Reincarnation Sword God

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00540 – Dark Heaven Village

I returned to Jangryeong Valley with my party. Afterward, I recounted the situation to Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa, who surprisingly responded nonchalantly.

“Well done. With this, we won’t have to perform human sacrifices for a while.”

“……”

Is that really enough? I grew anxious when Zhuge Sa didn’t mention the Nameless Ritual Book. But I couldn’t pinpoint what was causing my unease, and while I was pondering, Lee Cheong-un spoke to Zhuge Sa.

“Zhuge Sa, you already knew the Nameless Ritual Book had disappeared, didn’t you?”

“……?!”

What did you say?!

I turned to Lee Cheong-un in shock, and he continued speaking.

“A meticulous person like you, who is cowardly enough to always prioritize self-interest, wouldn’t let the Nameless Ritual Book disappear without notice.”

“……”

“Besides, you can monitor Zhuge Bu’s sight and senses by using the Yin-Yang Heaven Bug. I suspect you were aware of the changes in Inner Imperial Pavilion from the beginning.”

Then Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Quite sharp, aren’t you, disciple of the Thunder God lineage? Your mind works well.”

That was an acknowledgment. I asked Zhuge Sa,

“Zhuge Sa, you knew he was stealing the Nameless Ritual Book? Is that true?”

“Correct. I knew.”

Flabbergasted, I exclaimed, “Damn, if only you had told me back then…”

“Then we would have moved together with the Golden Eagle Guard to kill Zhuge Bu and reclaim the Nameless Ritual Book. Bonus points for taking the Crystal Stele as well, completely cleaning out the Imperial Palace.”

Zhuge Sa casually cracked his knuckles.

“But that would also mean that the black mask of the Imperial Palace and Zhuge Yulong would become increasingly cautious and likely opt for extreme measures.”

“……!!”

“There wouldn’t be a sure way to eliminate Zhuge Yulong, and the difficulty level of events would suddenly escalate. The chances of the God overseeing the Demon Subduing Hall getting involved would increase, and the chance of Apostle Dalgi descending would also be exceedingly high. In the end, wouldn’t we end up caught in the whirlwind of events just like before?”

Mangnyang, who had been listening nearby, said bitterly, “Uncle has been monitoring all of Zhuge Bu’s senses since the moment you received the obsidian. And he informed me the moment Zhuge Bu relocated the Nameless Ritual Book. However, as he said, now isn’t the time to act, so he didn’t bother telling you.”

“……”

Is that how it was?

Looking at Zhuge Sa with bewildered eyes, he said, “Hey, remember your past life?”

“What about it?”

“Baek Woong, you thoroughly trampled the Imperial Palace forces. Didn’t you? You summoned King Mi-hu to slay Zhuge Yulong on Mount Tai and cleared out the location of his clones while taking out the Golden Eagle Guard and the Emperor and alchemist. You snagged the Nameless Ritual Book and National Seal and even kidnapped Zhuge Bu, his successor. Even if Zhuge Yulong survived, logically, he wouldn’t have a way to recover at all. I’d likely plan to escape and survive in such a situation.”

“Hmm, that did happen.”

“Yet, Zhuge Yulong survived to the end and somehow became the manifestation of the Eightfold Path, blocking us until the very last moment. While you did something out of the ordinary then, the fact remains we ultimately lost to Zhuge Yulong. Would you continue to cling on and resist even when the end of the world is approaching?”

“……”

“To be clear, we couldn’t defeat the Eightfold Path army. If we kept fighting, we would have lost. So, I can’t truly blame you for the choice to destroy the Heavenly Altar.”

Thinking about it, it makes sense.

‘Ugh, what a terrifying guy.’

As I began to ponder Zhuge Yulong’s tenacity, a chill ran down my spine. I had believed I had completely destroyed the Imperial Palace without leaving any problems, but in the end, I was blocked by that guy. While I was deep in thought, Mangnyang spoke up.

“Baek Woong, we might look like we can wipe out the revealed Imperial Palace forces in one go, but in reality, we can’t simultaneously subdue Zhuge Yulong, extract his soul, seal it in the Celestial Realm, and cut off the backing forces of the Demon Subduing Hall.”

“True enough.”

“That makes this meaningless. Thus, while we will keep Zhuge Yulong’s movements in check during this life, we are focused on reducing the level of caution he maintains.”

