Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village

“I immediately summoned Yeodong-bin. Offering the cursed Muramasa, I stated, “In exchange for this cursed blade, I seek information about the Xuanyuan Sword possessed by the Sword Master.”

[Hmm… a cursed sword… not particularly appealing, but I acknowledge its value.]

Yeodong-bin seemed reluctant, yet accepted the Muramasa as a sacrifice. It appeared that normally, he wouldn’t have accepted a cursed sword, but perhaps because I was a Dharma Protector, he acquiesced. After obtaining the Muramasa, Yeodong-bin spoke.

[I learned about the Xuanyuan Sword from a servant of the Divine Lord Hou Yi.]

I was taken aback by that statement.

“You mean… you’re referring to the legendary Hou Yi, right?”

[That’s correct.]

Yes! That guy was not only a great hero from myth but had also killed me twice as the Red Bow’s wielder! Why on earth would he have any information about the Xuanyuan Sword? As I was puzzled, Yeodong-bin continued.

[The servant’s name was Yeochuk, a shaman who attempted to subdue the ten suns during the Mythological Age but ended up perishing instead. She was punished for her transgression against the Heavenly Secrets, trapped in the depths of the Underworld, but when Hou Yi achieved his feat of subjugating the suns, he rescued her and took her as a servant.]

“Hmm… I think I’ve heard of her.”

Of course, I had researched the legends of Hou Yi while learning the Daoist teachings. I couldn’t help but be intrigued, given that it was Hou Yi who had killed me. Yeochuk was the shaman who fought against Shiyang (the Sun of Ten) when he caused chaos in the human world.

[Yeochuk lived in Hou Yi’s palace and had a chance to become close to him. During that time, she mentioned having heard about the Xuanyuan Sword and specifically that her master, Hou Yi, would know quite a bit about it.]

“Is that really true?!”

[Though Yeochuk is now a servant to Hou Yi, she was originally the greatest shaman in the earthly realm. She is by no means of low status. She wouldn’t speak nonsense.]

“Then did you ask Hou Yi about the Xuanyuan Sword?”

At my question, Yeodong-bin shook his head.

[How could I? Hou Yi is my senior, a great hero, and the only individuals who could be considered his equals are Second Truth Lord, Nanbokdu, and Celestial Sage. Moreover, probing into the Xuanyuan Sword might raise suspicions, so I couldn’t dig any further.]

“Hmm.”

[That’s all I know.]

“Is it possible to summon this Yeochuk for an Offering Ceremony?”

[Yeochuk is an Earth Immortal, so it’s feasible, but she’s bound to Hou Yi. We would need to obtain his permission first.]

“Got it.”

I sent Yeodong-bin back. Zhuge Sa, who had been watching the whole process, remarked, “This is interesting. If Hou Yi knows about the Xuanyuan Sword, I must question him.”

“Should we prepare offerings for Hou Yi then?”

“Hmm!”

Zhuge Sa clasped his hands together, seemingly entertained. “But there’s something amusing to consider first. Why would Hou Yi have that information?”

“……? What do you mean?”

“The Xuanyuan Sword is a secret treasure left by the Emperor to humanity. Yet, of all people, it’s Hou Yi—who had once shot and killed the son of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Shiyang—who knows its tremendous secret? Isn’t that a bit odd?”

“……”

That was a point. I had assumed that the secret of the Xuanyuan Sword would only be known by the Three Sovereigns or their direct apostles, but to think that Hou Yi would know. Cheon Woo-jin chimed in from the side.

“I think there’s a high possibility that the information regarding the Xuanyuan Sword is fake. Making contact with Hou Yi is a risky move.”

“What should we do then?”

“We must move according to the plan.”

Pah-at!

I headed for Mount Ye. Activating the Heavenly Secret Technique, I began searching for souls.

‘One thousand years ago, the soul of Gongsun Byeok, Clan Leader of the Gongsun clan… Gongsun Byeok, heed my calling!!’

Usually, I would just choose randomly by observing the size and color of souls, but the Heavenly Secret Technique also had the ability for the user to find a specific soul they desired. As I fervently wished to find Gongsun Byeok’s soul, a shocking response started to resonate.

‘Is it that old souls are harder to find?’

Recently departed souls usually responded easily, while those who had died long ago might only emerge stealthily. While that could be the case many times, Gongsun Byeok seemed to be wandering about like a ghost, having closed his consciousness.

Sssss!!

Gongsun Byeok’s soul was summoned, but he appeared to be still in a daze, staring blankly at the void.

[Ah… ah…]

Having died a long time ago and losing hope of being summoned by the Heavenly Secret Technique, he seemed to have lost his wits. Without a doubt, he was in a state barely different from a ghost, with the strong feeling of his soul almost vanished. However, upon looking at his appearance, it was unmistakably Gongsun Byeok, the clan leader of the Gongsun clan I had seen in Yeodong-bin’s past recollections.

