Reincarnation Sword God

---

Chapter 5 – Dark Heaven Village

“I was going to move directly using Jeon Wook’s powers.”

“……”

“What are you doing?”

But it didn’t work. I had the sensation of how to use the ability and manage time, yet the crucial [power] wheel wouldn’t budge. It felt like it would get pushed if I kept forcing it, but for some reason, it sent a shiver down my spine.

‘The Apostle’s powers aren’t inherited in the next life…’

A bit disappointing, I suppose. If that’s the case, Jeon Wook wouldn’t treat me as an Apostle either. Heading towards Bongraido and Ogeocheonmun in this situation would probably mean certain death. I decided to check on the terminal linked to the Great Immortal while I was at it.

Swoosh…

“Um…”

The terminal with Jang Sam-bong was disconnected.

The terminal with Fire Dragon Incarnate was too.

‘Did Jeon Wook cut off my ties with them when he told me to return to the Celestial Realm back then?’

To think that a single command could eradicate the terminal of the Great Immortal—it was truly the work of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. At that time, Jeon Wook clearly intended to take me to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace, so he likely found terminals to be an unnecessary hassle and disposed of them. But amidst that, I noticed one terminal still remained.

Yeodong-bin.

The connection with him was still intact.

Perhaps at that time, he sealed the Sea God and obliterated himself, but that event seemed to only pertain to that life. Even if existence was erased, it appeared that ties carried on from the previous life couldn’t be severed.

I decided to test it out and called for Yeodong-bin.

[Are you my connection existing in this era?]

Pa-at!

Yeodong-bin appeared before me like an apparition. I felt tears welling up as I saw his figure.

“Ugh…”

Indeed. I sacrificed Yeodong-bin in the last life to defeat the Sea God, yet failed to save the world thereafter due to a lack of overwhelming power. Guilt washed over me for the spirit of Yeodong-bin, who had volunteered to become the seal of the Sea God by sacrificing himself.

‘I’m sorry.’

I wiped my tears and spoke to Yeodong-bin.

[Ah… No. I’ll call you next time.]

[Got it.]

As Yeodong-bin returned, I sighed. I then turned to Guk-ho, who had been standing beside me.

“I thought it would be easy to move, but it seems it won’t work like that. Let’s head to Shandong for now.”

“Shandong? Why there…?”

“Because there’s an easier way to move.”

Tydaht!

I ran along with Guk-ho to Shandong. However, an issue arose while we were running.

“Ugh! Hah! Hah! Hey… wait a minute!”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s take a break! What kind of internal power…?”

Guk-ho collapsed in exhaustion after running hundreds of li. I looked at him in disbelief, but Guk-ho, drenched in sweat like a waterfall, jumped into a nearby stream. His head popped out from above the water.

“You’re the abnormal one! How can a human run over seven hundred li without getting tired? This is definitely not the internal power of an ordinary human.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve never run so hard in my life.”

“Right. Let’s take a little break.”

Tydaht!

I lit a fire and gathered a few rabbits and wild boars nearby to roast. It felt like camping out after a long time. Guk-ho, sitting across from me while grilling meat, asked,

“Since you said to keep going, what’s your goal?”

“My goal…”

Guk-ho looked at me with anticipation in his eyes.

“You’re one of the Thunder God Lineage experts, right? Are you going to eradicate the White Lotus Sect?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his words.

“It seems like we can’t have a conversation right now. Just know that’s not my goal.”

“What? So what’s your objective?”

“……”

I really didn’t know what to say. Would Guk-ho understand if I told him about the shadowy side of this world, the truth about the White Lotus Sect, and the colossal divine beings known as the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, along with the [Old Ruler] and the secrets surrounding the Seven Luminaries? Trying to do something about the White Lotus Sect in this situation seemed meaningless, and there was no way Guk-ho would grasp that.

‘I need to find the Golden Lamp quickly.’

Moving on foot was far too inefficient. I muttered to myself, “Let’s meditate for a moment and keep going.”

“Understood.”

Thus, we crossed mountains and rivers using Light Body Technique until we finally arrived in Shandong. Although I delayed for a few days due to drinking, it seemed the Great Dragon Merchant Association’s upper immortal hadn’t set sail yet. They departed roughly every twenty days, so the schedule was still lenient. Without waiting for nightfall, I immediately used the Soul Removal Technique to sneak into the storage.

Swoosh!

Among the merchants and Guardian Warriors of the Great Dragon Merchant Association, no one seemed to catch the faintest inclination of my movement. The moment I acquired the Golden Lamp from my memorized spot, I headed straight to where the Heavenly Secret was located.

Ting!

After flicking a trap guarding the Heavenly Secret with my finger, I took it into my hand. However, I could no longer view the Heavenly Secret with the same lightheartedness as before.

‘What on earth is this?’

The moment I pledged to give everything to the Three Sovereigns and [Old Ruler], I was engulfed by an unfathomable phenomenon. Even the most revered divine beings in the entire universe seemed clueless as to what was happening. It was evident this dubious Demon Book was related to the Heavenly Secret I had acquired, yet what kind of power had it bestowed upon me?

