Reincarnation Sword God

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00468 Dark Heaven Village ————————————————————————

When I arrived at Anhui Province, where the Master of Shadowless Sword was, the atmosphere of the Namgung Clan had changed completely. The once grand buildings had shrunk to less than half their size, and I could clearly see that the number of clan members had also decreased significantly. When I asked the Master of Shadowless Sword what had happened, he simply replied.

“I arrested all those involved in wicked deeds and handed them over to the government office, expelling all the incompetent ones. Naturally, this led to a reduction in numbers.”

“Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Of course, it may be troublesome now due to the loss of people, but for the restoration of the Namgung Clan’s honor, it’s unavoidable. This isn’t a clan that would fall apart just because those kinds of people are gone.”

The Master of Shadowless Sword replied casually and then asked me,

“What happened to the Sword Demon?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

After hearing the backstory from me, he seemed to ponder for a moment before saying,

“Using that convenient technique called Golden Lamp, one can move in an instant; it certainly raises doubts about the Sword Demon’s safety.”

“Will you accompany me to Luoyang?”

“You mean the possibility of fighting the Dharma Guardian of the Fire Spirit Techniques?”

“In the worst case, that could be true.”

“……”

The Master of Shadowless Sword was in deep thought. Then he spoke with difficulty.

“If I fall and die there, the Namgung Clan will be completely doomed. It’s too great of a gamble.”

At those words, I narrowed my eyes slightly.

“What do you mean? You’re concerned about the safety of the Sword Demon, yet you’re worried about the Namgung Clan’s survival right now?”

He hesitated and turned his gaze elsewhere.

“While cutting down Myung-yi and the Eight Swords of Namgung was the right decision for justice, it’s solely my responsibility to inherit the clan’s martial lineage completely. It will take at least five years to nurture someone to shoulder the Namgung Clan. If I die or go missing in this situation, the Namgung Clan will face annihilation…”

“No way…”

I felt a surge of anger welling up but couldn’t bring myself to speak it. Instead, I felt a strong sense of disconnect.

‘The Master of Shadowless Sword doesn’t know that I possess the ability to reincarnate, so he’s prioritizing the clan’s safety first!’

If he knew about my reincarnation ability, he wouldn’t have this attitude. He would understand how important it is to rescue the Sword Demon right now and would cooperate. But for him, life is singular, so he naturally thinks first of himself and his clan. Moreover, it seems there isn’t any obligation for the Master of Shadowless Sword to protect the Sword Demon or the Shadowless Alliance by abandoning his clan.

I wanted to explode in anger, but having been in his position for so long during my reincarnation, I managed to suppress it and said to him,

“I can understand your concerns. But aren’t the Shadowless Alliance and the Shadowless Gate parts of your merchant sect as well? Don’t you worry about the Sword Demon, who is their only successor?”

The Master of Shadowless Sword was flustered, which was unusual for him.

“…There’s nothing certain yet. Let’s wait just a bit longer.”

“Understood. Then I will act alone.”

“I’m sorry.”

I turned away coldly and started to walk off. And I honestly felt relieved.

‘What an unexpectedly profitable situation!’

I had figured out what kind of person the Master of Shadowless Sword was, and that was a win. He has a strong sense of justice and adopts a righteous stance, but ultimately, he couldn’t stray from the fundamental premise of protecting his family and blood relations. It was good to have gotten a grasp on whether I could trust him in a critical moment.

Tydaht

I began to speed towards Luoyang from Anhui. It was quite a long way, but with my Light Body Technique, I felt I would arrive sooner rather than later.

After how long had I run, seeing the familiar outer city walls of Luoyang, I began to discreetly unfold my Divine Technique. Taking advantage of the guards’s gaze shifting at an angle, I swiftly climbed over the city wall. As I gracefully infiltrated inside, a vast space leading to the inner city caught my eye.

‘Should I go straight to the Han Clan…’

As I approached the area near the inner city where the Twin Gate Sect was located, I fell into contemplation. I had been thinking about this since I left, but charging straight into the Han Clan now was not a wise decision. The Fire Spirit Techniques’ experts and Han Baek-ryeong were likely swarming in there; taking a wrong step could easily lead to death. Moreover, if I barged in and found out that the Sword Demon wasn’t even there, it would be quite a tricky situation afterward.

Right now, I hadn’t come to fight the Fire Spirit techniques; the most important thing was to find the whereabouts of the Sword Demon.

In that case, I needed to spy on the Han Clan and make contact with someone who could provide that information. But considering that the Han Clan itself is affiliated with the Fire Spirit Techniques, even the Open Team likely hadn’t been able to touch its essence. After pondering for a while, I decided to go find someone I could ask for help in Luoyang.

Slipping in…

I cautiously entered the Shangguan family’s medical clinic and headed for the upper floor. The people in the clinic were so focused on medical practices that they seemed oblivious to my presence. Arriving on the upper floor, I sensed someone’s aura from an inner room.

Knowing the identity of that aura, I sent a secret transmission to him from the hallway.

[Sangguan Hyuk. I have something to discuss, so please arrange a moment.]

[Alright.]

Before long, the physician Sangguan Hyuk led me into a separate room, and I found myself alone with him. Although he looked at me with a harsh glare, he nonetheless brewed tea for me. I gazed at the tea, lost in thought.

“You’re not trying to poison it, are you?”

“Then don’t drink it. If I were trying to poison a skilled person like you, I wouldn’t resort to such a simple method. I would have used colorless and odorless poison or forbidden substances.”

