t meet him.”
“Couldn’t meet him? Was he away?”
Zhuge Jun shook his head.
“No, he wasn’t away. It’s just that my ability was insufficient to meet him. I failed to solve his test.”
Everyone’s attention snapped to him in an instant.
‘Problem? Zhuge Jun? Failed?’
Zhuge Jun was renowned among the aspiring successors for his relentless pursuit of truths. He was the type to obsess over a problem and forgo eating or sleeping until he solved it.
Peng Ak now understood why Zhuge Jun was staggering a bit.
He hadn’t slept properly last night.
“Are you okay? At least have some food.”
“No, I’m fine. I have no appetite.”
“That’s rare.”
Even Sima Lin, who was not particularly fond of the Zhuge Family, said so.
It was rare for Zhuge Jun to be like this even after years of knowing each other.
“Just what kind of problem is it, to get you this worked up?”
“…”
Zhuge Jun remained silent.
Not that he didn’t hear, he was just flat-out ignoring them.
This was just another one of Zhuge Jun’s bad habits.
He couldn’t stand anyone else trying to solve a problem he was stuck on.
‘If not for this stubborn streak, he’d be downright admirable.’
While thinking this, Peng Ak suddenly became curious.
The gathering of the new generation of successors in Sichuan was nice and all, but once you were done catching up, there wasn’t much to do.
And others were feeling the same.
“Seeing how much Young Master Zhuge is troubled, I’m curious too.”
Sima Lin’s lips curled into a sly smile.
“How about this, everyone? Let’s all try to solve this problem. Whoever succeeds will receive a reward from me. As for the reward, I happen to have a Clear Spirit Pill with me.”
“A genuine Clear Spirit Pill?”
Even the guys who weren’t paying attention before perked up at that.
While the Sima Family’s Clear Spirit Pill wasn’t an elixir comparable to the Shaolin Temple’s legendary Great Revitalizing Pill that was said to be able to heal any injuries as long as the recipient was not dead, it was still a precious pill.
While the Sima Noble Family is renowned for many things, including their wealth and historical figures, they are primarily known as a medical family within the Jianghu.
The pills they made for health preservation were known to be packed with rare ingredients that boosted your health and sharpened your mind.
“Yes, that’s right. I… cough, cough.”
Sima Lin suddenly broke into a coughing fit and her bodyguard, Seo Ryeonhwa quickly supported her.
“Young Lady.”
“Ah, I’m fine. I apologize for the interruption. As you can see, I’m not well.”
“Given your condition, Lady Sima, would it not be more beneficial for you to take it yourself?”
“It doesn’t have much effect on me.”
Sima Lin gave a bitter smile.
Despite her cheerful appearance, she secretly loathed her weak constitution.
“But it’ll benefit the rest of you. What do you say?”
“If that’s the case…”
Some of the successors showed interest.
“But what if no one can solve it?”
“That won’t happen. We have Zhuge Jun, and I can even participate tomorrow if that’s not enough. Surely with so many talented minds present, we can find a solution. But, fine. If no one solves it by tomorrow…”
Sima Lin smiled.
“I’ll acknowledge that this so-called rumor of the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang holds truth and gift him the pill myself.”
Her words ignited a competitive spirit among the group.
This gathering was a place for the young successors from different families and sects to bond, but pretending there was no rivalry between them would be a straight-up lie.
As the successors began to rise one after another, Peng Ak looked at Zhuge Jun.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“It’s fine. A problem I couldn’t solve won’t be that easily unraveled by others.”
‘What a guy.’
Peng Ak rose from his seat.
Since Zhuge Jun won’t join, he might as well go with the others.
* * *
“You rascal.”
Smack!
“It hurts, Auntie Jung.”
“I don’t know what it is, but this is your doing, isn’t it?”
“It’s a misunderstanding! How could a frail and pale-faced scholar like me have such an ability?”
Zhuge Hyeonmong tried his best to make excuses.
His naturally trustworthy face often helped him get away with things, or so it usually did.
“Misunderstanding my foot! Your father was the same. He’d cause trouble and then put on that innocent face.”
Of course, it didn’t work with Auntie Jung, who had been childhood friends with his father.
‘Father, what on earth did you do!’
Zhuge Hyeonmong lamented.
Getting hit for his father’s karma was seriously unfair. If it wasn’t for his father’s past, he could’ve totally fooled Auntie Jung.
“It’s because you’re still single that you are this strange. Speaking of which, there’s this nice girl I know, how about it? She says she likes you quite a bit.”
“Don’t you feel guilty for saying that Auntie Jung?”
Auntie Jung was dumbfounded.
“I’m saying it because it’s true, why would I lie?”
“I can’t trust that. My father taught me to only believe of half what you say.”
Auntie Jung felt like she was about to explode.
How can a father and son be so infuriating?
She wondered if the heavens had sent them specifically to test her patience.
Auntie Jung suddenly thought it made sense.
But she held back her anger as they had finally arrived at her house.
“Here we are. Try not to get lost in your own neighborhood again, Auntie Jung.”
She didn’t reply as she knew that arguing with him was pointless. Fortunately, she knew a better solution.
Whack!
She cheerfully imprinted a hand-shaped mark on Zhuge Hyeonmong’s back to shut him up.
After seeing Auntie Jung off, Zhuge Hyeonmong sighed.
‘Alright, should be fixed now, right?’
Thankfully, the Formation’s anomaly hadn’t affected too many people.
Even those who were caught in it had simply wandered around a bit before finding their way.
Now that they’d figured out the paths, nobody should get lost anymore, probably.
‘Still, maybe I should go around and check, just in case.’
He thought so but inwardly doubted if there would be such an incident.
This was just a tiny and remote village, what reason would anyone have to come here?
And that’s when he saw her. A woman who clearly didn’t belong in this village.
“…”
As someone born and raised in this village, Zhuge Hyeonmong had never seen this woman before. But as a native of Sichuan, he immediately knew who she was based on her attire.
Deep green robe with a unique pattern that only a direct descendant of the Sichuan Tang Family could wear.
And as soon as they met, her eyes locked onto him like a hawk staring at its prey.
Zhuge Hyeonmong took one step to the side.
The woman shifted her gaze.
He took another step.
She shifted again.
‘Let’s just turn around and be done with this.’
Zhuge Hyeonmong thought so, but the woman was faster.
“Wait.”
“What is it?”
“Are you from this village?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Perfect. Do you know where I can find someone called the Reincarnation of Zhuge Liang around here?”
He’d never heard that moniker before, but Zhuge Hyeonmong was no fool. He instantly knew who she was referring to.
‘This is going to be a big problem.’
He’d been aware of the whispers and stares, but he hadn’t realized they’d given him a nickname. A ridiculous one at that.
Though his mind flashed here and there, his expression didn’t change a bit.
“Never heard that name before.”
Of course, he wasn’t lying.
It really was the first time he’d heard that title.