Reincarnation Sword God

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Dark Heaven Village

“Move, Twelve Joules!”

Indeed, in the current situation, that figure was the only one capable of suppressing the Master of the White Lotus Sect. I could lend strength to the Vermilion Bird but even then, I couldn’t join hands with someone tainted by the Demon Path since he was a direct enemy. However, I felt a question arise.

“How do you plan to move him…?”

Throughout my past lives, I hadn’t been able to grasp even a part of the true objectives or potential of the Twelve Joules, who remained shrouded in mystery. Their presence was at the pinnacle of both cunning and martial prowess, so attempting to utilize them thoughtlessly would spell disaster. Seeing my doubt, Zhuge Sa spoke.

“She has already spread her influence across the Central Plains to assess the situation. It’s likely she sensed the White Lotus Sect’s impending rampage even before this rallying edict was issued, and she is well aware of the problematic circumstances.”

“But their goals seem unclear.”

I sighed.

“To be honest, I have no real understanding of what they think of the Imperial Palace or the White Lotus Sect.”

This was indeed the problem. Both the Imperial Palace and the White Lotus Sect were aware of their close ties to the Old Ruler, keeping a keen eye on the deities behind the scenes. They had a relationship that bordered on bitter animosity. However, the position of the Twelve Joules was far more ambiguous. Even in her 19th life, she had been the last to join the fray, her actions being quite passive.

Zhuge Sa continued, “Even if you don’t know the purpose, as long as she moves, that’s what matters. If two people confront each other, the moment one side gains strength, it can lead to their immediate end. But if we shift the balance from two to three, then all three will find it difficult to act.”

“So how do we do that?”

“We’ll initiate movement with the True Heaven Alliance.”

“What?”

The True Heaven Alliance? Why would the group formed by the Nine Great Sects and the Orthodox Sect come into play here? As I displayed my confusion, Mangnyang beside me chimed in.

“During our time managing the Bancheon Alliance, we gained significant influence over the True Heaven Alliance. The Master of the True Heaven Alliance, Wei Zhi-hun, regards our Bancheon Alliance as an ally. Therefore, through the Bancheon Alliance, we can move the Master of the True Heaven Alliance and manipulate her interactions with the Twelve Joules.”

“Are you saying the True Heaven Alliance and the Twelve Joules will form an alliance?”

Mangnyang nodded.

“Formally speaking. Previously, the domains of the True Heaven Alliance and the Twelve Joules were so distanced that they merely ignored each other, but now, with the White Lotus Sect rampaging, the martial world is under threat. Given this, Wei Zhi-hun will likely accept our proposal and attempt to ally with the Twelve Joules. I’ve already explained the power and interests of the Twelve Joules to him through a messenger.”

“Hmm…”

“And by putting the Master of the True Heaven Alliance front and center, we can avoid direct scrutiny from the Twelve Joules. This way, Baek Woong, you won’t have to step in directly.”

Indeed, if we did this, we could maneuver the Twelve Joules without putting ourselves in risk. Moreover, whether it was the Master of the True Heaven Alliance or the Twelve Joules, they both saw the White Lotus Sect as a threat, making the likelihood of an alliance much higher.

At that moment, the Sword Demon interjected, “All of that sounds good, but what about the Imperial Palace’s power? It’s been quite a while since we last checked on them, so I expect they’ve regained considerable strength…”

“I hadn’t mentioned that yet,” Mangnyang replied, folding his fan with calmness.

“My uncle through Zhuge Bu has been gathering extensive knowledge about the Alchemists and the Divine Portrait. Currently, they are in the process of mass-producing Dragon Persons and Demon Kin, and are also developing special Divine Portraits.”

“Special Divine Portraits…?”

“From there on, I’ll explain it directly.”

Zhuge Sa interjected, “As I mentioned before, a Divine Portrait is essentially a high-grade offering to the gods. However, the cost of crafting one is considerable, and they aren’t particularly effective when made for requests exceeding a certain level. So, it seems they devised plans to create advanced high-grade Divine Portraits as a sort of test.”

“Hmm…”

The Sword Demon pondered, crossing his arms before finally saying, “Are you saying they’re planning to create delicacies to offer to the gods?”

“Exactly! That’s a perfect description. If a regular Divine Portrait is like the cuisine of a first-rate chef, then this high-grade Divine Portrait would be on par with the best chef’s finest work. They appear ready to employ all their techniques.”

“Hmm.”

“The more delicious the offering, the more splendid the rewards from the gods, that’s obvious.”

