“I pay my respects to my older brother.”

My first impression of the man who was my brother was not very good, but I had no choice but to consider our social relationship.

When I offered a formal greeting, a sharp response came back.

“Ha, your arrogance pierces the heavens. A guy who couldn’t even look me straight in the eye in the family.”

It seemed that Zhuge Cheonwu’s relationship with Zhuge Paegang was not just bad, but one of persecution.

Unlike his older brothers, Zhuge Cheonwu, the youngest, was born as the son of the second wife, who was a concubine, so it was inevitable.

“What brings you here?”

“What?”

Since dragging out the conversation would only lead to harsh words, I asked for his business right away.

But this seemed to have gotten on his nerves again.

“Do you think you’re in a position to rush my business?”

A murderous aura was transmitted from Zhuge Paegang. A level of qi accumulation that was on a different level from Mo Yonghan or the masters of the intermediate students.

‘This has become troublesome.’

He was a being called a genius even within the Zhuge family. If I were to fight him, a strong person who was considered one of the top among the advanced students, I would have no chance of winning.

‘But I don’t want to bow down either.’

It was thanks to the [Arrogant Young Master] that had been activated after a long time.

From the moment I faced Zhuge Paegang, my fingertips had been trembling subtly. It was probably a fear that my body remembered.

Perhaps the influence of such surrounding contempt and pressure was great in Zhuge Cheonwu becoming a scoundrel.

‘Although it’s also possible that he received such treatment because he was a scoundrel in the first place.’

At the very least, he was not an opponent from whom I could feel a familial affection.

“This is the Martial Academy. At least in this place, we are in a senior-junior relationship.”

“So you threw away the family’s face and requested to break the protective qi from the likes of the Moyong Sect?”

“How can you discuss the family when asking for teachings? In the martial world, there is only skill.”

At those words, Zhuge Paegang narrowed his eyes and glared this way.

The words I had just said had the underlying meaning of ‘you’re no different’.

Because among the professors and instructors working at the Martial Academy, there were quite a few who were from a wanderer background with no family.

In that sense, Zhuge Paegang, who had risen to the level of an advanced student, had actually spat on his own face.

“A scoundrel who used to run wild, relying only on his family, is now talking about skill… How ridiculous.”

He, who had twisted the corner of his mouth, muttered, spreading his momentum.

“Do you think you’re something just because you performed a little in that damn friendly match?”

“At least among my fellow students, I am evaluated as the best. Just as I entered as the top student.”

In an instant, a vein popped out on his temple. Zhuge Paegang had never once taken the top student position after entering the academy.

Because of a certain man who was his fellow student and stood at the pinnacle of the advanced students. For Zhuge Paegang, the top student position was always a reverse scale.

“…It’s laughable to discuss the best at such a paltry level.”

“I know, right? It’s just the top student. I’ve really been showing off in front of an expert.”

At the words with a hidden meaning, Zhuge Paegang clenched his teeth. His jaw muscles twitched on his sharp jawline, and his gaze turned this way.

“Then shall we check that great skill of yours?”

In an instant, Zhuge Paegang’s figure disappeared and then appeared right in front of me.

At the same time, a tremendous impact was applied to my abdomen.

I reflexively crossed my arms to block, but the brute force of the fist broke through the guard and was transmitted.

I was pushed back and at the same time, I drew my sword.

Zhuge Paegang, who had withdrawn his fist, muttered.

“…You didn’t get the top student position for nothing.”

Although his tone was condescending, if you looked at his eyes, they were slightly surprised.

It was only natural. Because the scoundrel, who had been a good-for-nothing, had blocked the fist of a master who was looking at the realm of the super-peak, even though he had controlled it considerably.

“Is this the reason you blocked the surroundings with a formation?”

I asked, still wary of the opponent. The reason he had held back just now was not for my sake.

It was just that it would be troublesome if I were seriously injured in one blow, so he had thrown a punch to seize the initiative.

‘In the first place, he’s an opponent I can’t win against.’

If the other side had been serious, I would have already collapsed. But since he was also a student, there would be a limit to the violence he could inflict, so I had no choice but to use this.

Zhuge Paegang approached with a leisurely gait and continued.

“A rumor has been going around. That you won the friendly match using a secret manual of the family.”

“Is that so?”

“Don’t make me say it twice. A rumor that you are using a strange sorcery, using the family as an excuse, has reached my ears.”

“So?”

I said, still aiming my sword.

“Show it to me. That sorcery that surprised Chief Professor Gu Jabeom.”

