Reincarnation Sword God

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00419 天界 ————————————————————————=

I returned to the sealed place beneath the Shangguan family on the Four Great Spirits after recovering my body. There, Zhuge Sa was still lying in a comatose state, and Miho was nowhere to be seen. I slapped Zhuge Sa’s face hard, trying to wake him up, but he showed no signs of stirring.

‘Why isn’t he waking up?’

Typically, any human would be startled to the point of frenzy from such pain, but there was absolutely no response. As my hand turned red from the slaps, I feared I might knock out his teeth if I hit any harder. I tried to infuse my body’s meridians and bloodline with mysterious energy, and even attempted some Thunder God tortures, but Zhuge Sa just remained limp, suffering only physically while refusing to awaken. This level of discomfort should have made him react even while sleeping, so something was clearly off.

‘Keeping the Eight Trigram Seal up for too long disrupts the human nervous system. I need to withdraw it.’

With no other choice, I had to summon Yeodong-bin again, the one responsible for Zhuge Sa’s current state.

[Yeodong-bin. What did you do? Zhuge Sa isn’t waking up.]

Yeodong-bin replied casually as if it were of no concern.

[ I completely severed his spirit with my heart blade.]

[What?! You mean he’s dead?!]

[No. He’s just in that state until the influence of the heart blade wears off.]

I hurriedly said, [Please wake Zhuge Sa up. Without his intellect, we can’t navigate this situation.]

Yeodong-bin sensed the magical power surrounding Zhuge Sa and replied with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. [That guy is undoubtedly a vicious demon sorcerer… and yet you wish to trust someone so untrustworthy.]

[That’s true, but it’s precisely because of that type that there’s work to be done.]

[Hmph…]

When I spoke firmly, Yeodong-bin shrugged and swiped his fingers from left to right.

Pa-at!

“Gah!”

Suddenly, Zhuge Sa, who had been bleeding from his mouth, trembled and sat up. He seemed bewildered by the unexpected pain yet was surprisingly able to endure it with ease. Then, with a smirk, he addressed Yeodong-bin, who was descending upon me.

“Cough, that’s invigorating, Sword Master.”

Yeodong-bin replied coldly, [If you try to harm the Dharma Protector, I will not let you be.]

“Ehehe… I get it.”

Swish.

As Yeodong-bin’s divine connection faded, Zhuge Sa wiped the blood from his face and said to me, “It seems the Soul Exchange Technique will be released soon. But before that, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Recover the sacred relic used for the seal and give it to me now.”

‘……’

I glanced toward the seal. I suspected that the absorbed sacred relic could be found amidst the ruins of the shattered seal. It seemed that Shangguan Hyuk hadn’t had a chance to extract the absorbed relics and had hastily left for the surface. I had an inkling that I could recover the sacred relic using the All-Seeing Eye, but I replied curtly to Zhuge Sa.

“What do you need it for?”

“Are you really asking that? It’s boring being stuck in your head all the time.”

“Hmph…”

“With the sacred relic, even if your Soul Exchange Technique’s true state is lacking, I can fix my spirit to the Divine Portrait.”

Zhuge Sa explained with a grin. “It’s a really good proposal, isn’t it?”

Of course, it was a good proposal. I was growing weary of Zhuge Sa silently eavesdropping on my thoughts and sneering at me every so often. If he obtained a physical form, I would love to pummel him senseless.

Zhuge Sa’s independence was something to welcome in many ways. However, I had begun to curb my tendency to simplify matters, so I pondered Zhuge Sa’s proposal.

After a moment of thought, I asked, “What do you want?”

“I already told you. Give me my body.”

“You can’t be satisfied with just that. What’s your real intent?”

“Hahaha… So you do know to be suspicious.”

Zhuge Sa grinned smugly, then stroked his puffed-up cheeks with his palm, continuing, “To put it simply, it’s as if having two bodies isn’t enough? No matter how obedient you are to my plans, there are limits to what you can do in this urgent situation. I calculated that there are far too few opportunities for action. So, isn’t it more efficient if I just move myself?”

“……”

“Stopping the Heavenly Sovereign Plan in just 49 days is nearly impossible. If you want to increase the odds even a little, put your trust in me.”

“Wow, you’re quite the master of excuses! I can’t trust you yet.”

I growled. “How can I free you when I don’t know when you’ll stab me in the back?”

Initially, I had been filled with thoughts of quickly freeing Zhuge Sa in response to the side effects of the Soul Exchange Technique. However, as I shared thoughts with Zhuge Sa, I realized how formidable his cunning and strategies were, and I understood that allowing him to act freely would be extremely dangerous.

Reluctantly, I accepted that this guy was undoubtedly one of the best strategists in the current Central Plains. Plus, since Zhuge Sa held most of my past life’s memories, he could easily betray me more than anyone else in this world. It might be best to keep Zhuge Sa sealed in my mind for now.