In the culinary arts, chefs are classified as Blue, Red, Black, and White in a four-tier system, and the title of Blue Chef denotes the highest level acknowledged in the Imperial Kitchen’s culinary contests.

‘If Zhuge Sa’s analogy holds true, this is significant…’

It literally meant they aimed to create something at the peak of peaks. The Sword Demon’s eyes sparkled with intrigue.

“That high-grade Divine Portrait will probably be the one with white hair.”

“There’s a high chance of that.”

“So how far along is its production?”

“It’s likely still in the draft phase. They’ve only constructed the basic framework and haven’t infused it with life essence yet. They estimate around five years for completion.”

“Five years…”

The Sword Demon let out a low whistle. “So the white-haired figure I encountered before must have been incomplete.”

“That’s right. We’ll have to wait five years to see the finished creation.”

Five years could seem either short or long.

At that point, the Extreme Tiger spoke up, “Until the Imperial Palace completes that high-grade Divine Portrait, the Imperial Palace must not fall to the White Lotus Sect!”

“Exactly. In this life, we need to understand who that white-haired Divine Portrait is. Once they finish it, we’ll have to seize control and turn it to our side.”

Zhuge Sa spread his hands. “For the next five years! Our goal is to ensure peace in this scenario where we draw in the Twelve Joules for at least that long.”

“How? Just bringing in the Twelve Joules means we could end up in a mudslinging brawl… If three forces entangle, things could get even messier.”

“That thought has merit. Have you sharpened your wits a bit while studying?”

“…”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“I have a plan. The point is, we need an opportunity for sincere discussions.”

Three days later, Mangnyang convened another meeting. He appeared delighted as he spoke, “The Twelve Joules have accepted the alliance proposal from the Master of the True Heaven Alliance!”

“That’s great.”

“Moreover, it seems she has positively considered another proposal as well. Likely from now on, the Twelve Joules will directly negotiate with other factions.”

“If that’s the case…”

My excitement was met with a nod from Mangnyang.

“This signals the beginning of preparations for the tripartite summit.”

A tripartite summit! This was the cunning plan of Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa.

The heads of the three mightiest forces in the world—the Imperial Palace, White Lotus Sect, and the Twelve Joules—gathering in one place! Though they harbored mutual animosity and suspicion, now that the Twelve Joules had opted to dip their toes into the quagmire of the Central Plains, they would have no choice but to engage in checks against one another. If a summit were to occur, there was even a chance of reaching a ceasefire agreement.

The Sword Demon sighed, “Whew! This is really escalating. A tripartite summit… Just controlling one of the three great forces would be tremendous; can we really manage all of them?”

“It will be difficult,” Mangnyang replied as he flicked his fan.

“They are not entities that can be easily controlled. They are the rulers of the martial world and the mightiest monarchs. All we can do is ensure they maintain a minimal measure of restraint from behind the scenes.”

“Restraint!”

“Yes, indeed. Restraint… If any one of them throws a tantrum, it could lead to catastrophic sacrifices, but they all are aware of their own strength, so they know to act with caution. They will also recognize that the one who acts first stands to lose and weaken.”

Mangnyang smiled slyly. “In half a day, the White Lotus Sect and Imperial Palace will learn of the alliance between the True Heaven Alliance and the Twelve Joules.”

The Sword Demon’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Did you leak the information deliberately from the Bancheon Alliance?”

“Indeed. This way, the White Lotus Sect and Imperial Palace will pay more attention to the Twelve Joules. Once the Twelve Joules notice this, they won’t be able to simply stay hidden any longer.”

Just then, the Extreme Tiger, who had been listening, raised his hand. “Hey, Mangnyang. I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“Who do you think is the strongest among the three great powers?”

An essential question. A truth everyone seated wanted to know. As all eyes turned toward Mangnyang, he slowly opened his mouth.

“The White Lotus Sect. To be precise, the Master of the White Lotus Sect is a singular force.”

“Damn.”

“Of course, that’s not a certainty, but the fact that the Master of the White Lotus Sect has stepped into the forefront signifies tremendous confidence and strength backing her. I suspect she rivals Baek Woong in his 19th life, at her peak. She likely possesses power that rival the capabilities of the Great Immortal in terms of Overlays.”

“…”

“As you know, there are almost no humans among us or in the entire world possessing such power. She must be suppressing the strange disease inflicted upon the Young Master, where the “Eternal Fetus” is sealed, with a powerful might, rendering her nearly transcendent.”

Mangnyang spoke gravely.

