Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 5 – Dark Heaven Village

“Yeon Royal Family?”

I looked at Yeon Jong-hwi in shock as he began to share his story.
“I, Yeon Jong-hwi, hail from Seokha County near Qinhuangdao. Until the age of five, I grew up completely oblivious to the world. But from that point on, my parents began sharing tales of our family’s past and the secret martial arts technique passed down through generations. It has been around twenty-three years since I stepped into Jianghu.”

“What do you mean by Yeon Royal Family?”

“I am a descendant of the ancient Yeon royal family.”

I was dumbfounded by his words.
“Are you saying you are from the Yeon clan of the Warring States period?”

If so, that bloodline was something extraordinary. As a descendant of the Yeon royal family that existed long before Qin Shi Huang’s State of Qin, the history and tradition must be significant. After all, it was a dynasty from at least a thousand years ago. Yeon Jong-hwi then bitterly replied,
“To be honest, over the course of fifty-three generations, there has been so much intermingling of blood that I can’t be certain I’m that rightful descendant. I only took the family’s secret martial arts technique to be a shred of evidence.”

“And what about that black bow?”

“This too is said to be a treasure passed down from the royal family, known as the Ink-scaled Long Bow.”

Yeon Jong-hwi lifted the Ink-scaled Long Bow and aimed it forward. However, the bowstring was missing, and it looked impossible to shoot an arrow even if one was present. I raised an eyebrow at his odd display, but he simply waved his other hand in the air as if there was a string, and then he shot something.
[Pew!]

Moments later, a dark hole appeared in a rock that was about ten paces away. Lowering his bow, Yeon Jong-hwi said,
“This is the power of the Ink-scaled Long Bow. Even without a bowstring, it can be shot, as it continually absorbs the user’s Qi to condense an invisible arrow. The power of the arrow, as you can see…”

“……!!”

“The efficiency of the Qi is remarkable.”

I gasped.
“I heard that Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa tested that bow but got no reaction!”

“Only blood of the pure Yeon royal family can wield it.”

If that was true, the Ink-scaled Long Bow was an incredible treasure. Not quite a precious artifact, but certainly a divine bow of unparalleled quality. Yeon Jong-hwi continued,
“Even with such martial arts and treasures, I couldn’t be certain I was a royal descendant, and I questioned whether I should restore the royal family. So, as soon as I achieved mastery of my family’s martial arts, I left for Jianghu and was searching for a certain location.”

“And where is that?”

“Zhongnan Mountain.”

Zhongnan Mountain?

His unexpected answer made me tilt my head in confusion. He explained,
“My parents told me that if I visited Zhongnan Mountain before they passed away, I would uncover the source of my bloodline. That’s why I was on my way there when I got captured.”

“Hmm… what did you plan to do once you arrived?”

“I would have scoured the mountain. Surely they were referring to treasures or divine artifacts.”

Now I understood Yeon Jong-hwi’s actions. After stepping into Jianghu, he wandered about pursuing justice, and then by coincidence stopped by the Namgung Clan and became a guest fighter. He was on his way to Zhongnan Mountain when he encountered us.

Looking at him, I said,
“The enemies I aim to confront are incredibly powerful. The White Lotus Sect, the Imperial Palace, and the Twelve Joules… even considering human factions alone, they are extraordinarily formidable. Soon, we’ll be battling against divine beings.”

“……”

“If you want to back out right now, just say the word. I can erase your memory and send you back to Zhongnan Mountain.”

“No, I will join you as well.”

Yeon Jong-hwi replied resolutely.
“It was just a wandering life without any grand purpose. If I can do something righteous to change the world, how could I not participate? Please allow me to join you.”

“… Very well.”

I decided to completely accept Yeon Jong-hwi as a companion.
“If he turned out to be useless, I could have applied the Soul Exchange Technique to use him and then discarded him.”

Yeon Jong-hwi was not that kind of person. In some way, he had passed my test. I informed Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang that Yeon Jong-hwi had joined us, and they reacted in surprise.

“You actually succeeded at something that seemed highly unlikely.”

“So what? Success is what matters.”

“Anyway, if Yeon Jong-hwi has joined on his own will, we’re in a good position. With his abilities, many tasks will go smoothly.”

Mangnyang said from beside me.
“Baek Woong, about the investigation of the Silver Phoenix Fragment you mentioned earlier.”

“What about it?”

“There’s been no progress at all. Other than the information that it’s from Balhae, there’s nothing concrete… I sent some informants and scholars to the territory of the old Balhae, but it looks like it will take quite some time.”

“I see…”

“That’s why, can you call Yeon Jong-hwi for a moment? He might know something about this fragment.”

Taking Mangnyang’s advice, I called for Yeon Jong-hwi. He accepted the Silver Phoenix Fragment and carefully examined it for a while before speaking.
“Isn’t there another matching Phoenix Fragment that pairs with this?”

Mangnyang’s interest was piqued by his words.
“Why do you think that?”

“Just… the direction this Phoenix Fragment is facing resembles the way a pair looks at each other. It strikes me that they were created as a matching pair.”

