Reincarnation Sword God

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00546 Dark Heaven Village

*Pa-at!*

I headed straight for the Silver Phoenix Fragment’s secret location. Here, the Black Night Gate’s vision and secret techniques were hidden, so I made sure to grab the books first. I also obtained all the official stamps, land deeds, and property documents belonging to the Black Horse that were kept here.

“With this, I can head to the Grand Battlefield to find money, and it should net me thousands of silver coins. Just combining what’s at the Grand Battlefield with other locations could lead to a massive fortune…”

But I had to be discreet about it. There should be no chance of being tracked down by the Black Horse afterward. Having considered my options, I returned to Jangryeong Valley and immediately took out the needles to begin the surgical techniques.

“I learned it once more from Hwa Seong-myeong before, so if it’s at the basic level now…”

If it were proper whole-body surgery, it would take two months of hard work from a divine doctor, but currently, there was no need for such extensive techniques. I only needed to slightly alter the shape of my face, so I calmly positioned the needles and drew upon the energy of the meridian points throughout my body. I felt the bones and muscles gradually loosening as I envisioned the new face I was about to create.

“A more manly face… and completely different from my original appearance.”

*Crack! Crack!*

After about an hour of having the needles in place and raising my energy, I slowly felt my bones and flesh shifting. This was the most crucial moment, so I stabilized my energy while assuming the posture of the Wheel Arm Method with my needles in place. Once I stabilized my energy, I changed the positions of the needles, delicately imagining the new face I wanted.

Did about three hours pass?

Finally, the shape of my face had completely transformed. Additionally, my upper body’s muscles were built a bit more robustly, turning me into a young man with distinctly sharp eyes. As I stood up, the Extreme Tiger, who had been standing guard nearby, burst out laughing.

“Hehe, looks like you could become a bandit leader.”

“This look won’t last more than three days anyway. The more distinctive the appearance, the better it hides the original look.”

“Still better than your original face.”

“Shut up, damn it!” I grumbled. Unlike whole-body surgery, this was just temporary, so its effectiveness would only last three days at most. Since I had forcefully pulled my bones into this shape with energy and needles, I would revert to my original appearance once the effects wore off. The Extreme Tiger, seemingly curious, asked a question.

“Hey, if you become a peerless handsome man via whole-body surgery and then marry a woman and have a kid, what happens? Would the kid also be a good-looking guy or gal?”

“Uh?! Well, that’s…”

I was taken aback by the unexpected question. What would happen in that scenario? Hwa Seong-myeong had never explained that! As I hesitated, the Extreme Tiger cackled.

“If you don’t know, just do whole-body surgery for me later! I’ll test it out with a pretty lady.”

“……”

*Pa-at!*

Ignoring the Extreme Tiger’s nonsensical ramblings, I headed for the Grand Battlefield. Presenting the Black Horse’s stamp, I seized all the treasures he had left behind there. I also raided battlefields in various regions to take all of the Black Horse’s wealth, and ultimately decided to deal with the Royal Garden. Mangnyang, grinning, said,

“I’ll mobilize the Bancheon Alliance’s intelligence to find a buyer. Just wait a bit.”

“We can’t take too long. Before the Black Horse catches on…”

“It’ll be fine. It should only take a day.”

True to Mangnyang’s confidence, within half a day, I received contact through a messenger expressing interest in buying.

“Hehe, are you really going to sell the garden to me?”

The merchant before me was said to be one of the wealthiest in Honam Province, and he was visibly excited at the prospect of me selling the garden. He was also aware of the garden’s worth in Wangya. I nodded earnestly and said,

“Yes, you propose a price.”

The merchant then wore a cryptic expression.

“You lead with the offer, a savvy dealer, I see.”

“Tell me your price.”

“Ten golden bars.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Um… twenty bars.”

I shouted indignantly.

“This is your last chance! Think carefully before you speak. There are plenty of other buyers besides you.”

The merchant, beads of sweat glistening on his chubby face, seemed flustered. He wiped his sweat with a handkerchief from his pocket and finally stammered,

“… Fifty bars!! How about this? I can’t go higher than that.”

“Hmm…”

“Fifty golden bars would allow me to gain control over a small castle. Beyond that, it would be impossible with my funds, so please…”

Reluctantly, I nodded.