Since I had brought Cheon Woo-jin along for moments like this, I glanced at him. Cheon Woo-jin, seeming annoyed, said, “To draw a soul from the Netherworld, you will have to forcibly inject soul energy or strong power. There are recovery techniques, but they’re quite bothersome; so this is for the best. Purely injecting power is the best way to revive a consciousness immersed in the Netherworld.”

“Huh?”

“Go on, do it.”

“……?”

“……”

I tilted my head, and an awkward silence ensued.

After a while of not comprehending what he meant, Cheon Woo-jin, somewhat exasperated, pressed his temple and shouted, “Urgh! You fool! I mean inject soul energy into it!”

Affronted by his frustration, I grumbled, “Why not just say it plainly…”

Instead, Cheon Woo-jin flared up, furious. “Damn it! If you’ve studied Daoist knowledge to this extent, you should understand right away. Are you a novice? A child? Have you been studying through your backside, idiot? Someone at your level of Daoism and techniques would typically be expected to manage the leadership of a sect!”

“……”

I swore to myself that I would never learn techniques from Cheon Woo-jin as I infused Gongsun Byeok’s soul with soul energy. Who else would be good to learn techniques from, if not this irritating guy? Suddenly, I felt a yearning to see Mangnyang.

Wuuuuuuun…

Finally, Gongsun Byeok’s soul began to shiver and regain its senses. The filthy demonic energy that had clung to him like a ghost retreated, and his soul completely returned to a human state. Gongsun Byeok regained his senses and spoke to me.

[Th… Thank you. Have you summoned me? If I follow your words, will I be saved?]

He seemed flustered, speaking incoherently, yet was aware of why he was here. I nodded, then spoke to Gongsun Byeok.

“Gongsun Byeok. In your past life, didn’t you agree to share information about the Xuanyuan Sword with the Supreme Thief?”

[Hmm… yes, that was the case.]

“I wish to know everything you know about the Xuanyuan Sword. Speak as much as you can.]

[……]

Gongsun Byeok regarded me with cautious eyes before finally saying,

[Well… then I have a question as well…]

“Yeah?”

[What happened to the Gongsun clan after I died? If you know, please tell me…]

“A thousand years ago, the clan was destroyed. That Hou Yi disappeared without a trace as well. That’s why I summoned your soul; I couldn’t find the descendants of the Gongsun clan.]

[Ugh… Fire Dragon Incarnate… I will curse him!!]

Gongsun Byeok suddenly erupted in anger toward the Fire Dragon Incarnate, but I merely regarded him with an indifferent expression. ‘What do you want me to do about it?’

Since I had seen Yeodong-bin’s past recollections, I knew that Gongsun Byeok had died for justifiable reasons. The Fire Dragon Incarnate had no trace of cowardice in killing him. As I observed him coldly, Gongsun Byeok cleared his throat and spoke.

[The Xuanyuan Sword was a family heirloom passed down in the Gongsun clan for generations. However, what is concealed within the clan is merely an exquisite replica; the genuine one has been missing since before.]

“It’s missing?”

[The documented records of the Gongsun clan’s founding date back to the time of King Wu of the Western Zhou Dynasty. When King Wu defeated the last king of the Shang Dynasty, Di Xin, who then committed suicide by jumping into a fire, the Gongsun clan was also caught in the disaster, causing the genuine Xuanyuan Sword to go missing. Since then, our clan has continued to pass down the replicas.]

“……”

This would be a secret of the clan that he would certainly never divulge during life, but it sounded as though Gongsun Byeok was revealing it since he was already dead, and the whereabouts of the afterlife were at stake. Upon hearing this tale, I contemplated and then asked,

“If what you say is true, then your clan has existed since the ancient Western Zhou period… just how old is your history?”

[We have existed even before that. The founder of our clan is Emperor Gongsun Xuanwen.]

I scoffed at Gongsun Byeok’s words.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you were truly descendants of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, you should wield immense spiritual power and authority, yet you’re merely a human ghost.”

[Who says so? I don’t truly believe in things like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. I just meant that our origins are ancient.]

“So you tried to trick the Supreme Thief with information about a Xuanyuan Sword that doesn’t even exist.”

[… At that time, the Supreme Thief was the greatest among Jianghu and the top thief, so I thought I could make use of him. Though he was of unknown origin, he had remarkably high martial arts skills. Thus, I thought about teaming up with the White Lotus Sect and the Supreme Thief to obtain the Overlord’s Sword Technique to dominate Jianghu…]

Gongsun Byeok wore a gloomy expression. After all, he had such grand ambitions, yet he didn’t expect to be killed by a teenage boy possessed by the Fire Dragon Incarnate on Mount Ye. Who would think that the owner of the Sword Technique would bring along a Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage to face him and lose?

