CLS-Chapter 420

Chapter 420:

There’s a saying about lightning striking from a clear sky.

It’s used to describe when something that could never happen actually occurs. But to describe the Zhuge Family’s current situation, the phrase “lightning from a clear sky” wasn’t quite appropriate.

Because lightning striking from a clear sky, while rare, does happen from time to time.

But no one in the Zhuge Family would have ever imagined that someone would single-handedly infiltrate the Zhuge Family in the dead of night and smash the Terror Soul Formation to pieces.

Lightning striking from a clear sky would have been less surprising.

But now, that very thing was happening.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

If someone could continue sleeping through such an ear-splitting noise, they wouldn’t be human. Of course, Zhuge Woo was human, and he had no choice but to snap his eyes open at the massive sound that made his mind reel.

Zhuge Woo, who had been slightly bewildered, shot up in alarm.

His body moved before his mind could think. Zhuge Woo bolted upright from his bed, grabbed the clothes lying in one corner of the room with his hand, and burst outside.

“Hiik?“

As he kicked open the door and stepped outside, his eyes fell upon the shattered remains of the Terror Soul Formation scattered everywhere.

“Wh-what in the world is this?”

The people of the Zhuge Family were all exceptionally intelligent. But even with their brilliant minds, accepting the current situation all at once was too much.

‘Did lightning strike?’

The first thought that came to mind was a natural disaster.

It might seem like a foolish thought, but from Zhuge Woo’s perspective, it was very reasonable. Coldly calculating the probability of someone infiltrating the Zhuge Family this night and being able to destroy the Terror Soul Formation versus the probability of lightning striking on a cloudless night and collapsing the formation, the latter made overwhelmingly more sense.

“Intruders!”

But his expectation was wrong as always.

That sharp voice brought his mind to full alertness.

‘Intruders?’

Who would dare scale the walls of the Zhuge Family?

‘No, wait.’

Before that—the Terror Soul Formation was destroyed? By intruders?

‘Masters!’

And tremendously skilled masters at that.

If destroying a formation by force were easy, who in the world would be foolish enough to set up formations to block such attempts? If the location of the objects powering a formation were discovered, the formation would be rendered useless. That’s why the objects that power formations are always cleverly hidden.

Then there’s only one way to destroy a formation by force.

Blow away the surroundings with power strong enough to destroy everything, regardless of where the formation objects are located.

Only tremendously skilled masters could do such a thing. Or they’d have to bring cannons.

Once he grasped the situation, Zhuge Woo’s anger quickly subsided. If someone capable of destroying the Terror Soul Formation had invaded, this was definitely not an impulsive act. It must have been planned for a long time.

“Where is the Family Head!”

When Zhuge Woo shouted, panicked voices could be heard.

“The Family Head is currently traveling, isn’t he?”

“Hasn’t he returned?”

Zhuge Woo’s face contorted.

Of all times, the Family Head was absent.

Zhuge Woo, remembering that the Family Head had set out during the day to meet the Thousand Lotus Alliance Leader, quickly worked his mind.

Then who was next in command?

‘Me, isn’t it?’

If there had been a Young Family Head, it might be different, but considering the hierarchy, he was currently the highest. There were a few elders above him, but those gentlemen were practically living in semi-retirement from worldly affairs.

Zhuge Woo’s mind began to grow complicated.

First, what should he do?

“Summon the Red Dragon Squad and Yellow Dragon Squad! Assign the Red Dragon Squad the mission to check if there are other enemies outside the family grounds, and have the Yellow Dragon Squad surround the walls so that not even an ant can escape!”

“Yes!”

“The Black Dragon Squad and Dark Rock Squad will follow me. We’ll identify who dared commit such an act and deal with them quickly!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhuge Woo launched himself forward using lightness skill. Then those around him all rushed to follow him in unison.

‘Who is it? What could they possibly want?’

Even while rushing to deal with the enemy, Zhuge Woo’s mind was racing with complications.

What could they possibly want by invading?

Someone with a grudge?

There would be countless such people. Surviving in the martial world meant developing the strength to overcome grudges. The spread of the Zhuge Family name throughout the world meant an increase in those who shed tears of blood because of the Zhuge Family.

But if everyone with a grudge could invade and cause chaos, how could the Zhuge Family have survived until now?

‘This direction?’

Zhuge Woo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

If enemies had infiltrated the Zhuge Family, their targets were obvious.

The Crouching Dragon Pavilion, where all of the Zhuge Family’s martial studies and history were concentrated.

The Family Head Hall, where the Family Head resided.

Those two places would clearly be the targets.

‘Why are they heading in that direction?’

But the intruders were moving in the opposite direction. It made no sense at all.

That way?

Zhuge Woo tilted his head.

Going that way would only lead to…

Zhuge Woo’s eyes wavered.

That direction led toward the Thunder Prison, where family members who had committed crimes were imprisoned. But the Thunder Prison was currently completely empty, so what could they accomplish by going there…

“Could it be?”

