Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Chapter 442

#442

Taejonbirok Volume 18, Episode 17

Chapter 101: Lazy Man, Coincidentally (2)

“Did you say magic?”

“I think so.”

"hmm……."

Zhuge Yan's face became serious.

He had already assigned Zhuge Liang to Wei Yanhu. Therefore, Zhuge Liang likely also examined the details with Wei Zhenghan. Nevertheless, the fact that this opinion emerged means that Zhuge Liang agreed with Wei Zhenghan's opinion.

‘It’s magic… … .’

This was usually not a serious problem.

If rumors spread that Dangga had mastered magic, the martial arts world of Sichuan would be shattered.

“There’s no way that would happen.”

Anyone who knows even a little about Tang Dynasty will think the same as Zhuge Yan.

The Tang family's hatred for the Demonic Cult was second to none. Every time the Demonic Cult broke out, the Tang family was devastated, and they repeatedly abandoned their homes and fled.

There is even a saying that the reason why the Sacheon Martial Arts World cannot become the center of the Central Plains is because of the Demonic Cult that occasionally rises up and sweeps away Sacheon.

From the Tang family's perspective, the Demonic Cult was like a swarm of locusts, unexpectedly swarming in and wiping out the entire year's crops. And yet, they were mastering the art of magic.

“It’s hard to believe.”

“All the circumstances say so.”

"but……."

Zhuge Yan shook his head.

"No. No matter how much I think about it, it's impossible. One or two people wouldn't be an issue. Even if the Sacheondang family harbors a deep hatred for the Demonic Cult, one or two people could certainly benefit from it. But for over ten people to all learn demonic arts and then simultaneously experience a seizure is simply unacceptable."

"Actually, I'm having trouble reaching a conclusion because of that. So, I'd like to ask for your opinion, Lord Jegal."

'Wise.'

Zhuge Yan's eyes sank low.

The Jeonghyeop Sword is right.

Anyone who knew him in the past, during the war, would never have imagined hearing such a polite request from Wi Jeong-han.

Although their perspectives were different, Wi Jeong-han felt even more hopeless than Wi Yeon-ho. While Wi Yeon-ho lacked motivation and didn't create his own thoughts, Wi Jeong-han was different.

To Zhuge Yan, who remembered the sharp, sharp appearance of the past Wei Zhenghan, the current Wei Zhenghan was extremely unfamiliar.

'Do people ultimately become round?'

Zhuge Yan believed that humans do not change. He believed that if a person feels their personality has changed, it's not because they have changed, but because the weight of the world obscures their true nature.

So what about Wi Jeong-han?

Behind that gentle face, does the sharp sword of the past still remain?

It was something I couldn't know now.

“Even if you say it’s your opinion…….”

Zhuge Yan let out a sigh.

More than a dozen people in the group suddenly suffered seizures and collapsed simultaneously. Their symptoms were similar to those of those afflicted by demonic attacks.

What conclusion can be drawn from this situation?

'Not good.'

Zhuge Yan opened his mouth.

"It's unimaginable that the Tang family colluded with the Demonic Cult to acquire magical powers. Even if they had such intentions, it's impossible. The Demonic Cults reject the Central Plains people even more than we reject the Demonic Cult. Since they harbor a mutual grudge, it's unlikely the Demonic Cults would hand over their martial arts to the Tang family."

“I think so too.”

"So, if they happened to get their hands on the magic, they must have passed it on among themselves. But I doubt the Tang family would have made such a choice…."

“Wouldn’t it be possible if the magic was strong? Like the legendary Blood Demon God Art?”

"Of course, with that level of magic, it's impossible for anyone to not be interested. Some will want to learn it. But not everyone can be drawn to it. If this incident had occurred, at least one person who knew about the spread of magic would have spoken up. But seeing how quiet it is…"

“Oh, I see.”

"It's possible if the leadership knew and kept it a secret, but in that case, they wouldn't have summoned me or the Wei family. Rather than let the news of Dangga's mastery of magic spread, they'd rather resign and give up their position as head of the family. That's the kind of person Dangcheon is."

Wi Jeong-han, who had been quietly reflecting on the character of Dangcheon-gun, nodded and acknowledged Zhuge Yan's words.

If he were Dangcheon-gun, he would make such a choice as if it were natural. While Dangcheon-gun was unwavering in internal matters, he was someone who valued the party over himself when it came to external issues.

'So then what on earth is going on?'

While Wei Zhenghan was pondering, Zhuge Yan opened his mouth.

“When you consider all the possible scenarios, there is only one case that makes sense.”

Wi Jeong-han waited with tense eyes for Tang Cheon-gun to speak. He was afraid that what he was thinking would come out.

"It's clear that someone deliberately spread this particular martial art. Otherwise, this wouldn't have happened."

Zhuge Yan also did not have a good face.

This statement contained a clear possibility.

“If it were someone…….”

“Maybe they are.”

It's obvious.

Who could possibly spread the magic? It couldn't be done without the Demonic Cult.