A tone as if he were bestowing a favor. However, when a person of this type kindly asks for something, you must always be on your guard.

“It’s a trivial power, so I’m embarrassed to show it.”

“I will be the judge. Don’t worry and show it.”

‘As expected.’

I had deliberately tried to be stubborn, but on the contrary, he was reassuring me, saying it was okay. Considering his nature, it wouldn’t have been strange if a fist had flown right away.

‘Zhuge Paegang is after my magic.’

A sorcery that manifests in a special form. He must be greedy.

‘If he likes my ability, he will try to get that secret from me in some way.’

“Unfortunately, I’m not prepared right now.”

“Don’t test my patience.”

The opponent who was showing his killing intent. I took out a jade stone from my bosom and threw it on the floor, and then I proposed.

“In that case, how about a bet?”

“You’ve really lost your mind. How dare you…”

I stopped him, who was about to get angry, and added.

“Let’s settle it with a formation battle. It should be advantageous for you, brother. I’m sure you’re not unconfident in a formation battle against me.”

I said, deliberately showing that I was trying to interfere with the formation.

If he didn’t accept this proposal, I was planning to immediately spread the mana hidden in the jade stone to create a crack in the formation, and then request help from the surroundings with a flame explosion magic.

I could do that right now, but even if I did, if Zhuge Paegang were to step up, it would likely end as a story of brothers who had fought over a family matter.

Because the other side was a highly respected second son of the Zhuge family and an advanced student, but I was a junior student who was called a scoundrel even though I was from the same Zhuge family.

No matter how much I had raised my name value recently, it was no match for Zhuge Paegang, who had been a named person in the academy for the past few years.

‘Of course, that’s if he doesn’t accept.’

But the guy will accept the proposal. Although he had been provoked by me, since the magic could be shown at this side’s discretion.

Even if he attacked me out of anger, it would be meaningless if I didn’t cooperate. And yet, seeing Zhuge Paegang’s high-handed attitude, it didn’t seem like he had any intention of properly persuading me.

‘Since he’s a young master who has probably never tried to persuade someone in his life, the method of a bet would be easier to communicate.’

As per that reasoning, Zhuge Paegang accepted the proposal rather obediently.

“If you say something else after losing, I will break your limbs. The formation battle will be a fight over the initiative of this trap formation. How will you handle the offense and defense?”

In a formation battle, which is the basis of a fight over initiative, the defense is generally more advantageous than the offense.

A formation that has been built up over a long period of time is difficult to take away once the initiative has been seized.

The reason I was able to hold out in the Geummun Merchant Guild was also thanks to that.

“Then I will take the defense.”

Since he was yielding the first move, it was naturally advantageous to accept.

As soon as the decision was made, Zhuge Paegang changed the arrangement of the jade stones he had laid out. It was to hand over the initiative of the formation.

I obediently laid out a new jade stone and took over the initiative of the formation.

“The time will be one quarter of an hour (15 minutes). If you hold out during that time, it’s your victory.”

Zhuge Paegang explained with an indifferent gaze. As if he didn’t even expect me to win.

I looked at Zhuge Paegang, who was fiddling with a jade stone containing the energy of the five elements in one hand, and asked.

“But isn’t there anything for me if I win?”

“…You’ve lost your mind. You dare to…!”

I stopped him, who was about to get angry, and added.

“Since I’ve decided to show you my sorcery if you win, brother. I should also get something if I win.”

“Ha, you worm. Do as you please. It’s a future that won’t happen anyway. No, let’s rather raise the stakes. If I win, you will offer me everything about your sorcery. Instead, if you win, I will also give you something corresponding.”

“If it’s something corresponding, is it possible to speak informally?”

A vein popped out on his forehead at the out-of-the-blue question.

“You’ve only grown in bravado. Yes, whether it’s knowledge, wealth, or speaking informally, I’ll grant it all. If you are worthy of it!”

“Then my condition will be speaking informally and wealth.”

Since he had said it in a fit of anger, the stakes were getting bigger. Of course, he must have made the additional condition without even thinking that he would lose.

‘Speaking informally, it’s not a bad price for picking a fight.’

I’ll find the knowledge I need on my own anyway, and what I can get from Zhuge Paegang is at most money or personal cooperation.

But I don’t really need money right now, as I’ve reached the limit of elixir intake, and as for cooperation, seeing this situation, he’ll probably help me out a lot.

It seemed better to break the momentum of the troublesome second son on this occasion.

‘Since he seems to value his face, I’ll gently scratch him with informal speech, and then when I need something later, I’ll make a demand and withdraw the informal speech.’