I brushed off those stray thoughts and returned to the location where Guk-ho was waiting. I turned to him and said, “I’m about to show you the hidden side of this world, so gather your thoughts well.”

“Whoa! I’m already scared to death. Let’s go.”

“I warned you.”

Tydaht!

The location I teleported to was none other than Luoyang’s Great Jail. This place, near Luoyang, was filled with prisoners secretly captured by General Hwang Yeon, Duke of Guanzhong, and the Golden Eagle Guard. I headed straight to the heart of Great Thunder Valley, addressing Guk-ho.

“What do we do? Are we freeing the hostages or are we going to fight the monster waiting below?”

“A monster?”

“It’s a monster that surpasses human common sense.”

Guk-ho pondered for a moment and replied, “…Let’s skip it. Thinking about it, it’s too dangerous.”

“Good thought.”

“Please explain things to me properly later.”

I confirmed once again that Guk-ho was rational. In fact, during the initial raid of Great Thunder Valley, Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong had suffered psychological trauma from the Giant Toad’s lethal strikes. A martial artist without measures against demons could easily be killed regardless of their peak expertise. It was also the reason why Sorcerers and ancient techniques were absolutely necessary.

Swoosh!

I descended and took down the Giant Toad. After collecting the treasures and Wooden Armor from the cave, I exited. Though other items were trivial, the Wooden Armor was essential for easily storing numerous tools, so it was the second most important acquisition after the Heavenly Secret and Golden Lamp.

Once outside, I saw Guk-ho had already cut through the bars, freeing the hostages, making it convenient to sweep them all into the Wooden Armor.

Next, I collected the Silver Phoenix Fragment from Taekyung Village and, accompanied by Guk-ho, headed towards Mount Huang, where the Water Element of Seven Luminaries was. I prioritized collecting the gold bars, then spilled blood on the altar to open the door at the back of the altar.

Instead of going directly to the designated area, I asked Guk-ho, “Do you feel any demons up there?”

“Hmm. It seems so.”

“Can you defeat it alone?”

“Probably…?”

I folded my arms and said, “What a thing. There are demons everywhere in the world.”

“Hmm… How surprising.”

“That one’s just a small fry, so catch it quickly and let’s get out.”

Bam!

I easily captured the Guardian Giant Spider that was safeguarding the Water Element alongside Guk-ho. After obtaining the Water Element, I stored it in the Wooden Armor. Next, I dissected the spider to retrieve the landlord’s spiritual sword.

While Guk-ho watched me calmly sorting the treasures, he asked, “Where did you learn to move like this?”

“I’ve been doing this for as long as I can remember.”

“What?”

“Even a fool could do it.”

I replied and headed outside, gathering the Black and White Lotus and Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, which I then tossed inside. I then made my way to Guang Chengzi’s ruins.

‘Since I’m already going to get it, might as well prepare ahead.’

Tydaht!

I obtained the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate located within the ruins in Guang Chengzi and placed it inside the Wooden Armor. This gate was as precious as a treasure, probably a great aid to Mangnyang. Next up was Dongyoung’s mine, where I started mining Obsidian, shocking Guk-ho, who was working nearby.

“What… what is this? Like I own the world…”

“I told you. I’ll show you a world beyond your imagination.”

“Whoa, this is beyond expectations, but it’s a bit too much.”

After mining the Obsidian, I suddenly remembered I’d forgotten something.

“Oh right. I’ll need to get that beforehand.”

I moved to the dwelling of the self-proclaimed Miyamoto Musashi, whose real name is Sasaki Kojiro, and barged in without hesitation.

Bam!

“Ugh… who the…”

“Hand over the Book of Five Relationships.”

“Ugh. I’d rather die.”

I placed my hand on Sasaki Kojiro’s head, who was lying helpless on the ground, and activated the Soul Exchange Technique. He resisted for a bit, struggling since I wasn’t yet at the peak level, but after maintaining it for half a moment, his eyes gradually began to loosen. I said to Kojiro, “Hand over the Book of Five Relationships.”

“Understood…”

Kojiro seemed to have hidden the Book of Five Relationships under the tatami in his back room. As he brought it to me with both hands, I told him, “I’m sorry for today’s incident, but I’ll make sure to get you a good job later.”

“……”

Tydaht!

After snatching the Book of Five Relationships, I took a moment to catch my breath before reaching the inn in front of the Zhongnan Sect. This was the place I remembered visiting during a time I joined Jin So-cheong to break the Zhongnan Sect, and the food was actually quite decent.

While I was enjoying a meal, Guk-ho asked, “You snatched someone else’s secret techniques…”

I slurped up some noodles and replied, “It’s because the techniques didn’t suit him anyway.”

“What’s clear is that you’re not a righteous hero.”

Guk-ho teased as I smiled back.

“Being a righteous hero is too much of a burden.”