What does that mean? As I looked at Mangnyang with a puzzled expression, Zhuge Sa spoke as if finding me pathetic.

“You’re saying we purposely gave him time and leeway to prepare.”

Then, Lee Cheong-un, who was nearby, said, “So that’s what happened. You two subtly leaked information about the target our third force is eyeing to the Imperial Palace.”

“What? What? What?!”

I was utterly taken aback. Could it be that Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang intentionally leaked our information?!

“Could it be that the relocation of the Nameless Ritual Book, the Black Tortoise and White Tiger retreating to the Imperial Palace, and Zhuge Bu being absent were all because of…?”

Zhuge Sa smoothly replied, “Of course we leaked that info, using the Bancheon Alliance and others. There’s likely no significant figures at the Great Dragon Hall, so the Emperor and alchemist should be safe.”

“Good grief!! Why would you do that?!”

Isn’t it better to eliminate the enemy all at once when you have the chance?!

Frustrated, I clutched my chest, and Lee Cheong-un said, “Baek Woong, calm down. This is precisely how to use information appropriately.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Imperial Palace will naturally believe they successfully defended against our assault while protecting important figures and treasures. Would Zhuge Yulong then force himself to summon a God or Apostle?”

“…Oh!!”

“Naturally, if he can handle it with his own strength, he wouldn’t resort to reckless measures.”

Lee Cheong-un was right.

As I nodded in agreement, Zhuge Sa remarked with a sigh of dismay, “Oh dear… our lord is quite lacking in the schematics department.”

“No… you all kept it hidden, so naturally…”

“Yet it seems Lee Cheong-un deduced our intentions from the moment the Nameless Ritual Book vanished. Then again, as a Millennium Unrivaled Grand Master, one would expect that level of intellect from him.”

“……”

“Use your mind more. That way, your mind techniques will improve.”

Having nothing to say, I stayed silent until Mangnyang spoke again.

“Baek Woong, don’t worry too much. While it appears our assault was a failure on the surface, Zhuge Sa can anytime control or kill Zhuge Bu through the Yin-Yang Heaven Bug. He’ll be watching for the moment Zhuge Yulong shows a weakness to eliminate them all at once.”

“Got it…”

Only then could I relax. Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang were crafting appropriate countermeasures, true to the geniuses of the Zhuge family. Suddenly, a thought struck me and I asked,

“Wait… but I blew up five storage facilities where Zhuge Yulong’s body was stored. Doesn’t that escalate his alertness to the max?”

“I anticipated you’d ask that.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled and replied, “It’s a matter of striking at the void of voids.”

“…What does that mean?”

“The earlier strikes at the Great Dragon Hall, Golden Eagle Guard, Inner Imperial Pavilion, and Great Dragon Hall were all information we leaked beforehand. But sticking strictly to the leaked information won’t result in any check. We might have eliminated a lot of lackeys, but that doesn’t qualify as damage, does it? Thus, we needed a decisive hit that would leave a significant impact. Something like that would mentally intimidate him, creating an effective check.”

Zhuge Sa’s explanation followed.

“I know my brother Zhuge Yulong. Even if he takes a hit, he will calmly analyze whether he is in the worst possible situation. If he believes it’s not the worst, he will remain cautious and won’t recklessly act.”

“That implies…”

“As you know, Zhuge Yulong can’t be eliminated just by destroying those five storage facilities. He must have hidden another body somewhere unknown.”

“…True.”

That’s why eliminating Zhuge had been so challenging all along. Nodding in agreement, I resonated with Zhuge Sa’s reasoning.

“So he won’t raise his level of caution unnecessarily after believing we poked at his void. He won’t hastily summon a God or Apostle. After all, he doesn’t perceive himself in the worst case. Do you understand?”

“So his caution level won’t hit its peak?”

“Exactly. I’m confident this is the best way to control things. As Hyun said, we can buy at least five years. We’re striking the void of void.”

“Phew…”

A sigh of relief escaped me, and Zhuge Sa teased me.

“Hey, this is also an effort to get you focused solely on your training.”

“Hmm?”

“We’ll handle the subtle dynamic adjustments of the caution levels, so don’t worry and just focus on improving your martial arts and techniques. That’s why we’re here after all.”

“…Understood.”

As I replied, Lee Cheong-un expressed concern to Zhuge Sa.

