Chapter 297: Zhuge Jinseon. (2)

This bastard.

Or should I say, bitch?

Anyway. I don’t really know much about this person.

Zhuge Jihee.

That was the name of this punk I knew.

The woman with the Zhuge surname.

Had noticeable freckles on her face.

And gave off the impression of having narrow, slit-like eyes.

What was actually more important than her appearance.

Was the fact that she was a person bearing the Zhuge surname.

In the past, the Zhuge family, known as one of the Five Great Families and a pillar of the Central Plains.

One day, not by anyone else, but by the hands of the Murim Alliance, they were annihilated.

The reason recorded by the Murim Alliance for the Zhuge family’s annihilation.

Was treason and the seeds of a bloodbath.

If you were to ask what kind of treason and bloodbath the Zhuge family, a prestigious house, was preparing.

You could understand by thinking of their other moniker.

‘Descendants of the Blood Demon.’

People called the Zhuge family the Descendants of the Blood Demon.

Although the Blood Demon, according to records, left no blood relatives or descendants.

The reason they were called descendants was none other than.

Chasing the Blood Demon’s achievements.

Based on the path he walked.

The Zhuge family was secretly plotting treason.

It is said that the Zhuge family was annihilated due to the Murim Alliance’s swift suppression upon discovering this, but.

Chasing the Blood Demon’s legacy…

Honestly, I can’t understand it.

A place that was a prestigious family of the righteous sects.

How could they have made such a choice?

Frankly, I never even had the interest, let alone understanding.

Anyway.

As a result, the true blood relatives, the roots of the Zhuge family, were executed by decapitation.

And now, most of those bearing the Zhuge surname are the few surviving remnants of the collateral branches.

Even they mostly live hiding their surname.

Or live having forgotten their own surname.

Even among those I know with the Zhuge surname.

There were only Zhuge Hyuk and Zhuge Jihee.

Of course.

If Zhuge Hyuk is truly Shinui’s biological grandson.

There’s a chance Shinui also has the Zhuge surname, but.

That’s not a very important story, so I never thought deeply about it.

What’s important is.

What position her existence would hold in the future.

Zhuge Jihee.

The words she shouted upon appearing before the world.

Were that she would clear the Zhuge family’s name and reclaim their lost reputation and honor.

Isn’t it laughable?

The descendant of a family accused of plotting treason and trying to cause a bloodbath.

Claiming they would regain their reputation and honor.

According to her claims.

The record stating the Zhuge family plotted treason using the Blood Demon’s power and legacy was false.

There was no way the Murim Alliance would admit to this.

Admitting that would mean.

The Murim Alliance admitting it happened due to their own mistake.

There was no way those bastards would do that.

In fact, even if, hypothetically, Zhuge Jihee’s words were true.

And they truly made no mistakes or errors.

The current Murim Alliance would not admit it.

Those guys are predictable.

The one who sided with Zhuge Jihee amidst all this.

Was none other than the Meteor Sword, Jang Seonyeon.

He didn’t step forward claiming Zhuge Jihee was right, but.

He requested that they trust in Zhuge Jihee’s abilities and strength.

She also showed her intention to prove her strength.

And help the Zhuge family rise again.

Whether the Meteor Sword’s influence worked.

Or if the Murim Alliance’s higher-ups accepted this, I don’t know.

But the Murim Alliance accepted Zhuge Jihee.

And the position they gave her.

Was none other than Strategist.

Of course, that doesn’t mean she was good at her job as a strategist.

Unfortunately.

It was the era of the Bloodbath.

Her opponent, appointed as the Murim Alliance’s strategist.

Was none other than Zhuge Hyuk.

The brain of the Demonic Cult.

And the genius called the Heavenly Demon’s head.

When he was surrounded alone by three peak martial artists.

With the body of an ordinary person possessing no internal energy, he evaded the pursuit of the three peak martial artists.

Using the terrain and the situation.

The anecdote of him ultimately killing all three with his own hands.

Was a very famous story in the Central Plains.

Against such an opponent, Zhuge Jihee.

Was not a particularly outstanding strategist.

To deal with Zhuge Hyuk.

One would need someone at least on the level of Moyong Hi-ah, they say.

But Moyong Hi-ah was already dead at the time, so.

She wasn’t suitable as an example.

And.

It wasn’t that Zhuge Jihee’s abilities as a strategist were low.

Her inherent strength wasn’t unhelpful.

Furthermore.

In the end, she even achieved one feat.

Zhuge Hyuk’s death.

That was accomplished by Zhuge Jihee’s own hands.

From that point on, the direction of the war against the Demonic Cult.

Began to change little by little.

“What the hell are you?”

But.

Is this bastard really that Zhuge Jihee?

If this is the Zhuge Jihee I was looking for.

‘Why is she in such a state?’

Why does she look like this?

No matter how I looked, her appearance wasn’t that of a woman.

‘Is she cross-dressing?’

I wasn’t sure.

Even though the lines of her body were fine.

They lacked the curves to definitively say she was a woman’s body.

‘…The probability of the future Zhuge Jihee cross-dressing?’

That seemed more likely. Though I wondered why she’d engage in such perverted behavior.

Her current appearance suggested it was possible.

‘Her appearance.’

She has freckles, and her eyes are narrow.

Not much different from how I remember her.

