Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1598. Transmigrated to the Central Plains’ Murim (3)

The luxurious furniture filling the room finally stood out to me. Of course, the designs were different from anything found on the continent or on Earth, so it was difficult to tell at a glance whether they were expensive, but high-end goods always had a certain presence about them.

Even a casual look was enough to reveal the touch of a master craftsman in every corner of the room.

These weren’t things hastily thrown together. Anyone could see that they were built with meticulousness. The occasional phoenix carvings embossed on the furniture weren’t exactly to my taste, but considering the era and setting of the Twelfth Dimension, I figured that the more valuable something was, the more extraordinary they would look.

The room itself was enormous, and there were quite a few attendants as well.

There were even attendants waiting outside to keep the unwelcome guest from causing trouble. Clearly, the owner of this body was the daughter of an influential noble family.

'Well, she’s Murong Hwa-Yeon, after all...'

“...”

“...”

'The Murong Clan, for crying out loud!'

If this was the Murong Clan I was familiar with, then it was one of the biggest names among the major powers. Of course, the setting here could be a little different, but it was unlikely to stray far from the original clan.

The Murong Clan constantly appeared among the so-called Five Great Clans or Seven Great Clans, and from what I knew, their military strength was immense. They were one of the premier families, grouped alongside names like the Namgung Clan, the Zhuge Clan, the Hebei Peng Clan, and the Tang Clan.

Sure enough, the young heir standing before me looked quite impressive, too. I casually turned my gaze toward him, as I also wanted to test whether Mind’s Eye was functioning properly.

[Checking the status window and potential abilities of the martial artist Murong Yul.]

[Name: Murong Yul]

[Nickname: Jade Dragon of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, Huayu Gongzi]

[Realm: Peak Realm]

[Age: 21]

[Nature: Diligent Administrator]

[Job: Martial Artist - No Rank]

[Job Effect: Basic Swordsmanship Knowledge Acquired]

[Job Effect: Intermediate Swordsmanship Knowledge Acquired]

[Job Effect: Advanced Swordsmanship Knowledge Acquired]

[Job Effect: Acquiring Supreme Swordsmanship Knowledge...]

[Job Effect: Acquiring Advanced Internal Energy Manipulation Knowledge...]

[Stats]

[Strength: 59 / Growth Limit: Above Epic]

[Agility - 88 / Growth Limit: Up to Legendary]

[Stamina - 46 / Growth Limit: Average or Below]

[Intelligence - 89 / Growth Limit: Legendary or Higher]

[Endurance - 45 / Growth Limit: Average or Below]

[Luck - 12 / Growth Limit: Average or Below]

[Internal Energy - 65 / Growth Limit: Legendary or Higher]

[Martial Arts - ??? - Synchronizing with the Twelfth Dimension]

[Attribute - ??? - Synchronizing with the Twelfth Dimension]

[Please register an evaluation.]

[Entering evaluation.]

[Evaluation - A glass cannon pretty boy.]

'The system's changed a bit.'

The title field was gone, replaced by nicknames. A realm tab had been added, and there was a new martial arts tab as well. Since both the Martial Arts and Attribute sections were listed as synchronizing with the Twelfth Dimension, I would probably be able to check them later, but...

'Tsk... this one's a tricky one.'

After checking the status window of Murong Yul, the young patriarch of the Murong Clan, I couldn't help but freeze. It wasn't that he was bad. If anything, it would be more accurate to say that he had reached a level worthy of applause.

He still seemed like a rookie in some respects, but despite that, he had already built a solid foundation for future growth.

He was still listed as a Peak Realm master capable of wielding sword energy, but the fact that he was in the process of acquiring Supreme Swordsmanship Knowledge and Advanced Internal Energy Manipulation Knowledge suggested that he was steadily advancing toward the Transcendent Peak Realm.

By attaining the necessary enlightenment, he would be able to wield Sword Aura, albeit in a limited capacity.

Considering that the Demon Lord Star Swallower was at the Transformation Realm and that even his disciple was a Supreme Realm master, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Murong Yul had achieved something extraordinary for his age.

On top of that, he was one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes. The fact that he was counted among the eight foremost rising stars of the Central Plains martial world spoke volumes.

'The guy's definitely the real deal.'

Of course, he had some problems.

'What’s wrong with his Stamina and Endurance? Why are they so bad?'

His growth limits were below average, so the fact that he had raised those stats to their current heights despite their growth limits meant that he had put in a lot of effort, but... it was still depressing to think that his Stamina and Endurance stats still failed to break past fifty, even after all that effort.

His physical balance was so absurdly distorted that there was a good chance he'd collapse from using his own martial arts. He was making quite a name for himself right now, but it wasn't difficult to predict that the higher he flew, the harder he would eventually crash.

'Endurance is one thing, but if he could just fix his Stamina, he'd be a lot more usable...'

On the positive side, his personality didn't seem bad.

The word "Diligent" was attached to his nature, and he also seemed keenly aware of his own circumstances. When I first met him, I worried that someone with such a flashy introduction was steeped in authoritarian arrogance, but he seemed far removed from that sort of person. If anything, he looked weighed down by pressure.

The burden of having to shoulder responsibility for the clan, his retainers, and his family one day. Considering that Murong Hwa-Yeon had been putting on a once-in-a-generation train wreck of a performance, he was probably even more troubled than usual.

'Murong Hwa-Yeon... she’s really something...'

“...”

“...”

'Calling her merely headstrong doesn't even begin to cover it.'

The fact that the young patriarch was subtly observing her reactions made it easy to guess for me just how impulsive she had been.