“However, Zhuge Sa, we ultimately didn’t manage to retrieve the Crystal Stele; isn’t that quite risky? If an alchemist uses the Nameless Ritual Book to amplify the Crystal Stele’s power, a powerful demonic life form could be produced in no time.”

“I have already considered it all. That’s why I didn’t insist on bringing the Crystal Stele to our dull-witted lord.”

Zhuge Sa curtly responded.

“Though it’s good to retrieve the Crystal Stele… we are currently oblivious to a vital consequence and need to dig for more information. So for now, I left it with them.”

“What sort of information?”

“The white-haired Divine Portrait.”

Zhuge Sa crossed his arms.

“That little brat could either become the bishop of the Nine Lotus Sect or a huge threat in the future, according to the predictions of Baek Woong. Yet thinking it over, in my past life, Zhuge Sa, no matter how hard I tried, wasn’t able to create a white-haired Divine Portrait.”

“Oh, come to think of it…”

Zhuge Sa had bragged about creating Divine Portraits using the Crystal Stele. They usually ended up being beautiful women, but he had indeed made various types. However, I recalled him grumbling about not being able to create the white-haired one.

“We don’t know anything about that brat. In other words, we lack any information on the entities of the Nine Lotus Sect that will appear in the future.”

Zhuge Sa continued.

“I think the white-haired Divine Portrait was created using an exceptionally peculiar process, or as a special product that even that western archmage can only produce once or twice. But no matter how unique the process is, if it’s recorded, it should be possible to create. Therefore, there must be an exceedingly rare material essential for producing the white-haired Divine Portrait.”

“Exceedingly rare material…”

“That’s information we can’t ascertain even if we snatched the Crystal Stele at this point. We can’t determine what kind of being the white-haired Divine Portrait is and what significance it holds! Yet Zhuge Bu has been continuously in contact with the alchemist to facilitate the mass production of the Divine Portraits.”

I grasped Zhuge Sa’s explanation.

“So while monitoring Zhuge Bu, we naturally glean information from the mouths of the alchemists?”

“Exactly. Once we uncover that, we’ll devise a plan to snatch it.”

“But couldn’t we just kidnap that alchemist?”

When I voiced my skepticism, Mangnyang shook his head.

“Not quite, Baek Woong. That alchemist is a renowned archmage, even if he’s rotten. So far, the only successful capture has occurred once in our previous lives, when you faced him one-on-one. And that was only because he underestimated you; capturing someone like him is nearly impossible, according to our judgment.”

“Hmm…”

“I trust my uncle’s judgment as a fellow demon sorcerer.”

Silently consenting, Zhuge Sa said, “Baek Woong. Regardless, we plan to maintain the current state for at least a year. Perhaps up to three years? So for now, focus on training. Mangnyang and I will handle the slave situation using General Hwang Yeon’s connections and the Bancheon Alliance.”

“Okay.”

I withdrew from Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang. Then, I took Miho to Dongyoung.

Pa-at!

“Then see you later…”

But just as I was about to withdraw from the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace.

“……?”

Something feels off.

What is this sensation?

An inexplicable, squishy discomfort pressed against my skin. And for some unknown reason, my palms were damp with sweat. Moreover, the pores throughout my entire body seemed to constrict slightly, making me feel a bit tense.

After a moment, I realized what this feeling was.

Malicious aura!

It wasn’t quite killing intent, but it was so subtly concealed that an ordinary person absolutely wouldn’t detect it. Even someone with martial arts training would struggle to recognize it. I was only able to sense it because I had honed my instinct to an extreme level training under a master at the Absolute Realm for an extended time.

In other words, this was an aura so subtle that even a Peak Master wouldn’t typically perceive it.

Realizing that the person emitting this aura was formidable, I suddenly tensed. Standing before Miho, I drew my sword and said,

“Miho, don’t you feel anything?”

Perhaps due to her keen perception, Miho seemed to grasp my words quickly. But, startled, she replied, “W-What do you mean? Is there something here?”

Her panic indicated she understood logically but couldn’t sense that aura physically. In other words, it was the work of a master capable of deceiving even Miho’s senses. I gathered my energy and raised my voice.

“Whoever you are, come out at once! If not, I will consider you an enemy!”

Shu-ru-ru!

In that moment.

The darkness began to coalesce and form a human shape seemingly drifting out of the shadows. Moments later, the entity appeared, cloaked in obsidian dark, kneeling three paces away from me.