Grip-

“Grk…!”

Her age seemed around, or just past, the age of young adulthood.

Her voice was a thin, high-pitched tone, but.

It definitely had a masculine quality.

“Hey.”

“Pl-please… sst….”

“What’s your name.”

“Gak… gak….”

Maybe it’s because I’m squeezing too tight.

Since she couldn’t speak, I loosened my grip slightly.

“Haa…!”

“Name.”

“J-Jinseon.”

“With your surname.”

“…”

When I told her to add her surname, she couldn’t answer.

I had no intention of waiting.

“I’ll give you three seconds. If you don’t answer, I’ll break your arm first.”

Grip-

“Grk.”

“O-one.”

“Y-you said three seconds, why start with one…! I’ll answer!”

Only after hearing the hasty reply did I loosen my grip.

“Speak.”

“Cheol, Cheol Jinseon.”

Cheol surname.

‘A lie.’

Seeing as the name is also Jinseon, I don’t know if that part is true or not.

But at least the surname is likely false.

I figured she’d naturally be using a pseudonym, but.

“What business do you have with me?”

I need to find out what I need to know.

“Th-that…. I needed the sash…”

She found me collapsed and exhausted.

It seems she was thinking of slyly stealing it.

“Hmm….”

Checking her level.

I’d guess around second-rate. Her movements and the aura I felt suggested so.

How did such a punk even pass?

‘This might not be all of it.’

Hiding one’s strength is entirely possible.

Just like what I’m doing right now.

Although it’s all been exposed now…

Damn it.

“Hey.”

“P-please spare me just this once…! I won’t even stare at your face while you sleep from now on…!”

She’s acting quite pathetic.

Could this punk really be Zhuge Jihee?

It might be an act, so I can’t act rashly, but.

“Hey, do you have an older sister?”

I had to consider other possibilities.

“Huh…?”

“Or perhaps a younger sister.”

“…”

I have to ask what I need to ask.

At my words, her expression changes.

It wasn’t quite the look of being caught.

More like disgust.

What is that expression?

“That…. Why are you asking…”

“One…”

“N-no!”

Only after hearing that did I release the hand gripping her.

“Gak… gak….”

Only then did she collapse on the floor, coughing dryly.

Watching her, I thought.

‘That was a lie too.’

The subtle difference when she denied it.

Judging by the slight disturbance in her breathing and the feel of her energy.

That answer was a lie.

Whether she really has a sister or not, I don’t know and it doesn’t matter.

What’s important is.

‘That she’s someone hiding something.’

That’s enough.

If she has a secret, whether this punk is Zhuge Jihee or not.

It increases the probability that she’s someone related to her.

‘The timing for entry must be now.’

Since she was a peer of Jang Seonyeon.

It should be now.

Did something go wrong?

That’s possible.

I don’t remember the exact timing.

Especially since it was around the time my damn meddling caused a chaotic butterfly effect.

This might have changed too.

‘But, I still don’t know for sure.’

I examined the person lying down.

No matter how I looked, she seemed frail; I wondered how she even made it to the third trial.

‘Should I turn him into a demon?’

As soon as I thought of it, my dantian stirred.

As if it had been waiting.

Honestly, that’s the easiest method.

But I had to forcibly suppress the stirring demonic energy.

‘…Not yet.’

Still, it’s probably right to hold back for now.

Moreover, I’m currently suffering from internal injuries and bruises, making it difficult to corrupt someone.

If I went that far.

I might have to lie dead for several days.

Then.

What about other methods?

‘Of course, there is. There’s no way there isn’t.’

There was one very simple method left.

“Friend.”

“Y-yes? Fri…yes?”

I called out as gently as possible, meeting her eyes.

I even deliberately knelt on one knee.

As our eyes met, I gave a bright smile.

She flinched and trembled.

It was different from my original plan.

I don’t know what kind of person she is, but.

Then.

It’s enough to find out.

“Shall we be friends?”

I can just keep her close and find out, right?

I was planning to approach her if I saw her anyway.

Since something like a clue came to me on its own.

I couldn’t let her go.

The problem was, in response to my suggestion that we be friends.

She suddenly started crying.

“…Gg…ggup…”

She whimpered as if trying to hold back tears, but.

It seemed the tears, once burst, couldn’t be stopped.

‘…No, why the hell is she suddenly crying?’

I just suggested we be friends.

Why is she crying so sorrowfully?

It’s making me feel bad.

I said to the crying Cheol Jinseon.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“N-no… sob… no.”

“You really are crying, you little brat. Don’t you want to be friends with me?”

“Yes. No, I mean no! I want to…!”

“Right, that’s better. Let’s get along well, okay?”

“Yes… yes.”

“Let’s be good friends, okay? You owe me one, remember.”

“If… if that’s the case.”

Using the fact that she tried to steal the sash earlier as leverage.

The self-proclaimed Cheol Jinseon tremblingly took out the sash from her clothes.

“I-I’ll give you this, so…”

“Ah. Friend.”

I grabbed the sash she was trying to give me and forcibly pushed it back into her clothes.

“Friends don’t take things like this. Do I look like someone who just snatches things?”

“…”

“Answer.”

“Ah, no!”

To the diligent reply.

I nodded with satisfaction.

It was like.

I had gained a good friend… no, a good person.

I’m lucky.

Really.