“An intriguing hypothesis. You’ve been quite helpful.”

As Mangnyang began organizing the information, he turned to me and said,
“Baek Woong, provide Yeon Jong-hwi with a spiritual pill. He seems capable of playing a significant role in this plan.”

“Understood.”

I gave Yeon Jong-hwi the same black and white lotus pill I had provided to my other companions. He went to the internal training room to cultivate his Infinite Internal Power, while I felt pressed for time and quickly headed toward Dongyoung where Miho was located.

Upon my arrival, Miho greeted me enthusiastically, her nine-tailed state causing her white tails to sway. She embraced me and nuzzled her cheek against mine.
“Why did you take so long?”

With the body of a child, it almost felt as if I was completely enveloped in the form of an adult woman. I found myself slightly overwhelmed by Miho’s chest.

“Miho, how did things go with the obsidian?”

Pulling back from my cheek, Miho smiled brightly.
“Thanks to our negotiations with the Kouga and the shogunate, we’ve acquired six obsidian mines. Currently, we’re expanding the mines and hiring laborers for extraction. The mined materials will be transported to Kyoto shortly, and I expect to have a stockpile in three to four months.”

Everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly. After some thought, I turned to Miho.
“Miho, there’s one more favor I need to ask…”

“What is it?”

“Could you buy a large quantity of explosives? The more, the better.”

I then explained my plan to Miho. She readily accepted my request.
“Well, the current shogunate is in a peaceful period, so they likely have plenty of war materials just rotting in their warehouses. We should be able to acquire them with the remaining platinum bars.”

“When do you think that can happen?”

“Hmm, let’s see… about six days from now, come by.”

“Alright.”

“Anyway, you’ll need my power for that operation, so make sure to come.”

As she gently caressed my face, Miho said,
“Oh, you ugly thing.”

“……”

“Haha! I said that because you’re cute!”

I grumbled to myself,
“What are your standards for cuteness?”

“Hmm? Right now, you’re not handsome, but you do have a unique look. Sure, you might look a bit unappealing as you grow, but… that’s just human standards. Otherwise, you could be considered cute.”

She tenderly rested her finger on my chin, continuing,
“In my eyes, you are you, Baek Woong. Isn’t that right?”

Feeling bitter, I replied to Miho,
“Humans can only last about ten years. Soon I’ll be ugly enough to make common women run away. Will you still accept me then?”

Then, Miho gazed blankly at me and said,
“Just get plastic surgery. If possible, I prefer pretty boys.”

“……”

“Why wouldn’t you?”

With that, I had no counter-argument. When I became flustered, Miho burst out laughing.
“Haha! Did you expect me to say I love you just as you are?”

“… It would be a lie if I said no.”

“Hehe, back when you didn’t know about surgery, maybe I would have accepted it for whatever it’s worth. But now you have the means to look better, don’t you? If you become more appealing, the way people see you will change dramatically. Don’t you want to enjoy that power of appearance?”

“Well, that’s…”

It was something I previously dismissed but now found awkward to confront. I hesitated, unsure of how to respond, and Miho hugged me from behind.

“Your unpleasant looks might be a curse, and I know you possess a stubborn pride typical of the ugly. But that shouldn’t justify suffering indefinitely.”

“Ugh.”

“To be honest, I prefer handsome individuals. And for that reason, I want you to heal the wounds of your looks. It’s only natural that I’d want to avoid seeing someone I like suffer.”

I could sense Miho’s sincerity.

While she openly admitted her inclination towards appearances, her love was directed at me regardless of my outer appearance. Thus, her playful suggestions for changing my looks were filled more with thoughtfulness than greed. If that’s what Miho wished, I could understand that reciprocating her feelings would be an act of love.

I gently stroked Miho’s cheek and said,
“When all is settled, I’ll have the surgery you desire.”

“Be warned, my taste is quite picky, so make sure to practice your skills until then, haha.”

“I understand.”

Miho too, in her own subtle way, was aware of the fact that this lifetime might not see a conclusion.

Returning, I began training under Lee Cheong-un for six days, focusing on the art of Mimicry. Naturally, six days wasn’t enough to dramatically improve my skills, but I felt a slight uplift in my mood. Perhaps sensing my change, Lee Cheong-un also seemed quite cheerful while teaching.

And the day for action drew near. I went to Miho, filled the wooden armor with the bulk of explosives she acquired, and then headed to Jangryeong Valley. Zhuge Sa examined the personnel preparing for the operation before I set off.

“Do you understand? The most crucial objective is to capture that guy alive.”

“I understand.”

“We don’t need to knock down the Imperial Palace all at once. We just have to take it down piece by piece.”

[Pow!]

Together with my companions, we first set off toward the location of Zhuge Yulong’s clone. As I pulled the explosives from the wooden armor, I declared,
“Let’s rig this entire joint to explode.”

“Understood.”

[KABOOM!]
[KABOOM!!]

We rapidly detonated all five hideouts containing the clone. With more than half the explosives still left, we proceeded to the headquarters of Dongchang and the Golden Eagle Guard in Luoyang.