‘Is there anything else I should ask?’

I pondered deeply. It seemed that Gongsun Byeok truly didn’t know the whereabouts of the Xuanyuan Sword, and there was nothing more to uncover. Now, I needed to check with Hou Yi or that shaman servant, Yeochuk.

But at that moment, a question sparked in my mind, leading me to inquire.

“Gongsun Byeok, if I may ask… are there any physical characteristics or unique traits specifically passed down in your clan?”

[Hmm…? What do you mean?]

“If you wish, I could help you find the descendants of the Gongsun clan. I’ll let you know what became of your offspring later. I won’t harm them in any way.”

[Oh… really?!]

Gongsun Byeok sounded quite surprised. After pondering it carefully, he spoke.

[As for our family’s unique trait… um… we happen to really like the color white.]

“Is that so? And?”

[For generations, our daughters have been exceptionally beautiful, renowned as the unmatched beauties throughout Jianghu.]

“Not much of a boast for a martial arts family, isn’t that so?”

[… The martial arts talents of our children are also quite exceptional.]

“……”

[……]

I fell into silence. ‘In the end, isn’t that just saying there aren’t any distinctive traits?!’

Finding the descendants of a clan exterminated a thousand years ago based on such trivial information would be absurd! What significance did liking the color white have, and what did it matter that the women were beautiful? I grimaced and spoke.

“… Just tell me the name of someone who could have led the Gongsun clan after you. I’ll summon his soul to investigate.”

[I had two sons and one daughter. The eldest is Gongsun Jung, the second is Gongsun Seok, and the youngest daughter is Gongsun Hye-ran. One of them must have become the clan leader.]

“Understood. You may leave now.”

Sssss…

I seemed to have gathered plenty of information from Gongsun Byeok, yet I realized I had truly gained nothing substantial. I spoke in resignation to Cheon Woo-jin.

“Damn it. It seems I can only summon Yeochuk or Hou Yi to uncover the location of the Xuanyuan Sword…”

“I already told you I’m against that. It’s dangerous.”

“Why is contacting Hou Yi considered dangerous? If I just offer sacrifices and acquire the information…”

“Fool! That’s precisely why it’s dangerous. If the Xuanyuan Sword exists and is indeed as valued as claimed, isn’t it suspicious that no one but Hou Yi and his followers know about it?”

“……”

“There’s definitely some secret from the Mythological Age intertwined within this. Plus, don’t forget that Hou Yi, in your past life, fought on the side of the Queen Mother of the West until the very end due to the Moon Palace Jar when you were supposed to die. He would report your suspicious nature to her without question.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s words rang true.

‘For now, it looks like I have no choice but to keep searching for traces of the Gongsun clan…’

Reluctantly, I headed towards Luoyang, the site where the Gongsun clan once thrived. There, I searched for the souls of Gongsun Jung, Gongsun Seok, and Gongsun Hye-ran, just as Gongsun Byeok had mentioned.

‘No luck?’

Calmly, I searched through the souls from a thousand years ago, but none were to be found in Luoyang. It seemed they had evacuated before their clan was exterminated and either perished elsewhere or hidden.

I couldn’t trudge through every location, as I had no idea where they had fled. Searching around Luoyang indefinitely wouldn’t yield any results. At this rate, I might have to use the Heavenly Secret Technique for a decade just to find something!

In the midst of my progress hitting a wall, I sought out Zhuge Sa. He said, “Really? Then let’s abandon this for now.”

“Eh?”

“There’s another way to explore.”

“What kind of way?”

“After all, you were planning to delay the challenges in Dark Heaven Village a bit while aiming to infiltrate Bai Lian Sect with Jin So-cheong, right?”

Zhuge Sa grinned widely. “The joining of the Ou Long Divine Soldier of the Han Clan to Bai Lian Sect happened a thousand years ago. Coincidentally, he lived during the same era as Gongsun Byeok. Therefore, the Bai Lian Sect must have records from that time, and moreover, the current leader of the Han Clan, Han Baek-ryeong, is likely aware of some details since the Han Clan surged to become the number one martial arts clan after the demise of the Gongsun Clan.”

“… That makes sense!”

“If Jin So-cheong becomes the disciple of the sect leader, they will be naturally able to meet Han Baek-ryeong and extract that information.”

No need to rush, then!

The plan to insert Jin So-cheong as the disciple of the sect leader! Moving forward with that would naturally yield other results as well.

While I was inwardly admiring this, Zhuge Sa added, “If you have nothing else to do, you should teach Jin So-cheong for a while. Just engaging in sparring would be hugely beneficial for both of you.”