TZRMG 08

Chapter: 08

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Episode 8: Hall of Martial Learning (1)

The small clash at the Martial Training Grounds.

So many things had happened as soon as he arrived at the clan.

“Yes. I met my second elder brother.”

“I see. But why did you go to the training grounds?”

“I was curious. About the warriors of the Zhuge Clan…”

As Mu-yeon vaguely mentioned martial artists, Madam Jin gave a small nod.

In the Central Plains, martial artists were figures who inspired both admiration and fear.

“Weren’t you frightened?”

“It wasn’t so bad.”

For a brief moment, Madam Jin’s gaze deepened.

“It wasn’t so bad…”

Those simple words lingered in her heart for some reason.

From what she had heard, the Second Young Master had relentlessly berated him.

Not only that, he had even threatened the child with a wooden sword.

Had the captain of the Biyeon Unit not intervened, the boy would have suffered greatly.

“I’m relieved nothing serious happened. Still, from now on, be especially respectful not only to the elders of the clan but also to your older brothers.”

“I will remember that.”

Her concern was only natural.

The succession of the Zhuge Clan had already been firmly established.

The two sons born to the First Madam, Moyong Ryeon.

And then, suddenly, another boy acknowledged as a direct descendant had entered the picture.

Naturally, that would be unsettling.

Regardless of anyone’s intentions, his very existence had created ripples in the line of succession.

“There is still a great deal of discussion within the clan regarding your position.”

That was only to be expected.

Someone like him, who did not even inherit the clan’s bloodline, had entered not as a collateral relative but as a direct descendant.

He had been told long before arriving at the Zhuge Clan that things would turn out this way.

Even so, now that he was actually experiencing it, it was difficult even for him to accept.

Could there be someone besides the Black Underworld who wants Zhuge Sang dead?

There might be another ally who shared his objective.

After all, those lunatics had kidnapped Jin Mu-yeon to kill Zhuge Sang and spent seven years raising him for that very purpose.

No…

There isn’t anyone whose hands are stained with more blood than Zhuge Sang.

A military strategist of the Martial Alliance could take dozens, even hundreds of lives with nothing more than a brush.

If one gathered everyone throughout the Central Plains who held a grudge against him, they could probably establish an entire nation.

Or perhaps…

This entire affair was the work of the Black Underworld.

At that moment, Madam Jin’s face entered his view.

Another survivor of the Jin Clan.

She had once been Jin Mu-yeon’s aunt by blood, and now she had become his adoptive mother.

I saw her briefly back at the Jin Clan before she married into the Zhuge Clan.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind.

Was she truly seeing the eldest young master of the Jin Clan whenever she looked at him?

The grief of losing her family.

The longing she still held for them.

Did she realize that those emotions had become the dark shadow hanging over the Zhuge Clan?

Madam Jin’s pale, bloodless lips parted.

“From now on, I will protect you. So don’t worry about anything.”

He had heard her illness had grown severe.

Several renowned physicians from across the Central Plains had visited her.

Yet every one of them had reached the same conclusion.

She did not have much longer to live.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

“It’s only natural…”

Even then, she said nothing about the rumor that he was an illegitimate child, a rumor that was gradually fading away.

She must have believed that mentioning it at all would only bring him harm.

Their brief conversation came to an end.

Supported by her maid, Madam Jin slowly walked away.

For some reason, that frail figure disappearing into the distance remained in his eyes long after she was gone.

That night.

Captain Zhuge Ho of the Biyeon Unit visited Chief Steward Heo’s office.

“My apologies for disturbing you so late.”

“Not at all, Captain.”

Before they had even finished pouring a cup of tea, the topic from several days ago surfaced once again.

“Have you heard the rumor?”

“You mean the one concerning the Clan Head?”

“Is it true?”

Chief Steward Heo let out a dry laugh.

If even Zhuge Ho had brought it up, the rumor must have spread quite far.

“How could that possibly be true?”