I finished my thoughts and asked for confirmation.

“On the honor of the family?”

“Yes, on the name of the Zhuge family.”

“Good.”

I accepted the bet with him and stepped back. Along with that, the energy of the five elements contained in the jade stone spread in all directions, and an additional trap formation was activated.

The structure of a trap formation starts with isolating the inside from the outside.

From blocking the five senses, represented by sight and hearing, to setting up a qi wall that serves as a barrier, and then to the traps implemented with the power of the various five elements.

There were more than one or two things to pay attention to.

‘I’ll give up on the offense.’

Basically, it’s almost impossible to drive a strong person at the level of Zhuge Paegang into a trap formation like this.

Since I had chosen the defensive side in the first place. It was better to increase the stability of the formation.

“You’ve become so arrogant. You’ve never once beaten me in a formation battle.”

Along with Zhuge Paegang’s words, a blue jade rolled out from his palm.

Crack!

In an instant, the surroundings froze. With Zhuge Paegang standing aloofly on the spot, a radius of about ten meters was covered in ice.

‘It’s like magic, but it’s not magic.’

A sight that can only be seen in a formation. An exaggerated illusion compared to its power.

Although a cold air was flowing around him, it was not to the extent of actually freezing.

But to affect the illusion of the formation like this meant that his control and resourcefulness were good.

‘Is he mainly using a yin-type formation?’

I recalled the gist of the trap formation I had looked at earlier and put mana into a white jade.

I remembered that I had planted the pillar of the trap formation in the shady path under the wall where the yin qi was gathered.

Illusions had a good compatibility with yin qi. Because the static and dark nature of yin qi blended well with mist or stealth.

As expected, the mist that had started to form at his feet due to the frost was slowly encroaching on the inside of the formation.

‘There’s no reason to face the opponent in their area of expertise.’

I immediately exploded the fire qi I had put in the white jade.

Clang!

The condensed yang qi and the yin qi that was thickly spread on the floor clashed, and in an instant, an explosion occurred. And it was a chain reaction in all directions.

‘Was he aiming for this?’

He had laid out the yin qi like a landmine to react with the yang qi. It was a scheme to induce a chaotic battle like this and weaken the opponent’s control.

And on the side, it would be a gain if he could create a crack in the trap formation using the explosive power.

‘He’s quite good.’

Still, as befitting a Zhuge family blood relative, it seemed he knew the basics of setting up a stage.

‘But that’s all.’

I threw an additional white jade and revealed the next card I had prepared.

“The place is a mess.”

Along with a hand gesture, a gust of wind blew from all directions. A situation where yin and yang were mixed. The fiercely blowing wind sucked up all the qi floating in the formation and swept through the area.

“How can you make the next move so quickly…?”

Zhuge Paegang’s questioning voice was buried in the sound of the wind and disappeared, and soon the wind, which was under my control, gradually grew in size.

Swoooosh!

A vortex arose in the middle of the formation, as if a high pressure and a low pressure had met.

“The first move is my advantage.”

Because I had formed a gust of wind using the opponent’s power.

Whether to use this to strike the opponent or to switch to a defensive mode and check the opponent was entirely my judgment.

“Arrogant…! Do you think it will go as you please?”

Along with a shout, Zhuge Paegang placed his hand on the floor. A blue light spewed out from the blue jade that was inserted between his fingers.

Rumble!

Along with that, a strange crack occurred on the floor, and a change began.

‘Water?’

The water that had flowed under the vortex began to rise to the sky, riding the turbulence.

“The wind is a phenomenon of a nature that always repeats rotation and movement. It’s that difficult to control.”

Zhuge Paegang’s voice echoed in a low voice. He said, crushing the blue jade, which was cracking and breaking, with his fist.

As per that explanation, the vortex began to absorb a lot of the flowing water.

The water stream that was sucked up changed like a waterspout. The entire vortex became heavy due to the water, and its speed gradually decreased. And at the end, it began to slowly lose its momentum.

“I’m telling you, you shouldn’t be proud just because you’ve taken one move.”

Zhuge Paegang, who had finally stood up from his seat, spread one hand towards the vortex.

Along with that, the blue jewel that was now worn on his wrist like a watch shone, and an anomaly occurred.

Crack!

The slowly rotating vortex froze from the bottom and began to twist and explode like a white old tree.

Clang-!

In the midst of the shower of ice fragments scattering in all directions, Zhuge Paegang stared this way with his two eyes shining with reflected light and opened his mouth.

“With this, we’re back to square one.”

(End of Chapter)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep