Reincarnation Sword God

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I spent a full day distributing the slaves and treasures according to the rewards. Additionally, the members of the Wind Spirit Sect who were in the necklace were dragged out and placed kneeling in the square with bewildered expressions. The masters of the Su Shin Sect were watching over them, suppressing their bloodlines.

As the process unfolded, I returned the necklace to Dokgo Jun and said,

“What does it mean to demote those people to the lowest tier? Please explain further.”

Dokgo Jun, taking the necklace from me, glanced at the Wind Spirit Sect members and replied,

[It’s simple. Their internal power will now be sealed, and they will be removed from all important positions within the White Lotus Sect, reduced to mere laborers and farmers among the sect members.]

“……”

[It will take effect from now, so please wait.]

I stared at the scene before me with a complicated expression.

Among the Wind Spirit Sect members kneeling in front of me were skilled masters who had poured half their lives into martial arts. For such individuals to have their internal power sealed, making it impossible for them to wield martial arts again, would bring an overwhelming sense of loss, akin to a death sentence. Moreover, with the sealing of their internal power, the flow of Qi within them would be severely twisted, greatly shortening their lifespans.

However, it wasn’t an appropriate moment to feel sympathy. The Wind Spirit Sect, from its leader down to the core masters, was in collusion with the Imperial Palace and considering betrayal. In a normal situation, beheading them all wouldn’t be strange. Ending things with sealed powers could even be seen as merciful.

[Merciful my foot… How much do you even comprehend the despair of someone who’s suddenly fallen from grace?]

[Zhuge Sa, stop nagging. You know it’s not my role to get involved.]

A short while after, the large-scale sealing of internal powers began. Rather than brutally smashing the dantians, the Su Shin Sect employed their unique energy, wedging it into the dantians to prevent the operation of internal power. This elegant technique minimized the physical burden of expelling their internal powers.

*Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Cough.”*

One by one, the masters of the Wind Spirit Sect fell forward. Yet, despite being sealed, they still felt the pain, as much as one could expect. I felt a chill watching this unfold.

Seeing the number and power of the kneeling Wind Spirit Sect masters, it was apparent they could easily wipe out a couple of the Eight Extremities families. Yet, those beings were forced to accept sealing their powers before the might of the Heavenly Spirit Group. A clear display of the absurd power held within Infinite Internal Power and the Heavenly Spirit Group.

After the process concluded, Dokgo Jun addressed me.

[The Sect Master has high hopes for you. You may now do as you wish with them.]

I chuckled incredulously.

“…Without their martial arts, they’re just ordinary humans now, right? What am I supposed to do with them?”

[That’s precisely the capability of a Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage.]

“What…?”

[Then, I’ll be taking my leave.]

Dokgo Jun spun around and left with the Su Shin Sect martial artists.

‘That guy is really irritating.’

I gazed at the hall. In front of me were the masters of the Wind Spirit Sect, either fainted from having their martial powers sealed or glaring at me defiantly. With their powers gone, controlling them was now a piece of cake.

I cleared my throat and said,

“I have much to discuss with you all. I won’t press you today, so let’s have a chat tomorrow after you’ve rested at your lodgings.”

For a while, there was no response. Just as I was about to turn away, one of the elders from the Wind Spirit Sect knelt before me and spoke,

“O Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage!”

“What is it?”

“If we can do anything, please spare the women and children. They are innocent!”

“……”

Women and children.

Hearing those words, I could understand what he was implying. If I wanted, I could slaughter or dispose of the women and children of the Wind Spirit Sect according to my wishes. Of course, committing such horrific acts would be challenging for a human being, but there was a huge difference between having the ability to do it and choosing not to.

Zhuge Sa snickered.

[Well, that sounds good. Why not pick a pretty Wind Spirit Sect lady for some illicit fun? Preferably a beautiful maiden, made to crawl on all fours in front of her husband…]

I grimaced.

[Shut the hell up. What filthy talk is that?]

[Huh? You could totally do that if you wanted. Go ahead and do as you please. Kill the men and ravage the women. I bet the Sect Leader won’t care what you do with the remnants of the Wind Spirit Sect.]

Is this idiot out of his mind?!

I firmly expressed my refusal.

[No way! There’s no reason for me to do that.]

[…You’re really annoying.]

Zhuge Sa complained.

[Don’t you feel like you’ve been influenced too much by Maeng Ryung? If this were your previous life, you’d have jumped at my suggestion. Your refusal now is merely a habitual response.]

