NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 20 - Episode 5: Three Visits (4)
Chapter 20 – Episode 5: Three Visits (4)
Zhuge Hyeonmong’s nonchalant reply irritated the woman in green.
“Oh? So the rumors were nonsense, Hmph, I wouldn’t have come to this backwater place if not for that bet. Never mind. You, you’re a local, right? Do you know the way out?”
“Can’t you just go back the way you came?”
“That’s why I’m asking. I tried to climb the wall using my lightness skill and I still can’t get out.”
“Ah.”
He hadn’t really thought about that.
Walking normally posed no problem, but attempts to scale the walls would trigger the Formation’s effects.
“So, lead the way.”
The woman from the Tang Family was quite rude, but Zhuge Hyeonmong, playing the role of a simple villager, didn’t protest.
Zhuge Xianmeng just took the lead, and like magic, a path to the village outskirts appeared. The woman frowned as if she was displeased about something.
“What? How’d you find the way so fast? I was wandering around for like an hour or two!”
“The village is somewhat complicated.”
“Huh. Whatever, thanks.”
She tossed out a casual thanks and started to stride off, then stopped like she’d just remembered something.
“This is for guiding me.”
She pulled out a silver tael, broke it in half, and threw the smaller half at him.
Zhuge Hyeonmong found himself staring intently at her movement.
And then a thunderbolt-like realization struck him.
‘So that’s how it’s done.’
He perfectly perceived her hand movement and understood exactly how it worked.
The shard flew swiftly, then slowed at the last moment, its wider surface catching the wind, allowing it to fall gently.
Considering she was from the Sichuan Tang Family, this was likely a hidden weapon technique designed to maximize the dispersion area of a poisonous projectile.
‘This is worth studying.’
He had been looking for ways to enhance his mana bullet.
Incorporating this technique might amplify their lethality.
Lost in thought, he instinctively reached out a hand to where the silver tael’s shard was going to land and effortlessly caught it.
“Huh?”
The Tang Family woman’s eyes went wide.
Even with reduced force, the shard should have at least reached his chest before dropping, but he’d caught it before it even got there?
‘Was it a fluke?’
“Well, try not to get lost again. Farewell.”
“Wait a moment.”
By the time she tried to stop him, Zhuge Hyeonmong had already strolled back into the village.
She thought about chasing after him, but the memory of being lost for hours was still fresh in her mind. After a moment of hesitation, she finally turned and walked away.
Back within the Formation, Zhuge Hyeonmong sensed her departure and was about to sigh in relief before a piece of information flashed in his mind.
Combining the bits and pieces coming from the woman, he concluded something.
‘She mentioned a bet.’
A bet is not something done alone.
Meaning, more unwelcome guests could be on the way.
Zhuge Hyeonmong let out a deep sigh.
He needed to figure out what the hell was going on.
But he really didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
Of course, he couldn’t just leave people wandering around lost in his Formation either.
What would the Murim Alliance say if they came snooping around about some weird phenomenon?
‘All I want is peace and it caused all of this.’
Who knew a simple Formation to deter unwanted visitors would cause such chaos.
‘If someone comes, I’ll just have to find a way to send them off.’
Tomorrow’s Zhuge Hyeonmong would handle the matter.
‘So, how do I send them away.’
After thinking for a moment, Zhuge Hyeonmong came up with a good idea.
***
Peng Ak was starting to feel the limits of his patience.
‘This is literally a maze.’
The village itself was ordinary, but the cramped alleys between tightly packed houses seemed to shift whenever he turned a corner.
‘This method isn’t working either.’
After circling around a few times, Peng Ak spotted a small mark he had scratched on a wall and frowned.
Peng Ak wasn’t one for complex strategies.
If only this wasn’t an ordinary village, he would have simply drawn the great blade on his back and smashed everything in sight.
The problem right now is that he couldn’t even leave even if he wanted to.
Moreover, a thick fog had begun to settle.
Surprisingly, the atmosphere doesn’t feel unpleasant.
Strangely, the air around here felt clean and fresh. Like being deep in the woods.
“Mister, are you lost?”
“Want us to show you the way?”
Right then, a few kids popped up in front of Peng Ak.
They were ordinary children.
But with this weird atmosphere, they didn’t seem quite normal anymore.
“You guys are…?”
“We were asked to guide anyone lost in the village to the outside.”
“Guide me? By whom?”
“A handsome older brother.”
“He’s kind of unique.”
“…”
Peng Ak frowned.
“Alright, can you take me to this guy? I’ll buy you something tasty.”
The children looked at each other and then giggled.
“Told you he’d say that!”
“Yeah, seriously. Everyone who comes here says that.”