“Fine.”

I handed him the ownership documents for the garden. As I did, I questioned the grinning merchant.

“What are you planning to do with the garden? I need to know this… honestly, gardens don’t have much practical value.”

The merchant, looking around cautiously, finally replied.

“Hehe. I’m going to sell it back to Wangya.”

“What?”

“I’ll make some modifications to its internal structure and offer special gifts… Hehe.”

“Special gifts, you say?”

“Well… a few ladies that cater to Wangya’s tastes, perhaps… and also establish a connection to the imperial clan.”

“……”

I was utterly flabbergasted by the merchant’s thoughts. He intended to provide Wangya with the pleasures of women!

‘He is probably looking to seduce common girls from poor families under the pretense of debt relief and turning them into courtesans before presenting them to Wangya…’

Given my past experiences as an escort, I could roughly surmise the whole sordid affair. It was truly a corrupt line of thinking, but there was no need for me to intervene personally against such a lowlife. Feeling indifferent, I replied,

“Uh… if that’s what you intend.”

That guy was doomed to die regardless of whether I interfered or not. I would take the money and leave, but this guy who repurchased the Black Horse’s assets would inevitably face the assassins affiliated with the Black Night Gate. And the outcome could only lead to his demise. It was as if he was signalling a judgment of trash by trash, so I didn’t bother to touch it.

I presented the results of raiding all of the Black Horse’s wealth to Mangnyang. He seemed pleased as he said,

“Indeed! This amount should allow for negotiations.”

“I’ll join you in the negotiations.”

“Of course. But can you handle another round of bodily reinforcement without exhausting yourself?”

“It involves forcibly stretching the bones into temporary shapes, so naturally, it comes with strain. But with my internal energy and physical strength, it won’t be a major burden.”

“Then let’s schedule to meet Matteo Ricci in seven days’ time.”

I stepped back from Mangnyang and prepared to go train again. However, on my way to meet Lee Cheong-un, Zhuge Sa was waiting for me in the corridor with his arms crossed.

“Hey, Baek Woong.”

“Zhuge Sa.”

“How’s the training going?”

I rubbed my head sheepishly.

“I’m still in the polishing stage.”

“Do you think you can reach the Absolute Realm within fifty years?”

“… I have no idea. It might take over a hundred years.”

“I thought so…”

Zhuge Sa sighed softly before continuing.

“I already spoke with Lee Cheong-un. Starting today, while you train in martial arts, you should learn the ways of the Demon Path from me.”

“What?!”

“I’ve watched you for several years. And no matter how I think about it, dedicating yourself solely to martial arts won’t yield great efficiency. Now you’ve hit a wall, so it’d be better if you learned knowledge and techniques related to the Demon Path on the side.”

I understood Zhuge Sa’s intent. Since it would obviously take an incredibly long time to ascend from Peak Expert to Absolute Realm, he wanted to impart knowledge of the Demon Path that I could use in my next life. Knowing about the Demon Path would indeed be helpful.

“Will I also train the Soul Exchange Technique?”

“Of course. Divide your day in half—practice martial arts during the day and learn the Demon Path from me at night.”

“Got it.”

Soon, nightfall arrived. I sat in Zhuge Sa’s dimly lit study, receiving his explanations under the soft glow of light. Zhuge Sa sat arrogantly in his chair, speaking grandly.

“Baek Woong, what do you think is the Demon Path?”

“Well… it’s a technique that draws upon the power of the Old Ruler. It’s also knowledge about them.”

“That’s right. Essentially, it’s a method where humans who are less than ants try to lap up the behind of the Old Ruler to obtain power.”

“……”

“But unlike techniques that require much refinement and self-cultivation, one can rapidly gain power through the Demon Path. Do you know why?”

I took a moment to think and then replied.

“Because, after all, all it takes is for the Old Ruler to lend their power.”

“Exactly. Baek Woong, after all this time of reincarnation, you’ve grasped the essence of the Demon Path after facing it. Hehe.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“As you know, the powers of the Old Ruler transcend imagination. No matter how much a human practices any technique, they can only reach the level of Cheon Woo-jin or the Great Immortal. However, one who properly borrows the power of the Demon Path can effortlessly surpass such levels. Whether they become an Apostle or a Demon King, that is.”