[What…]

[Ah, whatever. Do as you wish, you pretentious scholar.]

Ignoring Zhuge Sa’s grumbling, I responded to the elder of the Wind Spirit Sect.

“I shall do as you wish.”

The elder bowed his head even lower and humbly pleaded,

“Please… protect us from the tyranny of the Blood Spirit Lineage and the Su Shin Sect. We beg you…”

Following him, the members of the Wind Spirit Sect began to kneel one by one, bowing deeply before me. As all the sect members prostrated themselves, I felt a strange sensation. They had truly laid aside all their pride in a genuine bid for survival.

[Of course. Just surviving wouldn’t be enough; lacking power in the White Lotus Sect is akin to living in hell itself. It’s obvious that any passing White Lotus Sect members would just kill them on a whim.]

“Hmm.”

I let out a hum of contemplation. No matter how I looked at it, witnessing such a scene was far from commonplace. After a moment, I spoke to the kneeling elder at the front.

“What is your name?”

“I am Yong Mun-soo, the Blood Wind Fist Demon.”

“Elder Yong Mun-soo. Bring forth anyone who was in charge of managing the Wind Spirit Sect before.”

“……”

Yong Mun-soo hesitated for a moment, then turned his gaze towards the hall, which prompted several middle-aged men to step forward. They appeared drained, as if their vitality had been sapped by their sealed dantians. I surveyed them before saying,

“Move at once. Bring the members of the Wind Spirit Sect to this building.”

“A-are you protecting us?”

“I am.”

Yong Mun-soo nodded gratefully.

“Thank you!”

In that instant, I sensed an intense desire for vengeance in some of the members of the Wind Spirit Sect who had been prostrating. They were obviously compelled to submit due to the power disparity, but they certainly wouldn’t be pleased about it. Especially since I was involved in the downfall of the Wind Spirit Sect.

I felt a pang of guilt. Just then, Zhuge Sa remarked,

[What are you feeling sorry about? You really get soft-hearted in odd places.]

[Well… it could be pitiful to fall from grace overnight.]

[Hmph. Your thoughts are your own, but don’t let them slip out loud. Especially not in front of the Su Shin Sect.]

Hearing the word Su Shin Sect made me flinch. Zhuge Sa continued with a mocking tone,

[When the Wind Spirit Sect was purging the Thunder God Lineage, do you think they merely sealed their powers like this? They probably slaughtered Thunder God Lineage warriors brutally and ravaged their women, turning them into slaves.]

[……]

[They’re down on their luck now, but those in front of you are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Don’t show any weakness.]

[I got it.]

I grimaced again. Zhuge Sa’s words always seemed to dig into uncomfortable places, making it difficult to argue back.

After completing the management of the Wind Spirit Sect, I began to inspect the slaves I had retrieved from the slave market.

The total number was around sixty. The slaves were diverse, regardless of age or gender, including westerners and monks brought from various locations. I wondered why the original number of over a thousand slaves had dwindled so much, but soon, I understood.

‘Most of the slaves were taken by the Su Shin Sect.’

The claim that the proportion of slaves given to me was only a third was likely just talk. In reality, it might not even reach one-tenth. It seemed the Sect Leader was a rather petty man who told white lies in this situation.

If that were the case, the number of slaves taken by the Su Shin Sect would have to be at least six or seven hundred. When I sealed the slaves into the necklace, there were definitely that many.

Why on earth would they need so many slaves?

As I pondered this, Zhuge Sa remarked,

[It’s an important question, but it can wait until later. For now, separate the slaves.]

[What will the slaves be used for?]

[You’re being foolish. Just treat them like slaves.]

Zhuge Sa continued,

[Don’t even think about teaching them martial arts like the Thunder God Lineage. Right now, you have no choice but to use those slaves as laborers. It would be incredibly foolish to take the Sect Leader’s order to build your influence literally.]

[Why’s that a foolish move? If there’s a skilled master among the slaves…]

[That’s useless. Didn’t the Wind Spirit Sect’s downfall show you that even skilled masters feared the Heavenly Spirit Group?]

[Uh-huh…]

That made sense.

[Don’t get stuck on the slaves’ futures. You’re too busy training as it is. They’re not people; they’re just objects, so let them be.]

Sigh.

The slaves looked quite fearful as I kept muttering to myself and grimacing. With a sigh, I addressed them,

“Don’t worry. From now on, you will take care of cleaning and meals in the Thunder God Lineage building…”

“Yes, we understand…”

The slaves bowed their heads repeatedly, and I called for the caretakers of the previous Thunder God Lineage building to discuss the division of labor. Since there were too many people just managing buildings, I decided to repair and clean the old building while assigning the rest to general labor and farming tasks.