Then, Zhuge Sa shrugged. “Fine, do as you please. Just know that I’m not sure you can fulfill all the demands I lay out.”

“Shut up. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just die. Zhuge Sa, don’t think you won’t make me a wasteland of regrets!”

“Hahahaha…”

After a while, Zhuge Sa’s mood darkened. The duration of the Soul Exchange Technique came to an end. At the same time, I felt his spirit being drawn back into me again. Zhuge Sa, regaining a portion of my mind, could be heard chuckling.

[Well then, esteemed Baek Woong. Let’s see how far you can go on your own.]

“Shut up. I’ll recover the sacred relic first.”

Activating the All-Seeing Eye!

Using the All-Seeing Eye, I pulled the original sacred relic absorbed within the sealing barrier into my hands. Although it was a relic obtained from the West, its actual power was no different from that of a treasure, and having it would provide limitless uses in the future.

‘My magical energy has risen.’

Then, I went upstairs to find Shangguan Hyuk. Shangguan Hyuk was staring blankly at the sky on the top floor, his complexion somewhat pale as if he were completely drained. I approached him from behind and spoke.

“I’ll be taking the sacred relic.”

“Do as you wish. My mission is complete, and I no longer need the sacred relic.”

“Well…”

As I turned to leave, Shangguan Hyuk suddenly spoke.

“Baek Woong, do you know the real reason why the Heavenly Sovereign cannot abandon Luoyang?”

I paused and turned to look at him. Shangguan Hyuk, who had been staring blankly at the sky, continued.

“There are two gods in Luoyang.”

“Two?”

I glanced at him in confusion.

“Why two? The one pulling the strings behind the Imperial Palace was clearly just one…”

Was it the Sleeper of Enkai, that “old ruler”? That entity manipulated the darkness of the Imperial Palace, continually partaking in human sacrifices in return for granting power to the Imperial Palace forces, including the Vermilion Bird. In certain situations, it even summoned apostles or came forth itself to push the Master of the White Lotus Sect to the brink of death. Its presence was so intense that it could not be forgotten.

But I had never heard of two rulers of the Demon Subduing Hall. As I stared at Shangguan Hyuk, he groaned in agony.

“… Ugh, it’s hard to say any more. My mental strength can’t hold out.”

“Eh? You’re just talking about information; what mental strength…?”

When I refuted him in disbelief, Shangguan Hyuk wore an expression of genuine pain and shouted. His eyes were bloodshot.

“The dark myths and knowledge devour one’s reason and mental strength with merely possessing knowledge! Just knowing can make one feel the call of the old ruler. Right now, I can only give you clues, and it’s difficult for me to say more…!!”

“…….”

Just knowing makes you go crazy?

I felt even more puzzled and replied to Shangguan Hyuk. “I feel like I’ve gathered quite a bit of knowledge, and I haven’t had any signs of that…”

“Impossible. The madness of ancient knowledge is a fate that even the strongest otherworldly races cannot escape.”

Shangguan Hyuk said sternly before uttering a ‘clue’ with great difficulty. “… Baek Woong. This city of Luoyang is a strange city. Do you know why…?”

He seemed to be avoiding direct mentions to save his mental state.

“……”

“This city is fundamentally unsuitable as the capital of a great empire. Because it’s difficult to defend in case of an encirclement from outsiders, it has significant weaknesses in the southern terrain, and there are many places to defend given its convenient transportation. Since the Warring States period, many noble clans chose Luoyang as their capital, but they realized the profound problems with that choice and contemplated countermeasures. Moreover, when the northern barbarian tribes established their dynasty, they seriously discussed moving to Yanqing due to geographical conditions. That was precisely the capital relocation plan that Yongle Emperor aggressively pushed forward.”

This was something I had never heard before. It was not explained in any simple books either. I listened intently as Shangguan Hyuk continued.

“But Yongle Emperor did not move the capital despite having his foundation in Yanqing.”

After saying that, Shangguan Hyuk continued as if he suddenly remembered. “No… that’s not right. It might be a problem from before that. Even Zhu Yuanzhang, who founded the Ming Dynasty, did not move the capital from Luoyang. Despite the inefficiencies, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty maintained Luoyang as their capital. Given Zhu Yuanzhang’s bitter experience with the invasion of the Yuan Dynasty, how could he retain a city so disadvantageous for defense? Ideally, Nanjing should have been appropriate.”

“What does that mean?”

“Both Zhu Yuanzhang and Yongle Emperor wanted to relocate the capital from Luoyang. However, there were reasons why they had no choice but to give up.”

For a moment, Shangguan Hyuk fell silent before speaking again.