“To be honest, I don’t understand why the White Lotus Sect has stepped outside without an exact solution for the strange diseases like the Black and White Lotus. For now, the most plausible explanation is that the Master of the White Lotus Sect is forcibly using her strength to suppress the strange disease.”

“Is that so? Has the Master surpassed the Great Immortal…?”

The Extreme Tiger’s expression darkened. The Extreme Tiger sought revenge against the White Lotus Sect’s Wind Spirit Sect, and the fact that their leader had grown excessively strong left a sour taste in his mouth. Moreover, the Wind Spirit Sect’s Dharma Guardian, Yongbi Cheon, had likely become stronger through training under her.

Mangnyang continued, “However, even if the White Lotus Sect is the strongest, they aren’t leagues ahead. In terms of overall strength, all three factions would likely be on par with each other. The difference would be negligible, enough that it could swing drastically based on a moment’s fortune… you could say they’re fairly equal.”

Listening with crossed arms, Jin So-cheong remarked, “So, depending on which side we support, the outcome may shift.”

“Exactly! We are the fourth power capable of changing the balance of strength. Henceforth, this moment is essential.”

Mangnyang’s eyes gleamed.

“Our objective is to devise schemes to ensure none of the three can become victor, forcing them to expend their strength and maintain checks against each other until the end. Our Bancheon Alliance must be the ultimate black mask in the martial world.”

“…”

“Baek Woong. Why the grim face?”

“Uh… It’s just that… don’t we seem like the villains?”

“Hmm.”

Mangnyang looked taken aback at this unexpected remark. Zhuge Sa snickered beside him.

“Ha ha ha! Absolutely! Hiding your identity while orchestrating schemes through the righteous faction, aiming for the mutual demise of other forces… it’s just like a novel villain!”

“…”

“It could very well turn into a story where the righteous Master of the White Lotus Sect defeats the villain, Mangnyang, to win!”

“That needs to be avoided at all costs…”

As Zhuge Sa kept teasing, Mangnyang sighed deeply and said, “In any case, we must arrange for the three great forces to meet within a month. And now, Baek Woong, you must also take action.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Bring a priest to our side.”

Mangnyang spoke calmly, “Until now, there was no need to recruit him, but now the situation is different. Without the aid of the Illusory God, we risk being ambushed by the three great forces and could be wiped out in an instant. So it’s imperative you bring him in.”

“That guy is quite cantankerous…”

“Give this method a try.”

*Pa-at*

I listened intently to Mangnyang’s plan and set off towards the village of Master Mangnyang. Once I secured the Heavenly Secret, I entered the village where Cheon Woo-jin soon appeared before me, his face reflecting obvious distaste.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve come to entrust you with a request. As payment, this is the Silver Phoenix.”

I presented the Silver Phoenix forward, and immediately, Cheon Woo-jin’s eyes lit up with curiosity as if he comprehended its value.

“Oho, what’s this…?”

I swiftly pulled the Silver Phoenix back before Cheon Woo-jin could grab it.

“I’m not requesting you.”

“Hmm?”

Ignoring him, I dashed straight towards the shrine inside. As his astonished gaze followed, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Master Mangnyang!! I’m leaving this as collateral, so lend me that guy!”

*Whoosh*

In that instant, an overwhelming drowsiness washed over me, and I fell asleep.

[The Silver Phoenix… it’s a relic related to Chiwoo.]

I heard a murmured voice.

A black cat, crouching in the middle of the path, gazed at me intently before speaking.

[How long do you intend to borrow my disciple?]

“About 50 years.”

[Too long.]

“Hmm… 25 years. I’ll use it thoroughly and return it.”

The Master Mangnyang wagged his tail.

[Are you thinking of acquiring him as a slave? Two years.]

“Gah… fine.”

*Whoosh*

As the Master Mangnyang ensnared the Silver Phoenix with his front paw, it vanished without a trace. It must have been devoured by his godly technique. Slowly, the Master Mangnyang disappeared over the path while advising me.

[There’s an ominous presence. Don’t get too arrogant and fall prey to a counterattack…]

When I awoke, I found Cheon Woo-jin standing in front of me, his face flushed a bright red. He seemed immensely aged yet barely suppressed the annoyance in his tone.

“… I’ll count on you for the next two years…”

“Hehe, you too.”

Seeing his expression brought a satisfied smile to my lips.

‘This is the plan from Mangnyang.’

By collateralizing the Silver Phoenix with Master Mangnyang, I forcibly recruited Cheon Woo-jin!

In such an urgent situation, this was far more effective than countless power struggles with Cheon Woo-jin.