“Says what?”
“Big brother said, winning the bet with cheap tricks doesn’t really count as winning.”
“He said winning the bet through such tricks isn’t really winning.”
“Besides, we don’t even know where he is right now.”
“But he said if you really wanna meet him, come back tomorrow.”
“He will keep the path open then. If you’re lucky, you might meet him.”
The children’s innocent chatter sent a chill down Peng Ak’s spine.
‘It’s like he is seeing right through my mind.’
He hadn’t even met the man, yet he felt manipulated simply through these children.
Peng Ak clicked his tongue in amazement.
‘The Jianghu truly is full of eccentrics.’’
“Fine. I’ll return tomorrow. So I can meet him then, right?”
“We don’t know that either.”
“Just come and see.”
“…Alright.”
Peng Ak nodded and followed the children in a daze.
Watching Peng Ak leave, Zhuge Hyeonmong let out a sigh.
‘Well, that worked out smoothly.’
Using children to send people away was more effective than dealing with them directly.
Now that he checked the Formation, there was only one person left wandering around aimlessly.
‘I’ll have to handle this myself.’
The deeper one goes into the formation, the more lost they become.
Most people hadn’t gotten so deep that the kids couldn’t guide them out.
But there was one, way deeper in than anyone else.
Wearing a martial attire that looked like a scholar’s robe, with a face that was strangely a bit similar to his own.
He had a hunch.
‘A member of the Zhuge Family.’
But why would someone of the Zhuge Family seek him?
He couldn’t pinpoint their motive.
‘Is it really because of that stupid monicker? Or because I used a Zhuge Family book to recreate the Formation? Or because I made the Green Forest Road Alliance?’
There are too many possibilities and none of the reasons boded well.
Thanks to that, Zhuge Hyeonmong had no clue why this Zhuge Family guy was here.
‘In the end, I have to reveal myself.’
Since he was this deep in, Zhuge Jun wouldn’t be able to get out on his own.
The Formation wasn’t just a simple maze, the foundation of the technique itself was reinforced by Zhuge Hyeonmong using the techniques, theories, and spells he had learned in his dream.
Simply walking wouldn’t allow escape.
Of course, he could break out by unleashing martial arts and creating chaos, but he likely wouldn’t do that.
In any case, if he didn’t want to create friction with the Zhuge clan, he needed to find a way to send him out.
After taking a deep breath, Zhuge Hyeonmong revealed himself. Utilizing the fog, he masked his appearance.
“Are you perhaps lost?”
Zhuge Jun didn’t answer right away. He seemed to consider it for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh.
“Embarrassingly, yes. Would you happen to know the way out?”
“Of course.”
Without another word, Zhuge Hyeonmong turned to lead the way.
“By the way, there are a lot of outsiders today. Is something happening?”
“Oh, nothing special. Someone here claims to be the reincarnation of a figure. My curiosity led me to want to meet them. Do you know anything about that?”
“I’ve heard such a person exists. Truly a bold individual, to claim such a title.”
“Yes, I thought so at first.”
‘At first?’
Something seems odd about his words.
“But I’m starting to think he might be worthy of the title.”
“…”
Zhuge Hyeonmong was taken aback by Zhuge Jun’s burdensome statement.
The Formation was disorienting, but hardly impressive enough to warrant such admiration.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I believe this is a type of lost Formation from our family. I have a hobby of reading ancient texts, and I recall reading about an ancestor who protected our family with a similar formation. It was even used in military strategy in ancient times.”
‘Lost?’
That was an unexpected statement.
So it wasn’t discarded because it was useless; the Zhuge Family had simply lost it.
“That’s why I’m even more eager to meet him. I tried to visit him, but it seems impossible to meet him without his permission.”
“What do you wish to discuss with him?”
“I should tell him that in person tomorrow.”
“…”
Zhuge Hyeonmong stopped walking and pointed to the next alley
“If you take a right at that alley, you should be able to find your way out. The fog won’t be as thick tomorrow, so you might be able to meet him then.”
“Thank you. Then I shall formally visit tomorrow.”
“…”
Zhuge Hyeonmong turned to look at Zhuge Jun. If he couldn’t understand this much, he didn’t deserve the surname of Zhuge.
“You knew all along.”
“How could I not? However, it’s getting late, and I wouldn’t want to impose without prior notice. To meet an honorable person, isn’t the courtesy of three visits necessary?”
(TL Note: This is referring to the tale of Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei)
Zhuge Jun said this while cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, then turned to leave.
Watching him disappear, Zhuge Hyeonmong took a long breath and thought.
‘Looks like I need to get ready to welcome a guest tomorrow.’