Guk-ho cautiously asked me, “Collecting this many fortuitous encounters and treasures… are you really planning to take down the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Hmm?”

What’s this all about?

Scratching my head, I responded, “I don’t really understand why you’re so obsessed with the Master.”

“He’s the one who drove the Thunder God Lineage out and created all this misfortune.”

“… Have you never thought that even the Master could just be another victim swept away by fate?”

At my rebuttal, Guk-ho stared at me blankly. Then, in disbelief, he said, “Are you crazy? For a Thunder God Lineage expert to worry about the Master of the White Lotus Sect is absurd…”

“Oh… now that you mention it, that’s true.”

“You’re truly a remarkable person.”

Remarkable person.

I reflected on those words. I certainly must seem so. Do I really feel any sense of belonging to the Thunder God Lineage?

While enjoying delicious food, I turned to Guk-ho and asked, “So, Guk-ho. Do you want to know the truth soon, or do you want to take down the bad guys with your own hands?”

“I don’t know what you mean, but if it’s about the latter, I can efficiently finish them off.”

“To clarify, it’s not a proposal made out of pure goodwill.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m trying to make you my accomplice so that you can’t escape from this predicament. Once you know the truth, you might want to kill me. And letting you know the truth and then letting you go could become a significant variable, and that’s dangerous.”

Listening to my words, Guk-ho calmly replied, “It sounds chillingly cold. You consider that killing me at this point, huh?”

“I’d rather not if possible. To be honest, I didn’t plan to drag you into this at all.”

That was the truth. However, due to the bond formed by liquor, I was reluctantly enduring this nuisance of bringing Guk-ho along this life.

Gazing at him with a cold expression, I said, “I want to see if you can be my companion.”

“Is this a test?”

I nodded. If Guk-ho could accept it until the very end, I would consider him a companion to share the Obsidian with in the future. I could shoulder that responsibility.

“What are you going to do, Guk-ho?”

“……”

Guk-ho pondered for a while, arms crossed, and then said, “I’ll do it. Since it’s come to this, I want to know everything until the end.”

“Alright then.”

I began explaining to Guk-ho about the Blood Blade Group and what kinds of horrors were carried out inside. Since it was essential to prepare him beforehand—who could be overwhelmed by tremendous rage—this explanation was crucial.

As expected, just by explaining, Guk-ho showed a visibly angry expression.

“I could kill without feeling guilty.”

“Well then, let’s go.”

Tydaht!

“Gahhh!”

I headed towards the place where the leader of the Blood Blade Group was, starting a massacre with Guk-ho. Literally slaughtering everything in sight, Guk-ho wielded the Thunder God Lineage spear techniques, skewering pirates like kebabs.

‘I made the right call bringing him along.’

Originally, doing it all alone would’ve been tedious, but with Guk-ho’s help, it became much easier. While Guk-ho was busy slaughtering outside, I rescued Seo Mun-hye and the hostages underground, beginning a complete annihilation of the pirates with her assistance.

Thud!

Guk-ho, irritably tossing a pirate’s head to the ground, exclaimed, “I had no idea such bad individuals existed in this world.”

At that moment, Seo Mun-hye approached us, expressing her gratitude.

“Thanks to the two great heroes.”

“Ahaha, such a small matter.”

Guk-ho’s mood seemed to brighten immediately upon receiving thanks from the beautiful Seo Mun-hye, and I felt oddly relieved watching his expression.

‘As expected, Guk-ho is still Guk-ho.’

I had worried that revealing the hidden side of the world would distort Guk-ho, but it seemed his free-spirited nature could handle it. After rescuing the hostages, I completed the post-processing within a day and came outside with the black tokens.

And now, it was time to remind Guk-ho.

“Now, you’ll meet my companion, and you’ll uncover the truth.”

“I’m prepared.”

“Well then.”

Tydaht!

I made my way to Jinrang Valley, where Mangnyang was located. I found Mangnyang around the well, drinking water, and handed him the Obsidian.

“Take this.”

“Cough! Who are you?!”

Startled, Mangnyang looked shocked, while Guk-ho looked at me uncertainly.

“… You seriously don’t seem like a companion…”

“……”

“What’s going on? You seem to be experts from Jianghu.”

“This Obsidian has the ability to transmit memories.”

I held the Obsidian forward and continued, “And once you receive this memory, you’re probably going to let out a sigh.”

“……?”

“Let go of my hand. Quickly, take it.”

With a puzzled look, Mangnyang seemed to have no choice but to comply, saying, “Understood.”

Whoooosh!

As Mangnyang took the Obsidian and received the memory transmission, he stood there blankly, contemplating for a moment. I watched him anxiously, and as expected, Mangnyang sighed.

“Phew… I knew it. How did you know I was going to let out a sigh?”

“Because you’ve done it a lot until now…”

“Haha. I hope the day comes when I won’t sigh anymore.”

Mangnyang smiled bitterly.

“Come on inside. This time, let’s win.”