Once the distribution of tasks among the slaves was finished, I spoke again to Zhuge Sa.

[Hey.]

[What is it?]

[What should I do next? Give me some suggestions.]

Zhuge Sa clicked his tongue and said,

[Got it. Let’s speak of strategies.]

[Oh.]

[Train.]

[……]

[Making contact with Yong Jung-il now would be too reckless. It’s better for you to practice quietly until something changes, focusing on the Divorce Techniques or the Three Treasures Method. The Sect Leader is likely to keep an eye on you, and if you act rashly, he might impose restrictions on you directly.]

[That makes sense.]

I agreed with Zhuge Sa’s reasoning. Forcing a connection with Yong Jung-il would only backfire. Now was the time to focus on building my strength and keeping a low profile. Zhuge Sa continued,

[Baek Woong. I have a question: what are your plans for the Heavenly Spirit Pill?]

Flinch.

Zhuge Sa struck a nerve.

‘Hmm…’

I had been swept up in events thus far and hadn’t had the chance to consider it, but it was indeed a crucial matter. Originally, I had thought getting the Heavenly Spirit Pill, which harnessed Infinite Internal Power, would grant me immense strength too. I could have died five times over for it, if necessary.

However, through the Twelve Temporal Pearls and information deciphered from the Thunder God Lineage’s Dharma Guardian, Lee Cheong-won, I had learned that the Heavenly Spirit Pill was akin to a poisoned apple. While it would be sufficient for mere human battles, the potential for fighting against divine beings or [the former overlord] would be completely negated, possibly making me nothing more than a puppet. To someone like me, who had lived through a previous life, the choice of the Heavenly Spirit Pill shared a proximity to disaster.

As I pondered, Zhuge Sa remarked,

[I can see your dilemma. If the Heavenly Spirit Pill were limited to this lifetime, it wouldn’t matter, but what if it continues into your next reincarnation? You would be completely barred from the opportunity to fight against gods.]

[Right. I’m thinking hard about what to do.]

[Then consider the fundamental reasons behind why you want the Heavenly Spirit Pill.]

[The fundamental reason…]

The root desire to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill was to become stronger. The moment I acquire it, the destructive power of my martial arts would increase dramatically. Although my internal power may be the highest after the Dharma Guardian, it still falls short compared to Infinite Internal Power. As I pondered this, Zhuge Sa continued,

[I would ensure to understand the contract of the Heavenly Spirit Pill clearly. The Book of Sorcery likely entails detailed accounts about the deities and demonic gods. And that grimoire is not inferior to the Anonymous Ritual Text. Thus, it would be prudent to obtain the Book of Sorcery held by the Sect Leader and have the prophet of Astana interpret it.]

[……!!]

[Furthermore, I would delve into whether there’s a way to nullify the contract of the Heavenly Spirit Pill or reassign some price in another manner.]

Zhuge Sa’s suggestions were absolutely spot on.

‘That’s it!’

The one who could offer the most precise help regarding the grimoire was none other than the prophet. I needed to seek out the prophet to inquire about the Book of Sorcery. Deciding whether to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Pill could come afterward. I posed a question to Zhuge Sa.

[So, acquiring the grimoire held by the Sect Leader has become a top priority?]

[In your current state, how would you go about stealing it from the Sect Leader? You’ve just lost your necklace and treasures, and you don’t even know where they’re being stored or how they’re managed.]

[……]

[This issue is one I can’t provide a clear answer on either. Therefore, it’s better to go to the prophet of Astana, inform them of the existence of the Book of Sorcery, and gather opinions regarding the Heavenly Spirit Pill. It’s far better than fumbling around in ignorance.]

[Hmm… When would be the best time to go see the prophet?]

[Since you’ve got slave management to handle right now, it won’t be possible for now. A month later would be a more suitable time.]

After saying that, Zhuge Sa chuckled as if it were amusing.

[Perhaps your useless talent is managing to avoid traps this time.]

[What?]

[Considering the Heavenly Spirit Pill and the overall course of your life, if things had gone smoothly, you would have encountered many more complications. This is more of a stroke of bad luck among bad luck.]

[……]

Bad luck among bad luck.

If that’s the case, then maybe it’s the very fact that I obtained the Heavenly Spirit Pill’s secret.