“I suppose not. My elder brother has never cared about anything except the affairs of the martial world.”

Zhuge Ho clicked his tongue.

Having spent his entire life beside Zhuge Sang, he knew better than anyone what kind of man he was.

If a marriage did not benefit the Zhuge Clan, he would never have married in the first place.

An affair was simply unimaginable.

Chief Steward Heo continued.

“The Clan Head is already aware of the rumor. However, he has issued no special orders.”

“You’re saying he won’t even investigate who started it?”

“Correct. He merely instructed me to ensure that ‘that matter’ does not become the subject of idle gossip among the household.”

“I see…”

Silence settled between them.

If the Clan Head had made such a decision, then he undoubtedly had his reasons.

Changing the subject, Zhuge Ho asked,

“Have you met the Third Young Master?”

Mu-yeon’s face from the Outer Hall several days earlier came to mind.

The child who had said he came to the Zhuge Clan simply to survive.

“Of course. I’ve met him several times. He’s remarkably mature for his age.”

“Has the child ever received martial training?”

“No. I confirmed that he has only barely learned the Three Basic Forms—just enough to hold a wooden sword.”

“I thought as much.”

Zhuge Ho nodded calmly.

As though it was exactly what he had expected.

“Why do you ask?”

“Well…”

He hesitated before speaking again in a low voice.

“You’ve heard what happened in the Outer Hall a few days ago.”

“Yes. Fortunately, I heard you stopped it in time.”

“To be more precise, the Second Young Master tried to stab the Third Young Master’s eye with a wooden sword.”

“…”

Chief Steward Heo slowly frowned.

“And yet that child never even flinched.”

“Perhaps he was simply frozen in fear?”

“That’s what I thought at first.”

But Zhuge Ho shook his head.

“After seeing him up close, I realized that wasn’t it. He didn’t even blink.”

“If anything…”

“He was smiling.”

“…”

A moment that could easily have left him blind.

Yet the Third Young Master had smiled.

That smile refused to leave Zhuge Ho’s mind.

Silence filled the room.

After a while, Chief Steward Heo exhaled softly.

“Children that age cannot conceal fear…”

“Exactly. That’s the problem.”

Zhuge Ho gazed out the window.

“If he truly knew nothing of martial arts, his body should have reacted first. He should have stepped backward or something similar.”

“…”

“At the very least, if he had been frightened, he should have looked away.”

Chief Steward Heo could not answer immediately.

He had reached the same conclusion himself.

“He is an extraordinary child.”

“Surely you’re not suggesting he’s hiding martial arts?”

“How could that be? If he were, neither I nor my elder brother would have failed to notice.”

Unlike himself, who had only recently stepped into the ranks of true experts, the Clan Head already stood among the Ten Greatest Masters of the Central Plains.

There was no way such a man could fail to perceive the depth of a mere ten-year-old child.

Chief Steward Heo stroked his chin.

“He is not a child who has lived an ordinary life. We are only beginning to understand him, so there is no need to rush.”

“I let my worries get the better of me. Forgive my careless words.”

“Not at all.”

For no apparent reason, Chief Steward Heo clasped his fingers together.

Whenever faced with something he could not explain, years of experience sounded the alarm before his mind could.

“In any case, please ensure that this matter does not spread outside the clan. Things are already far too chaotic these days.”

“I will.”

Another silence followed.

This time, Chief Steward Heo spoke first.

“The education of the younger generation begins soon, does it not?”

“It is scheduled to start next week.”

“What do you think about including that child as well?”

“So soon? He’s only ten. It would be better to let him adapt to life in the clan first.”

Chief Steward Heo lowered his voice.

“You never know. If he truly carries the blood of the Jin Clan, he may possess talents beyond our expectations.”

“…”

Zhuge Ho gave no reply.

He simply continued staring out the window.

An inexplicable sense of unease lingered in the room throughout the entire night.

Several days later.

Inside the Hall of Martial Learning, the educational institution belonging to the Hall of Martial Arts.