I had no idea what exactly had happened, but deciding to spite her clan by sleeping with the Jin Family's wastrel heir, then getting pregnant and carrying the child to term, wasn’t the kind of decision a sane person would make.

“...”

'Damn, the more I think about it, the more I feel like the Jin Family's wastrel young master was the victim here...'

“...”

Before hearing the full story, I assumed the two of them were caught up in some grand romance for the ages, or that the Jin family's wastrel had allowed his lust to get the better of him and caused trouble.

But now, I was starting to think that he could be the victim here.

'The Jin and Murong families seem to be bitter enemies, after all.'

The situation was basically like this in a nutshell—she seduced some naive young wastrel, wrapped him around her finger, got pregnant, and then locked herself away in her estate.

'Th-That does seem to be what had happened.'

Apparently, the poor bastard even tried to hang himself after being unable to cope with the shock. Seeing how Murong Yul remained calm despite my lack of reaction only lent more weight to my theory.

Perhaps there had never been any love between them in the first place.

At the very least, the Jin Family's wastrel seemed to have fallen for Murong Hwa-Yeon, but the common belief was that she had never cared about him in the slightest. He could have been nothing more than a tool she had used to deliver the finishing blow to her own self-destructive rebellion.

'F-First of all, I need to get some information somehow.'

I could always claim amnesia as an excuse, but...

'I'd rather not do that.'

I wanted to take advantage of the situation. I wanted to preserve the guilt and sympathy Murong Yul clearly felt toward me. Naturally, I decided to proceed carefully and test the waters. As for my first question...

"I'm not sure why you're telling me that the Jin Family's wastrel survived after attempting to hang himself, Brother."

Depending on how he was going to take it, the question could mean that it didn't matter at all, as the clan opposed the relationship anyway, or it could suggest, just as I had suspected, that I had no particular interest in the Jin Family's wastrel.

"..."

"..."

'He's not flustered.'

There was no romance for the ages. The Jin Family's wastrel was definitely nothing more than a sperm donor.

"Whether you like it or not, regardless of your intentions, he is still the father of this child," Murong Yul said.

"Then what? Are you planning to have us married?" I asked.

"You know the history between our two families. Father would never approve such a marriage. Even if the heavens were to split apart, there would never be a marriage between the Murong and the Jin families," he answered.

So, they really were sworn enemies...

"You must’ve been quite shocked. Father's only daughter gave birth to a child out of wedlock, so now, he has to worry about the family's reputation. At the same time, he can't exactly send me to the Jin Family either.

“There's nothing strange about it, Brother. Father has always been that kind of man. A man who thinks only of appearances and the clan..." I said.

"Murong Hwa-Yeon! How many times must I tell you? Father didn't abandon Mother for the sake of appearances!" Yul shouted.

Though it wasn't my intention, I felt like I was beginning to understand some of the family's hidden history. It seemed that there had been circumstances that forced their father to abandon their mother, even though he was a man who valued honor and reputation above all else.

"And even if that were true, it wouldn’t justify what you did to yourself. You know better than anyone how much Father loves you, how much he cherishes you. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to live like this either. And I, your brother..." He paused.

"What would you know, Brother?!" I yelled.

"I do know. I've given up many things for the sake of this clan as well," he said.

As I had suspected, Murong Yul would take the Clan Head's side in whatever family conflict. In a way, that had likely been one of the driving forces behind Murong Hwa-Yeon's disastrous choices.

'This family's a complete mess.'

"That’s right... I've given up many things, but I don't regret it. They were choices that allowed me to protect you, our clan, and the people who depend on us... Surely someone as clever as you understands that," he added.

"..."

"So... stop destroying yourself any further. Murong Hwa-Yeon. It's not as though I’m blind or deaf. I know what you've been doing outside. I know the things those scum, who deserve to be torn apart limb from limb, have been saying about you," he said.

'Just what the hell has she been doing out there..?'

"You don't have to live like this just to prove that Father was wrong. It's time... you started taking care of yourself," he suggested.

'Did he come here to talk me into changing my ways or something?'

It seemed he was trying to extinguish the fire burning in Murong Hwa-Yeon's eyes while she was exhausted in both body and mind after giving birth. The usual Murong Hwa-Yeon would glare at him as if he were barking nonsense, but...

'I'm not Murong Hwa-Yeon.'

I had to get at least one person on my side. After staring straight at Murong Yul, I loaded a few tears into the chamber. I'd already shown him anger, but now, I let confusion seep into my eyes. I hadn't actually been persuaded, but it was better to look as though his words had shaken me.

My face was the type to never waver, but cracks suddenly appeared in it.

"Heuk... heuk... ugh..."

Then a sob escaped my lips.

"Heuk... ugh... uuuugh..."

As expected, I could feel him drawing closer.

"Ugh... uuuugh..."

"I'll raise the child, Hwa-Yeon. You should live your own life," he offered.

‘Ah... well, that would certainly make things easier for me, Brother. I didn't come here to raise a baby, after all.’

I was just about to nod along when...

'Huh?'

By pure chance, Squirmy's status window entered my field of vision.

'S-Squirmy? What the...'

A status window so shocking that my jaw practically dropped appeared before my eyes.

'O-Our little Squirmy's status window... What the hell are these things?'

"..."

'What?'

"..."

'A-A jackpot... no... not just a jackpot... this is way beyond a jackpot...'

"..."

'What the hell... are these supposed to be?'

My eyes shone with excitement as I said, "There's no need for that. This is my child, so I'll raise him myself, Brother."