His voice was laced with thorns. I chuckled softly and replied,

“Is there any reason for you to be angry with me? After all, I helped you seal something you’ve guarded your entire life; wouldn’t that make me your benefactor?”

“I appreciate that. However, I still can’t forget that you came out of nowhere and threatened my life.”

“You’re being narrow-minded.”

“……”

Sangguan Hyuk didn’t respond, drinking his tea instead. Then he spoke.

“You must have a reason for visiting me. Speak.”

“Do you know the Sword Demon of the Shadowless Alliance, Seo Mun-dae-ryong?”

“Of course, I know. He’s one of the most famous figures in the Jianghu right now.”

“I heard he recently visited the Han Clan. If you have any information about him, please share it with me.”

“Why are you asking me this? I’m just a physician, after all.”

“I thought that you might know.”

I gazed confidently at Sangguan Hyuk. Even if the Open Team or the Duke of Guanzhong didn’t know, he was likely to have the information since he was a Demon Sorcerer and a confidant planted in Luoyang by the Master of the White Lotus Sect, monitoring information using any means necessary. Additionally, since the Master of the White Lotus Sect is also used to keep an eye on the Fire Spirit Techniques, he would be aware of it.

As I kept staring at him, Sangguan Hyuk eventually sighed.

“Sigh… Since I owe you a debt of gratitude, I’ll tell you something special. But before that, I want to ask a question.”

“What is it?”

“What happened to the Fire Dragon Sword? I’ve been so curious about it that I haven’t been able to sleep.”

I pulled out the Fire Dragon Sword from my wooden armor. Normally, grasping the Fire Dragon Sword would burn my hands due to the extreme fire energy, but having served as a medium for the Power of the Fire Spirit for a long time, I was now able to hold it without any burns. My palm felt warm, but I was able to grasp it nonetheless.

“As you can see, it’s safe.”

“Hmm… To be able to hold the Fire Dragon Sword intact… you must be recognized as its master or possess a very pure lineage.”

“However, it hasn’t awakened yet. If it had, you would already be dead right here.”

“I know.”

The Fire Dragon Sword, a divine weapon of Bashe, had an instinct to kill anything belonging to the Demon Sorcerers or its ilk. Sangguan Hyuk must have been hoping to see the Fire Dragon Sword at the cost of his own life. After staring at the Fire Dragon Sword for a while, Sangguan Hyuk finally said,

“It’s true that the Sword Demon entered the Han Clan and held some sort of meeting. And he hasn’t come out since.”

I felt a sinking sensation in my chest but managed to keep my expression neutral as I replied,

“He hasn’t come out?”

“You probably know, but I’m a Demon Sorcerer, so I’ve been monitoring all of Luoyang using the sorcery techniques of the Path of Demons. Among them, the Han Clan is particularly important, so I’ve been watching it closely with my shadow spirits. However, none of my shadow spirits have seen the Sword Demon come out.”

“……”

“The Sword Demon is probably still within the Han Clan.”

There’s clearly an issue going on.

‘He might have used the Golden Lamp for escape… but then it’s hard to explain why he hasn’t directly returned through the Shadowless Gate.’

Either way, I must find out the whereabouts of the Sword Demon within the Han Clan. While I was deep in thought, Sangguan Hyuk spoke up.

“In my opinion, if you really want to find the Sword Demon, you should be prepared to risk your life. If the clan leader of the Han Clan has killed or imprisoned the Sword Demon, they will not want that fact to be known outside. You won’t be able to avoid a confrontation with the Han Clan.”

“……”

“I don’t know what your relationship with the Sword Demon is, but I recommend that you give up. If you fight against the Han Clan, even the Leader of the Nine Great Sects could end up dead.”

I replied calmly,

“That’s for me to decide, so mind your own business.”

“I was giving a sincere warning because you’re my benefactor who cleared my debt… but do as you wish.”

“I intended to do it my way.”

As I tried to step back from Sangguan Hyuk, he grabbed my sleeve, looking a bit troubled.

“Damn… Just wait a moment.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t just let my benefactor die like this. Let me introduce someone who can help you.”

I became intrigued.

“Who is it?”

“Just wait half a moment. He will definitely be of help to you.”

“Understood.”

Realizing that if I charged into the Han Clan now, I would have no choice but to fight Han Baek-ryeong to the death, I decided to wait for the “helper” that Sangguan Hyuk had mentioned.

For half a moment, we spoke about the Grand Master Myung-ho and medical techniques. Time seemed to fly as we found we had so much to discuss.

After half a moment had passed, just as Sangguan Hyuk had said, someone arrived at the Shangguan family. This visitor strode confidently up to the upper floor of the Shangguan Clan and entered the separate room, while Sangguan Hyuk immediately stood up and politely bowed to him.

“My Lord, thank you for coming.”

“My Lord” stroked his beard and said,

“It’s been a while, Physician. Have you encountered an event that warrants my direct summon?”

“Indeed. It’s for the sake of assisting my benefactor… your strength is absolutely needed.”

The person referred to as “my Lord” glanced at me intently and said,

“Is this the one?”

“Yes, indeed.”

I felt a strong aura radiating from the “my Lord.” In an instant, I clenched my fist tightly.

‘D- Did I just hear that right… “Deung Gwak”?’

I had definitely heard that name before.

He was once a sworn brother to my former master, the Azure Dragon, Lee Kwang.

And he is one of the officials leading the current Great Ming Empire, the head of the Clear Stream Faction!

Having only heard about him until now, the infamous Deung Gwak had now appeared right before my eyes.