Chapter 66

Chapter 65>

Sunken eyes.

Haggard face.

Messy hair.

Namgung Jangho, who looked as if his soul had left his body, was weakly scribbling with a brush, having deteriorated to such a state.

Whether in modern times or in the Central Plains, mathematics is equally dirty!

"Can't you solve this? You're supposed to be the best disciple of the orthodox school! Bullshit!"

While checking Namgung Jangho's answer sheet, Jo Hui's expression, filled with a nagging tone, resembled that of a private tutor in Shinrim-dong.

Namgung Jangho, being a descendant of a prestigious family, had learned basic arithmetic, but Jo Hui's mathematics was a whole different level!

"Hey, is this really the mathematics of the Central Plains?"

"So what? Are you going to give up?"

Namgung Jangho gritted his teeth.

"There's no such thing as giving up for the sword master of the Imperial Family!"

Jo Hui, with a smile, found it all too easy to train Namgung Jangho.

At that moment, the door to Jo Hui's office opened, and Jang Il-dragon entered.

"Brother! Brother Zhuge Yun has returned!"

"Hmm, really?"

He had left almost half a year ago to monitor the movements of the alliance.

Jo Hui didn't think he had come back for a trivial matter.

"Let's go."

"Yes, brother!"

As Jo Hui set out, he glanced at Namgung Jangho.

"You're not allowed to meditate until you solve all of these. I'll definitely check when I get back, so don't even think about running away."

"Hey! How do you see me? For the sword master of the Imperial Family……!"

"Let's go."

Thus, Jo Hui, guided by Jang Il-dragon, arrived at the main gate of the Jo Family Commercial Association.

Several carriages adorned with magnificent phoenix banners had already arrived, indicating that Zhuge Yun was not alone.

Surprisingly, the first person to step out of the leading carriage was the absolute ruler of the martial alliance, the Wu Emperor.

"Hmm? Emperor Wu?"

Jo Hui was immediately suspicious.

If it were the Wu Emperor's procession, the alliance flag, which symbolizes the martial alliance, should be hanging.

However, not only was there no alliance flag, but not a single one of the alliance's guards was in sight.

The elderly man who stepped out of the carriage after the Wu Emperor was someone Jo Hui had never seen before, but his dignified appearance, the magnificent phoenix embroidery, and especially the golden feather adorning his head immediately revealed his status.

'Is this the head of the Zhuge family? But I heard Zhuge Mingxian is middle-aged.'

That golden feather was undoubtedly a symbol of the head of the Zhuge Phoenix family.

However, he was too old.

He looked to be at least in his seventies.

"Could it be……?"

Jo Hui could only think of the previous head of the family, not the current one.

"Wan Bozi……?"

Wan Bozi, Zhuge Youyun.

The legendary figure who compiled the monumental work "Jianghu Fengyun Lu" and caused a great upheaval in the martial world.

His every stroke of the brush could make a family fall or a hero rise, making him the ultimate authority in the martial world.

He was also the one who made countless martial men pant with admiration, including his own brother, Jo Hyuk.

In terms of pure reputation, he easily surpassed the Eight Great Seats.

A living legend of the martial world, in and of himself.

His scholarly achievements and insights were so profound that even emperors sought his advice.

He was the embodiment of Zhuge, a living legend of the martial world.

The current Zhuge family's dominance in various key positions of the martial alliance was all possible because of the foundation he had laid.

The appearance of this mysterious figure in the martial world was enough to turn the world upside down, and the fact that it happened at the Jo Family Commercial Association was no ordinary matter.

As Zhuge Yun stepped out of the carriage to accompany the elderly man, Jo Hui used a lightning-fast movement to approach them.

"Jo Hui of the martial world's latecomers. I greet the great seniors of the martial world."

He performed a respectful and dignified bow.

Swish!

Wan Bozi, unfolding the phoenix embroidery with elegance, stroked his long beard.

"Little Sword God……"

Wan Bozi had not yet included Little Sword God Jo Hui in the "Jianghu Fengyun Lu" because he had never met him.

Wan Bozi's gaze, which looked at him with a pleasant smile, was so transparent that it seemed to pierce through his very being.

This was not the kind of aura that martial arts could produce.

He is a sage.

Not the kind of sage from the playful "Sage Time," but a true sage.

Thus, Jo Hui calmly received his extraordinary gaze and slowly straightened up.

Jo Hui's gaze turned to Zhuge Yun.