“It may seem plausible, but if you actually create a magic that destroys the body, you can use it like poison.”

"Well, it's possible. We don't have the ability to verify whether the magic is normal or not. It's either learned or not. However, we don't know how it got here, or the route it took."

Zhuge Yan also nodded.

“Maybe the path doesn’t matter.”

“Huh? What are you talking about…?”

"There's something more important. Everyone's focused on how this happened, but what we really need to focus on is why it happened."

Wi Jeong-han nodded. Zhuge Yan was right.

If the Demonic Cult did something like this, what on earth was it aiming for?

While it might be meaningful to reduce the enemy's power, it seems unlikely that the powerful Demonic Cult would plot to harm just a dozen or so members of the Tang family.

"then……."

Zhuge Yan continued speaking in an extremely serious tone.

"As you're probably already thinking, if someone was plotting something, it wouldn't have ended with the party. It would have either started there first, or they would have targeted the party."

The space between Wi Jeong-han's eyebrows narrowed.

He'd been thinking about it too. But hearing it from Zhuge Yan's mouth made it feel even more certain.

'For what purpose?'

The moment Wei Zhenghan began to question, Zhuge Yan opened his mouth.

"As you know, the biggest problem with this is that even those who caused the possession don't know why they were possessed. They're unconscious, so there's no way to ask them exactly why, but even if they were to wake up, things wouldn't change much. If they can guess why, others can, too."

“You are right.”

“In other words…….”

Zhuge Yan opened his mouth in a serious tone.

“It wouldn’t be surprising if there were already people going through the same process scattered throughout the world.”

“Ugh.”

It seemed as if Wi Jeong-han had guessed how scary it would be.

"If this continues during the war against the Demonic Cult, something truly terrible will happen. You know how frightening it is to see casualties continue to mount."

"……yes."

Wi Jeong-han nodded heavily.

Deaths are heartbreaking, but wounded ones gnaw at reality. What if, in the midst of a battle, your own soldiers become possessed, run riot, lose consciousness without dying, and their bodies rot away?

There's no way to properly rest, and operations can't continue. Furthermore, transporting the wounded will continue to drain manpower.

'It's the worst.'

The continued loss of troops from the front lines meant the front lines could not be maintained. While this might not be a problem in small-scale battles, it was a significant problem in large-scale battles.

What if this is the grand plan the Demonic Cult has drawn for the next great war?

'You're going to go through hell.'

Wi Jeong-han felt things were getting bigger than he'd expected. He'd been lighthearted when he first arrived at the party, but as time went on, things became increasingly dire.

Until now, it was just a prediction, but the moment this prediction becomes reality, the Demonic Cult War will begin from the Tang family.

“What should I do?”

"A comprehensive investigation is necessary. This approach won't yield answers. The political alliance must gather all available personnel and talent into the party."

"hmm."

Wi Jeong-han couldn't answer right away.

It is also beyond his authority… … .

“You must be suspicious.”

"sorry."

"It's only natural. After all, the Jeongmu Alliance and the Cheonui Alliance are at odds with each other. In that situation, sending the core members of the Jeongmu Alliance to the Cheonui Alliance's Sacheondangga faction is a huge risk. I know that."

Zhuge Yan made a bitter expression.

It was absurd that they had to be suspicious of each other even in the face of the great conspiracy of the Demonic Cult.

“Perhaps we should transcend the boundaries between the Political Alliance and the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.”

“It won’t be easy if things continue like this.”

“So, I have a suggestion for you, Wigaju.”

“If you call it a suggestion?”

"The current situation cannot be resolved through the efforts of a few. It requires the combined strength of the Brahma Heavenly Alliance and the Pan-Jeong Martial Alliance."

“Hmm, that’s right.”

"We, the Zhuge Family, believe this is a matter that must be addressed beyond our own power. At the very least, we'll need to re-examine the entire martial arts world based on the investigation here. If the worst happens, we could be defeated without even being able to fight back against the Demonic Cult's attacks."

Wi Jeong-han also agreed with Zhuge Yan. This was a state of emergency. This was no longer the Tang family's problem. It was a matter for the entire martial arts world.

“So what you’re saying is…….”

"yes."

“To resolve this matter, the first step is to obtain the cooperation of the Cheon Il-ryeon.”

“I think so too. So, Lord Zhuge Liang….”

"no."

Zhuge Yan shook his head.

"The Cheon Il-ryeon is a federation. As a federation, it's free, but as a federation, each family's voice isn't as strong. If I had to say who has the most say, it would be the head of the family. However, even the head of the family isn't free right now."

“Hmm.”

“So, that’s why…….”

A subtle smile appeared on Zhuge Yan's face.

An interesting picture was being drawn.

'Where will this go?'

It wasn't just for fun. It was a necessary process.

"I think I have an interesting solution. Do you have any plans to bring Wei Yanhu and Cheon Yi-ryeonju together?"

Wi Jeong-han's eyes widened.

“Yes, what year is it?”

I'm anxious.

I'm so anxious.