“Baek Woong… right now, your mind is filled with thoughts of stopping the Heavenly Sovereign Plan, but… think about what the Heavenly Sovereign is trying so hard to protect… The advice I can give you is all I have…”

Because Shangguan Hyuk was dragging out the conversation, I could only grumble. “Really… why not just say it plainly instead of beating around the bush?”

“Ugh. I can’t wrap my head around how you can have so much knowledge about the Path of Demons and still be sane… And yet, you are the descendant of the Heavenly Sovereign Plan…”

Shangguan Hyuk, looking at me with disbelief in his eyes, let out a sigh. “Baek Woong, you must keep in mind that… there may exist the most dire and despairing worst-case scenario…”

Swoosh.

Shangguan Hyuk’s figure melted into the shadows and vanished. It seemed to be one of the magical techniques he was acquainted with. I thought I could easily chase him down with the All-Seeing Eye and the Four Great Spirits, but it seemed pointless, so I dropped the matter. I had a hunch that if I captured Shangguan Hyuk and tortured him, he might lose his sanity before I could extract the information I wanted.

Instead, I left the Shangguan family and headed to a quiet place, then asked Zhuge Sa.

[Hey. Can you explain what Shangguan Hyuk just said?]

[Hmm… It’s simple. He metaphorically suggested what might happen if the Master of the White Lotus released the ‘Battle Ground’ in Luoyang.]

[Battle Ground…]

I suddenly recalled what Zhuge Sa had told me in the past.

[I’m talking about the mythic level barrier from the Era of Great Yu.]

[Great Yu divided the Nine Regions and introduced the concept of the world. While it isn’t well known, the concept of the Nine Regions carries great significance in the Daoist Community. The royal territories of the Nine Regions essentially symbolize the realms of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.]

[Most sorcerers know about the powerful barrier that has existed in Luoyang since the Mythological Age. It has simply merged with the earth so well that hardly anyone feels its signs.]

[The alchemist is on the side of the otherworldly races. So what would be the reason for trying to break the Battle Ground with the Divine Portrait? Something must be sealed in Luoyang. That’s what it means.]

“……”

Upon recalling the past, my face stiffened with dread. I hurriedly interrogated Zhuge Sa.

“Zhuge Sa, you… knew about the Battle Ground, didn’t you?”

[Did I ever say I didn’t know?]

I exploded with anger. “Damn it! Why wouldn’t you tell me something you were so busy about? What’s your scheme?”

[Hmph… I didn’t mention it because it’s a barrier I can’t do anything about.]

“What?”

[We don’t know who made that barrier, nor what’s sealed within. It’s assuredly not a human-made barrier, and thus no sorcerer can do anything about it. Worrying about such an unidentified barrier will only bring you more worry lines. Throughout its existence in Luoyang for a thousand years, countless sorcerers have attempted to manipulate the barrier, but it’s all been meaningless.]

“But you knew something was sealed in Luoyang. I thought it was a seal that Shangguan Hyuk was guarding, but Yeodong-bin said it wasn’t. So what is it then?”

I shot him a sharp glance, and Zhuge Sa replied tersely.

[How would I know? Why are you asking me? Doesn’t it seem odd that I’d know what that is?]

“……”

[You seem to be under the impression that I’m your servant, but you’re the one who refuses to let me be independent. As long as I’m in your head, you can’t ask me anything. Stop saying absurd things and do your work.]

“Ugh…”

Something felt off. Zhuge Sa’s attitude was markedly different from before. Yet, I couldn’t comprehend why this unease was emerging, so I scratched my head and remarked.

“Is that why you can’t maintain your mental strength when you know it?”

[Hahaha… something like that.]

Zhuge Sa replied ominously.

[In any case, the Master of the White Lotus may have the chance to break Luoyang’s Battle Ground by means other than magic. You need to recognize that possibility.]

“Does that mean there’s no choice but to talk to the Master again?”

Although the Master had told me to go find a way and sent me off, it seemed I would need to have another in-depth discussion with him. I returned to the Master to inquire about my doubts, but upon hearing the mention of the Battle Ground, the Master was startled and said.

[What? Was there something like that?]

“Yes… perhaps the Heavenly Sovereign is concerned about it…”

[I don’t know. But I can’t guess how to break that barrier… I didn’t conquer Luoyang with that intention either. I didn’t even know there was a barrier there.]

The Master seemed to be in genuine distress.

“……”

The Master didn’t know, yet the Master of the White Lotus intends to break the Barrier?

Why does the Heavenly Sovereign think so?

I felt perplexed by the bizarre situation. But no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t find an answer, so the Master of the White Lotus spoke up.

[It seems unavoidable. I guess we’ll have to wait for the Twelve Joules’ allied response.]

I had the unsettling feeling that I might have let something slide when there was indeed something I could do. For some reason, this feeling was familiar, which added to my anxiety.