“That’s true…”

I sighed. That was precisely why it was difficult to handle the imperial palace. Even though my power might be weaker among the three major forces, I could still offer immense tributes to the gods at any time and gain enormous power in return. Zhuge Sa continued,

“So, if you collect many offerings and perform human sacrifices, you’d become greatly stronger, right? Or you could offer treasures of equal value? Why do you think ‘Zhuge Sa’ never suggested such a method to you until now?”

“Um!”

“You could easily offer the treasures you hold as tributes to the Old Ruler without the hassle of presenting them to the Celestial Realm or the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

I had never considered that. Deep in thought, I pondered for some time but couldn’t come up with an answer. I cautiously asked,

“What do you mean…?”

“That’s because, this Middle World is the territory of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Seven Luminaries serve as evidence of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors’ guardianship, and they suppress the manifestation of all Demon Techniques. Therefore, if you try to offer a massive tribute to the Old Ruler all at once, it would be immediately detected by the Celestial Realm, and that information would promptly reach the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. And the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors could instantly crush you like an ant.”

“… But even if I die, I’d still gain power that carries over to the next reincarnation, so isn’t that a win?”

When I questioned, Zhuge Sa became agitated.

“Dammit, you idiot! Didn’t you understand? No matter how hard you try to offer a huge tribute to the Old Ruler, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors could catch on beforehand and stop you in your tracks!”

“Ah!”

Zhuge Sa, losing his patience, continued.

“However, there are a few options you could test out. I’ll let you know one of those methods.”

For nearly an hour, Zhuge Sa explained various risky strategies for me to consider. But all of them seemed absurdly reckless, causing me to exclaim in disbelief.

“Seriously? You want me to do all this?”

“Yes. Do as much as you can before gathering your comrades and die in the process.”

“No way, damn it… that’s basically asking me to die!”

How painful would it be to die!!

As I whined, Zhuge Sa snickered.

“Fool. If it were me, I wouldn’t do something stupid like gathering comrades. I would pull out every trick in the book without reservation, ruthlessly collecting power while eliminating any hindrance in my path, repeating such extravagance until I grew to the level of a Demon King or higher. You’re being too straightforward in your approach.”

Sighing deeply, Zhuge Sa added,

“Well… perhaps, in the end, you might be right.”

“……?”

“Just a random thought. Regardless, if during your reincarnation you feel that your growth has hit a limit, try out all the things I just explained.”

“Understood.”

“And from now, I’ll teach you the fundamental knowledge of the Demon Path, the basic techniques, and about the Old Ruler. By the way, we’ll also touch on basic alchemy.”

For the next seven days, I poured all my energy into learning martial arts during the day and absorbing knowledge about the Demon Path at night, often sacrificing sleep. However, I found myself failing to memorize most of what Zhuge Sa had referred to as ‘basic’ knowledge.

‘This is too much!’

He called it basic, but it was overwhelmingly extensive. There was no repetition or overlap in the information Zhuge Sa had unpacked over those seven days. Moreover, this so-called ‘basic’ knowledge was likely just a fraction of what I’d have to internalize in reality.

On the last day, Zhuge Sa looked at me with disappointment.

“What’s wrong? This is much easier compared to martial arts or techniques.”

“What kind of nonsense is that…? You’ve explained so much; it feels like a hundred books’ worth!”

“With martial arts or techniques, one can only succeed through innate talent and sensory perception at best. However, the Demon Path is a field where, if memorized skillfully, one can easily thrive off divine blessings! Simply put, after a decade of memorizing, you should be able to grasp this level. As you progress, the Demon Path becomes easier.”

“Is that so?”

“Hehe, you’ll realize it later.”

He clasped his hands and added.

“However, once you surpass basic levels and start dealing with significant ancient secrets, you must tread carefully. Because as you know, just knowing about the Old Ruler or the otherworldly races can often drive one mad.”

“I’m aware.”

I nodded, but internally, I felt a hint of doubt.

‘I’ve never felt madness before…’

What exactly is it that is terrifying? What about it is fearsome?

Even looking at the frightening illustrations of the Old Ruler from the Demon Book didn’t elicit any thoughts.