"Vice President Zhuge. What's going on here? If Emperor Wu and Wan Bozi are visiting, they should have informed us in advance through a messenger……"

"I stopped it."

The answer came from the Wu Emperor.

"And the alliance has been taken over."

Jo Hui's expression turned blank.

Who could have taken over the once-quiet alliance?

Zhuge Yun's sad eyes.

"The martial alliance is now under the control of the Grand General. And our family head……"

The Wu Emperor continued.

"Grand General Zhuge Zanhuai. He has enthroned Zhuge Mingxian, the head of the Zhuge family, as the new Wu Emperor."

Jo Hui was dumbfounded.

"Isn't it impossible for the elders of the martial alliance to agree to such a massive rebellion?"

For a moment, a look of despair crossed the Wu Emperor's face.

"It was decided unanimously."

The strength of the martial alliance, which is a coalition of numerous sects, comes from its nature as a federation.

One might think that a federation would be structurally weak in terms of governance and organization, but there is no better structure to prevent the dominance of a specific privileged group.

The martial alliance decides on matters through unanimous consent.

This means that, given the nature of a federation, it is practically impossible for a proposal to pass without strong justification and persuasion.

In the current orthodox martial world, the authority of the Wu Emperor is not just absolute but almost sacred.

Although he may be slightly inferior to the Zixia Sword City, his martial arts are among the best in the world, and during his reign, the orthodox martial world has enjoyed unprecedented peace.

Moreover, he expanded the jurisdiction of the martial alliance to the entire region north of the Yangtze River and transformed it into a powerful force capable of dealing with the three major powers of the evil sect, which once boasted immense influence.

It was unimaginable for the colleagues, including Jo Hui, to believe that such a legendary leader of the alliance had been impeached unanimously.

Namgung Jangho's face was not just distorted but horribly crumpled.

"How could Emperor Wu……?"

Unless they all inhaled a hallucinogenic poison, how could they have deposed Emperor Wu?

The Wu Emperor was one of the few respected figures that Jang Il-dragon, along with Namgung Jangho, admired.

"Even the monks of Shaolin agreed?"

Shaolin.

A sect that, like a thousand-year-old pine, always stands firm at the center of the martial world, no matter what calamity befalls it, and is the spiritual pillar of the orthodox sect.

A look of despair crossed Zhuge Yun's face.

"The person who first stamped the seal on the Grand General's proposal was Gonggong."

"Gonggong?"

Gonggong, known as a living Buddha, is revered by countless martial men. Could he have been the first to stamp the impeachment proposal?

Could a revered figure of the martial world, a symbol of justice, have made such a decision?

However, Jo Hui had a more pressing issue.

"Then, our massive financial lifeline……! No, I mean, what about the sword general? Surely, the agreements with the alliance won't be nullified just because the leader has changed, right?"

Amidst this, Jo Hui's colleagues looked at him with disdain as he prioritized the business premises of the Jo Family Commercial Association.

"Brother, isn't that not the most important thing right now?"

"Hey, you crazy guy! How can you say such things when Emperor Wu is in this state?"

Jo Hui, on the contrary, burst out.

"These people? Do you know how much the monthly salary for the 7,000 employees of the Jo Family Commercial Association is?"

"Hmm……"

Namgung Jangho, who was bowing to Emperor Wu on Jo Hui's behalf, was at a loss, but Jo Hui, who had dealt with such situations countless times, was not particularly shaken.

Jo Hui then glanced at Zhuge Yun.

"Are you okay?"

"Excuse me, what……?"

Jo Hui's transparent eyes, like water.

"I mean, is it okay for you to be here? It seems like the entire Zhuge family is now on the opposite side of Emperor Wu."

"Ah……"

Jo Hui was hitting the core of the matter.

It would have been impossible for the Zhuge family, which holds key positions in the martial alliance, to orchestrate this without actively pushing for it.

Zhuge Yun, not Wan Bozi, answered.

"Hehe…… As you can see, the only Zhuge by Emperor Wu's side is this powerless old man and our Yun."

Despite this, Jo Hui's expression remained indifferent.

While he might not know the internal figures of the Zhuge family, at least Grand General Zhuge Zanhuai had always been a sincere and loyal supporter of Emperor Wu, at least from Jo Hui's perspective.

For such a loyal figure to be the mastermind behind this situation was hard to believe.

There are no results without causes.

Jo Hui looked at Wan Bozi indifferently.

"Why? Did the ingenious Zhuge have some pressing issue that made him so desperate to seize the throne of the alliance?"