“What an impressive master… No one in Dongyoung could detect the aura of my stealth. I’ve never encountered someone of your caliber before.”

A somber voice emerged.

And the black clothing was laced with a hint of blue.

He wore a shuriken on his shoulder, instantly leading me to recognize who he was.

“A ninja?”

He slowly nodded his head.

“Fuma Clan’s leader, Fuma Kotaro.”

The Fuma Clan referred to the third-ranked ninja organization in Dongyoung, following Iga and Kouga. Certainly, his skills in invisibility were nothing short of spectacular. The stealth techniques I believed I could detect when I was a Peak Expert paled in comparison. Had it not been for my fleeting instincts, I would have completely overlooked him!

“Are you here to assassinate her?”

“Not at all… I was instructed to monitor the Empress without acting out.”

Swoosh…

The self-proclaimed Fuma Kotaro momentarily flashed blood-red eyes.

“However, I didn’t anticipate the presence of a master at your level. With my full stealth techniques, how on earth… our Fuma Clan will withdraw from this matter.”

“What? Who gave the order?”

“Hmm. Would a ninja reveal such matters?”

He chuckled callously and crossed his arms.

“If you offer us some platinum as compensation, I’d be willing to reveal the client’s name…”

“Eh?”

“Empress. I’m asking you to employ our Fuma Clan.”

In the end, it seemed he appeared before us to ask for payment.

‘Why did he reveal his identity deliberately?’

Was he trying to leverage his reputation as the Fuma Clan leader to extract money easily? Since his identity would eventually be exposed by Kouga Clan, it seemed he decided to reveal it first. I found myself grappling with what to do when Miho unexpectedly chimed in with a sharp voice.

“Just leave! Aren’t you planning to meddle in things anyway?”

“Hmm, is that so… Well, I don’t expect to be paid much. I’d be perfectly satisfied with just as much as I gave Kouga.”

He clearly seemed to want platinum. After a moment’s thought, I said, “You’re serious about revealing the client?”

Fuma Kotaro replied earnestly, “Of course… give me the money. Our Fuma Clan is running low on funds.”

“Miho, let’s just give it to him. Obtaining that kind of information for that price is a steal…”

Then Miho suddenly scolded me in irritation.

[You fool! I know! But I was playing hard to get to negotiate the price!]

“……”

Was that so?!

After a brief exchange between Miho and Fuma, the negotiation came to a conclusion after a long while, settling on four pieces of platinum. When Miho brought the platinum and tossed it to Fuma, he kneeled before Miho and said,

“The client who requested our Fuma Clan is the leader of the National Defense Alliance among the Twelve Joules of the peninsula. They entrusted me with this task.”

“Why would they want this?”

“The National Defense Alliance is deeply interested in advancing into Dongyoung. Thus, they are especially keen on the Empress, who has shown the most significant shifts recently. They commissioned us to keep an eye on her.”

So that was the case.

I sighed, realizing it wasn’t a big deal.

“…But is it okay for you to be so forthcoming about your client?”

“They didn’t pay us upfront. They’ve failed to honor their engagement, so there’s quite a backlog of money owed. Hence, the little kids in the village are starving.”

Fuma Kotaro spoke boldly, “The one who pays becomes the master of the ninja! Long live the Empress.”

“……”

Did he change bosses because of unpaid wages?!

Miho said to me, “Baek Woong, this makes it much easier for me to maneuver in Dongyoung. I can now engage the second-most influential ninja faction, ensuring my safety from the Yin-Yang Master Clan entirely.”

“Thank goodness.”

“Hmm, maybe I should turn the Shogunate upside down with this opportunity?”

It was hard to tell if Miho was serious or joking when she spoke with such a mischievous tone.

Pa-at!

I returned to Jangryeong Valley to find Lee Cheong-un. After recounting the incident, he spoke with genuine interest.

“Indeed… It seems you’ve reached a level of controlling your senses that befits your status. Otherwise, you would never have detected a top-level ninja’s stealth.”

“Senses?”

“The realm of the six senses, as you know, is typically mastered by Peak Martial Artists. But the seventh sense transcends that six senses, dealing with an extraordinary level of consciousness… the source of intent…”

Lee Cheong-un mumbled something, then suddenly declared, “Baek Woong, it’s time. Go to Dragon King’s Valley quickly.”

“What time are you referring to?”

Lee Cheong-un smiled slyly. “It’s time to obtain the Sword Thunder.”