Though I couldn’t understand it, I decided to wrap up the training I had undertaken over the last seven days. When I sought out Mangnyang afterward, he was ready to depart, accompanied by Lee Cheong-un and the Extreme Tiger. Jin So-cheong and the Sword Demon were currently engaged in deeper training for better insights, so they couldn’t join us.

“Baek Woong. Let’s go.”

For this day, I had shaped myself into a different appearance.

*Pa-at!*

We were set to head to the Guangdong Province’s harbor. Having heard from Mangnyang about needing to negotiate with Matteo Ricci in the Kingdom of Duke Du, I had already pinpointed a location toward the destination in advance, allowing us to arrive here immediately. Moreover, our meeting place was designated inland, not in Duke Du’s territory directly.

Surprisingly, we arrived at the inner city of Guangdong Province. As we boarded the carriage guarded by the Masters of the Nobility and entered the inner city, several officials guided us further inside. As we ascended to the second floor of a luxurious chamber, we found several colorful-eyed people seated inside.

‘Matteo Ricci!’

And sitting at the central table was Matteo Ricci, a Western monk whom I had a fleeting memory of from long ago. Upon seeing us, he rose and greeted us with a beaming smile.

“Ah, what a pleasure! It is an honor to meet the Leader of Bancheon Alliance and his entourage!”

His fluent Chinese was so skillful that it seemed hard to believe he was actually a foreigner. Mangnyang, with respect, replied,

“It is an honor to meet the renowned monk and the great lord of Guangdong.”

To which, a man seated beside him stroked his beard, proclaiming with satisfaction,

“Ah, a pleasure to meet you.”

This gathering wasn’t just Matteo Ricci; the lord of Guangdong himself was also in attendance. The presence of an individual who governs a city made this a highly significant meeting. After exchanging formalities, they soon got down to business.

With a calm voice, Matteo Ricci stated,

“The value of the Silver Phoenix Fragment is exceedingly high. I intend to bring it back to my homeland, but… I hope today’s trade benefits both sides.”

“Of course. We fully understand that.”

Mangnyang then glanced at me. Nodding in response, I began to fetch the gold bars I had brought along in the carriage.

*Thud!*

“……!!”

“Whoa!!”

As we piled up a total of one hundred and fifty gold bars on the floor, the entire chamber went silent in shock. Such an amount was truly beyond common sense. While high-level merchants might handle that much, it was hardly appropriate for a mere fragment.

Mangnyang smiled widely.

“This should be ample payment, no?”

The lord of Guangdong looked quite flustered at the sight.

“Remarkable! With this, I could construct several ships. This is certainly a condition you could accept, isn’t it?”

“……”

Yet, Matteo Ricci’s gaze wasn’t on the gold bars; instead, he seemed lost in thought, his eyes closed.

‘Hmm?’

Eventually, Matteo Ricci spoke up.

“In fact, today’s trade has an additional participant. Thus, the one who offers the highest price among you two will receive the Phoenix Fragment.”

“What?!”

“Didn’t the lord explain this to you?”

Matteo Ricci appeared puzzled as he looked at us, prompting us to turn our gaze toward the lord of Guangdong. The lord seemed embarrassed, clearing his throat awkwardly as he began,

“Um, you see… there’s a person who has supported me for a very long time… he showed interest in the Silver Phoenix Fragment… Ahem! So, they’ve come to check out the item today too.”

Mangnyang looked dumbfounded.

“Lord! What do you mean by that? I thought this was supposed to be a one-on-one trade…”

Could it be that the trading information had leaked through the lord?

What kind of disaster scenario was unfolding here?!

“My apologies! However, please grant him a chance to see the item. It’s my request.”

*Thud!*

At that moment, three figures walked into the chamber.

Upon spotting them, we exchanged puzzled glances.

“What an immense amount of money you’ve brought. The reputation of the Leader of Bancheon Alliance carries real weight!”

The man who stood at the center remarked, glancing at Mangnyang.

“Leader of Bancheon Alliance. Even beggars sometimes want to purchase nice goods.”

“……”

Mangnyang stared at the lord with a rigid expression.

The lord, looking flustered, took a moment of silence before introducing the unexpected guests.

“I’d like to introduce you. This gentleman is the previous abbot of the Open Road and… one of the three great masters, Geol-seon. He is an old friend and supporter of mine.”