To win over all the elders of the martial alliance, he must have promised them enormous rewards.

While the Zhuge family is one of the Five Great Families, it does not possess the vast wealth and interests to fulfill all the demands of the Nine Sects.

Wan Bozi smiled bitterly.

"Although our family is known as the ingenious Zhuge, we have long harbored a sense of inferiority."

"Inferiority?"

"The inferiority of a strategist, always looking up to the great heroes and only handling the aftermath. The ones who lead and shape history have always been the heroes. Our family has always had children who wanted to be heroes."

"Hmm……"

Wan Bozi slowly gazed into the sky.

"A son knows his father best. Mingxian has always wanted to be a hero."

"Then, is the head of the Zhuge family the actual mastermind behind all this?"

Zhuge Yun shook her head.

"Absolutely not. While my father is ambitious, he would never betray righteousness and principles. Someone must have provoked him."

"Who is that?"

"That……"

As Zhuge Yun hesitated, Wan Bozi spoke again.

"Zhuge Zanhuai's actions are almost a joke to me. The possibilities are too numerous."

Even a sage like Wan Bozi, known as the living sage of the martial world, would find it difficult to guess the true enemy.

"Nine Sects are not an easy group, given their long history and tradition. Except for the past confrontation with the Sima heretics, this is probably the first time they have spoken with one voice."

Wan Bozi's transparent gaze turned to the Wu Emperor.

"Tell me, Wu Emperor, what you mean by saying that all the answers lie with this young man."

All the answers lie with me?

Jo Hui's bewildered face turned to the Wu Emperor.

"I apologize to the many respected figures who have traveled far to our Jo Family Commercial Association, but how could I have known about the events in Shanxi for months?"

The Wu Emperor smiled at Jo Hui.

"I'm talking about the Divine Throne you mentioned before."

"The Divine Throne?"

"This matter seems to be related to him."

This was the moment when the name "Divine Throne" first appeared in the forefront of the martial world.

It would be the first time in the long history of the martial world for this term to be mentioned by so many martial figures.

"If a transcendent being's power was not involved, it would be impossible to explain these events. No one knows the inner workings of Kongkong better than I do. He is a seeker of the boundless Dharma, more so than any other monk. This is not the kind of behavior such a person would engage in."

While the martial world praised Shaolin as highly as the Wu Emperor, Jo Hui was different.

He alone knew that the founder of the Zen school, Bodhidharma, was an unprecedented demon in this world.

"That's just the Wu Emperor not understanding the sinister intentions of the monks. Gonggong and Hukong may have lofty dharma names, but in reality, they are black-hearted scoundrels."

"Ah, how impolite!"

While the Wu Emperor merely smiled, Wan Bozi, who was encountering this side of Jo Hui for the first time, was repeatedly showing his anger.

Namgung Jangho's solemn voice, filled with utmost respect, echoed again.

"Did you know about the Divine Throne, Wu Emperor?"

"There was a diary left by Heavenly Radiance Great Hero in the alliance's archives. Heavenly Radiance Great Hero was the only leader of the alliance who had long pursued the Divine Throne."

Jo Hui spoke.

"There must be a reason for the Wu Emperor to say this."

"Indeed. The events happening in the alliance now are similar to the way the ancient Demon of Heaven transformed the Holy Fire Sect into the Heavenly Demon Sect. He secretly absorbed all the Eight Great Demon Families, unified the command structure, and brainwashed the followers to venerate the Heavenly Demon. Heavenly Radiance Great Hero asserted that the ancient Demon of Heaven was a follower of the Divine Throne."

As Jo Hui's face hardened, a voice from within his mind echoed.

-That's not me! He is the first Demon of Heaven who left the Three Swords of the Heavenly Demon on the stone slab, the Divine Throne himself!

Jo Hui asked with doubt.

"Are the events that happened in the old demon sect now happening in the alliance?"

"Look at this."

What Zhuge Yun handed over was a letter filled with embarrassing praise for the newly enthroned Wu Emperor, Zhuge Mingxian.

"This is the inauguration notice sent to various sects. Moreover, a myth-like account of the new Wu Emperor's life is spreading from the Shanxi region. Hmm, this is also related to you."

"Excuse me? How am I related? What do you mean?"

The Wu Emperor chuckled.

"Have you not heard the rumors? Your conquest of Jiangxi and the expulsion of the Black Heaven Alliance were all done on the orders of the new Wu