As soon as I arrived, I tossed lit explosives into the upper levels of the building.
[KABOOM!!]

[KABOOM!!]

“AAAHHH!!”

“AHHH!!”

The site erupted in chaos, screams ringing out everywhere. I dashed through the flames and emergent smoke, turned to Lee Cheong-un beside me, and said,
“This is just a subsidiary building; we need to blow the main facility.”

“I know.”

Lee Cheong-un nodded.
“I’ll enter first and take down the leaders. After that, you’ll have to deal with anyone trying to escape.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s move.”

[Pow!]

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lee Cheong-un burst forth like lightning, charging into the distant building. He swiftly maneuvered through several structures, effectively subduing enemy commanders. After a moment of waiting, his voice came through through the Suspicious Fishhook.
[I’ve secured Dongchang and the Golden Eagle Guard leaders, but I haven’t seen the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace, White Tiger, or Xuanwu yet.]

[That’s not good.]

[There were quite a few of them. So I couldn’t completely subdue them all in my frantic entry. Tell that fellow to take down anyone escaping.]

I glanced at Yeon Jong-hwi, who had already started making his move.

[Pew! Pew!]

Yeon Jong-hwi unleashed a flurry of arrows from the bow, tracking the fleeing shadows that looked like tiny rice grains with his invisible arrows. From a distance of at least a hundred paces, he accurately pierced their skulls.

Had he taken out around ten or so? Yeon Jong-hwi declared,
“I don’t see any more.”

“Well, that’s good.”

[BANG!]

We moved to where Lee Cheong-un was located. Climbing the facility, we encountered a pile of bodies—hundreds, lying in full repose. Even with Lee Cheong-un, capturing all fleeing opponents would be impossible with this number. Reaching the top floor, we found the disorganized bodies of Dongchang and the Golden Eagle Guard commanders. One of them shouted vehemently,
“No matter how much you torture us, we’ll never tell you…!”

SSHHH—

At that moment, Miho stepped forward, locking eyes with him, unleashing her demon power. The man trembled uncontrollably before finally falling into her entrancement, compelled to speak.
“Our leaders… the White Tiger and Xuanwu… were summoned into the Imperial Palace and haven’t come out…”

“And the Vice Leaders?”

“The two Vice Leaders have also disappeared…”

After that, Miho spent quite a while asking questions, gathering the necessary intel. While we could have utilized the Thunder God’s torture techniques, Miho’s seductive abilities proved far more efficient and quicker, which is why she led this operation. Casting aside the dazed Golden Eagle Guard, Miho remarked,
“It seems the really valuable pieces are all hiding in the Imperial Palace. Also, the slaves appear to be in the grip of the Shura Sect—specifically the Eight Demons of the Demon Path.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Cheong-un, who had been by our side, chimed in,
“This works out nicely. At least we now have clarity on what to do.”

“Yes.”

I nodded and stated,
“We have to blow them all up.”

[KABOOM!!!]

After detonating the building, I headed straight for the Great Dragon Hall under the Imperial Palace, where I set off the remaining explosives stashed underground and made my escape.
KABOOM!

‘Farewell, Emperor.’

I quietly muttered under my breath before heading along with my party to a secret location held by the Shura Sect to rescue the slaves. While the elite members of the Shura Sect stood in our way, they were no match for us and were quickly annihilated.

As I peered at the mass of enslaved souls gathered in this secret place in a quiet corner of Luoyang before me, I was astonished.
“There were said to be five thousand, but this looks like even more.”

That’s right.

Even if they claimed to have five thousand, the numbers looked like they could multiply several times. The sheer volume had them packed into a valley, likely due to an entire mountain being borrowed to house them; they were piled in every grim character. Rags and dilapidated homes littered the area. Lee Cheong-un spoke somberly,
“What should we do? With this many, even your escape plan would take a considerable time to move them.”

“Um…”

Miho interjected from beside me,
“We don’t have to care for them one by one. Why not focus on something else first?”

“What if those people starve to death?”

“We can always return later and dump sacks of rice for them. There wouldn’t even be enough room in Jangryeong Valley to accommodate five thousand, so first, we should throw the Imperial Palace into disarray.”

“Fine.”

[Pow!]

I transferred to the Inner Imperial Pavilion and promptly arrived at the location where the Nameless Ritual Book should have been. However, I frowned immediately.
‘It’s not here.’

The Nameless Ritual Book was absent from its former place. Furthermore, nearly all the books inside the Inner Imperial Pavilion had seemingly been relocated elsewhere. The humans inside had vanished too, leaving the place desolate. Lee Cheong-un remarked,
“This didn’t happen overnight. It seems it’s been quite a while since the materials were moved. It appears they detected something in advance and made arrangements to evacuate everything.”

“That can’t be! There hasn’t been anything amiss in the Imperial Palace until now…”

“……”

As I mused over this, Lee Cheong-un followed up,
“It seems outside variables have meddled with the situation before us. Let’s rest here for the day and return to discuss it in Jangryeong Valley.”