One fact flashed through Zhuge Woo’s mind. A certain facility located behind that Thunder Prison. That facility was something the Zhuge Family kept very secretly hidden.

Not because it was highly important, but because it wouldn’t be good if it caught others’ eyes, so they kept it concealed.

‘But why?’

Of course, that place was an important facility. But from an outsider’s perspective, it could never be important. What mattered were those created in that facility, not those remaining there.

Those in that place were people who possessed no information or abilities, so would they really invade the Zhuge Family because of such people? That was something that common sense said couldn’t happen.

But now, that senseless thing was happening before his very eyes.

“I’ll know once I catch them.”

Right now, a thousand thoughts were all useless.

Whatever the reason, the unchanging fact was that intruders had entered the Zhuge Family. Whatever their purpose, whatever the intruders’ circumstances—there was no need to consider such things.

What he really needed to consider began to happen then.

“Uwaaaaaaah!“

“Wh-what?”

Something was screaming as it flew toward him. When Zhuge Woo realized that the screaming figure was a family disciple, and that this disciple was currently flailing through the air in flight, his eyes widened.

‘What kind of situation is this?’

Can a person fly in such a straight line?

Well, they could fly in a straight line. But if they were launched with that much force, shouldn’t that guy already be a bloody mess? How could a person be flying like that while still flailing his arms so intact?

“C-catch him!”

This wasn’t the time for such thoughts. If he crashed into the ground at that speed, injury wouldn’t be the problem. They could just open a coffin lid, shove him in, and close it. That is, if there was a body left to fit in the coffin.

He couldn’t watch such a scene.

Zhuge Woo put strength into his legs and leaped upward.

If he’d had just a little more time and a bit of leisure to explain the situation, he never would have stepped forward himself, but the situation that entered his eyes was too urgent.

Zhuge Woo caught the flying family member with both arms.

And then…

“Kuheoeoek!“

A strange groan burst from Zhuge Woo’s mouth.

The moment he caught the child with both arms, an indescribably powerful and strange rebound force tore through his body. He had half-expected it when he saw the child flying in a form that could never exist in nature, but this intense shock that enveloped his body was far beyond his expectations.

But even rotten fish is still fish.

As an elder of the Zhuge Family, he wouldn’t collapse from just this much.

Thunk!

Zhuge Woo, who had caught the flying fellow and landed on the ground, pushed the guy in his arms away with a somewhat irritated gesture.

“Thank you!”

“Where are the intruders?”

“Up ahead.”

“How did you end up flying like that?”

“I discovered the intruders and rushed to stop them, but I’m not really sure how I ended up like this… It all happened so quickly…”

“Hmm…”

Zhuge Woo’s expression hardened.

He recognized the guy in front of him. Within the Zhuge Family, there were countless relatives and disciples, and remembering them all would be impossible even for their brilliant minds. Even so, recognizing him meant he was someone with considerable skill…

The fact that such a person had been sent flying in one blow meant that the current intruder was an unimaginably skilled master.

‘We might face a great disaster today.’

Zhuge Woo hardened his face and turned around.

Even so, he couldn’t just leave the intruders alone.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

Looking at those following, Zhuge Woo gritted his teeth. Using lightness skill to instantly increase his speed, two figures entered Zhuge Woo’s sight.

‘Are those them?’

Black stealth clothing.

And black masks.

It was attire that screamed ‘We are intruders’ to anyone who looked.

“They dared to scale the Zhuge Family walls with just that number!”

Just two people.

He had thought it would be a small number, but only two? He couldn’t understand what kind of nerve made just two people invade the Zhuge Family. Even if the invader were at the pinnacle of martial arts, two people couldn’t face the entire Zhuge Family.

Gaining confidence, Zhuge Woo straightened his waist while maintaining his running posture. A thunderous lion’s roar burst from his mouth.

“You insoleeeeent…”

“Ah! Excuse me!”

Something interrupted his lion’s roar when it was only half-released—one of the masked figures raised his hand and shouted loudly. His voice was so loud that Zhuge Woo’s lion’s roar was sucked back into his throat.

‘I almost died.’

A lion’s roar wasn’t just a loud shout. It was a type of sound technique that channeled internal energy into the voice. But when the energy that was trying to emerge flowed backward, it wouldn’t be strange if deviation occurred. Fortunately, he avoided the deviation.

Wiping away cold sweat, Zhuge Woo’s eyes fell on the masked figure waving at him.

‘What’s with this guy?’

Something was absurd.

That guy was definitely an intruder, but why was he now waving at him as if he were glad to see him?

“Excuse me, sorry about this!”

The masked figure shouted loudly.

“Which way are the kids imprisoned? I thought it was this way but there’s no one here.”

“…What?”

“I’m asking which way the imprisoned kids are!”

What should he say?

What on earth?

Faced with a situation beyond what his mind could calculate, Zhuge Woo finally had no choice but to abandon all dignity and pretense.

Pure, unrefined sentiment flowed from his mouth.

“What, what is this lunatic?”

And that sentiment could be considered very accurate.