“Welcome. From today onward, I will be your instructor. My name is Jeok Un.”

The instructor had long reddish-brown hair flowing behind him.

His sharply raised eyes alone gave him an intimidating first impression.

As soon as he finished speaking, the gazes of more than a dozen boys focused on him.

They were the promising juniors who had only recently entered the Zhuge Clan.

Jeok Un’s eyes naturally settled on one child.

So that’s the Third Young Master who entered the direct line.

He was about an inch shorter than the others.

Although he had arrived early and quietly taken his seat, there was not the slightest sign of nervousness.

That calm demeanor felt strangely out of place.

Just as I heard… He’s unusually mature.

Looking away, he saw the bright, eager faces of the other children.

That was how children their age were supposed to look.

“From today onward, all of you are trainees of the Hall of Martial Learning. I assume you already know what this place is for?”

One child immediately shot his hand into the air.

“It is the place responsible for educating the Zhuge Clan and raising the future generation that will lead the martial world.”

“A clever answer. What is your name?”

“My name is Zhuge Jeong-gwon.”

He was one of the collateral descendants of the Zhuge Clan.

“Very good. This is where you will train in martial arts. Beginning today, you will grow into true members of the Zhuge Clan.”

The sound of nervous swallowing echoed throughout the room.

Anyone could see how tense the children were.

“As you already know, becoming a warrior of the Zhuge Clan is not easy. Therefore, do not give up. Continue striving until the very end.”

“Yes, Instructor!”

Satisfied by the thunderous response, Jeok Un nodded.

This group consisted not only of children from the Zhuge Clan but also of gifted youngsters recognized throughout the surrounding regions of Hubei Province.

Every one of them was considered a promising talent.

Still, one concern remained.

Will that child truly be able to keep up with the others?

Though he was said to be a survivor of the Jin Clan, he could hardly have received any proper education.

Yet somehow, he had been placed among the very children expected to lead the clan’s next generation.

It was impossible not to worry.

They should have left him in the Inner Hall for another few years before sending him here. What exactly was Captain Zhuge Ho thinking?

It almost felt as though someone had dumped the clan’s troublesome burden onto him.

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Clearing his throat, Jeok Un continued.

“Since today is your first day, I will first explain how your education will proceed.”

The Zhuge Clan’s educational system worked as follows.

Every child first entered the Hall of Martial Learning.

After receiving basic instruction there, their talents would be evaluated before they were assigned to the appropriate department.

Unlike other great clans, where children immediately specialized in martial arts or scholarly pursuits, the Zhuge Clan had adopted a system modeled after government administration.

“Those with exceptional intelligence may enter the Hall of Military Strategy or the Hall of Medicine. Those with skillful hands may also join the Formation Division.”

And then—

“If you are judged to possess talent in martial arts, you will join the Hall of Martial Arts and take up the sword.”

The moment he mentioned swords, the trainees’ eyes shone brighter than ever.

That was only natural.

A warrior of the Zhuge Clan was someone whose name echoed not only throughout Hubei Province but across the entire Central Plains.

“I hope each of you will continue polishing yourselves and become someone the Zhuge Clan truly needs.”

“Yes, Instructor!”

“Now then. Since it’s the first day, I will finish explaining each department before we begin cultivating your internal cultivation method.”

For the entire morning, the lessons focused on introducing the Zhuge Clan.

Only after lunch did they finally begin practicing an internal cultivation technique.

The Zhuge Clan’s foundational internal art—

The Heavenly Insight Tranquil Heart Art.

“Follow the breathing pattern according to the mnemonic I taught you.”

One by one, the trainees closed their eyes and regulated their breathing.

As Jeok Un casually swept his gaze across the room, it suddenly stopped.

On the Third Young Master.

His breathing was unnaturally quiet.

He showed no signs of merely imitating the others.

Nor did he display even the slightest hint of nervousness.

Then, a moment later—

Jeok Un’s mouth slowly fell open in astonishment.