NOVEL NEXT Chapter 715
Chapter 7: The Dark Heaven Village
I was dumbfounded to learn that the one hiding his identity as Changhil was already in Luoyang and, surprisingly, leading the current disaster. After a moment, I composed myself and asked, “So, do we have to defeat Changhil in Luoyang?”
To my surprise, Mangnyang looked at me calmly. After a brief silence, he spoke.
[Why would we?]
“……”
Hearing Mangnyang’s counter-question left me momentarily speechless. I naturally thought we had to take down Changhil, but Mangnyang seemed to express that it wasn’t that simple. When I couldn’t respond, Mangnyang continued.
[The reason you can’t answer is that it’s not about how strong Changhil is. You’re already prepared to fight the [Old Ruler], so the difference in strength no longer matters.]
“Um.”
[You, and all of us, don’t know what kind of being Changhil is and what his purpose is. It goes beyond simply being afraid of Changhil; it makes it impossible to judge whether he is good or evil.]
“Th-That’s true.”
Mangnyang’s words struck me like a splash of cold water to the face.
Indeed. I didn’t really know what Changhil wanted. Just because he was on par with the [Old Ruler] and had manipulated the Eight Parts of the Divine to create countless disasters didn’t automatically make him the epitome of evil. There had to be a persistent and frequent scheme that harbored a singular goal, but I still had no idea what that objective was.
As I became more contemplative, Mangnyang spoke again.
[If it’s certain that Changhil is truly a malevolent being, then we must muster all our strength to crush him. However, responding like that wouldn’t be wise, given how powerful he is.]
“Mangnyang, do you think you have an inkling of his purpose?”
[It’s still in the realm of speculation, but I have some ideas. However, I can’t share that with you just yet, as it might instill bias. Once I gather more factual evidence, I’ll inform you.]
I grumbled about his words.
“Bias? It’s monsters playing with humans anyway; what difference does a slightly skewed perspective make?”
[That’s precisely why I can’t share it easily.]
“Hmm?”
[Baek Woong. Don’t you realize that every action you take, every tiny choice, can create a massive storm? Approaching him with the mindset that you can simply overpower him omits the possibility of turning him into an ally. If you’re not careful, it could lead to thousands of years of regret. Therefore, you must face everything with an open mind.]
“Is that so? No, that’s…”
I was shocked to catch the implication of Mangnyang’s words.
“Are you implying that we could ally with Changhil and the Eight Parts of the Divine?”
Mangnyang nodded confidently.
[At least in this lifetime. Even if we don’t ally, there could be situations where we avoid conflict.]
“……!!”
[Baek Woong, what do you think about Changhil’s position? If our ultimate enemy is the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, have you ever considered that Changhil might be their enemy as well?]
“Th-That…”
[The enemy of my enemy can become my ally.]
Could it really be so? I was startled by the suggestion of teaming up with Changhil, a thought I had never entertained before. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, and beside me, Cheon Woo-jin sighed.
“Hyung, stop it. This guy tends to trip over his own thoughts if he tries to think too deeply. There’s no need to make it more confusing.”
[Priest.]
“True, you were jumping ahead with your assumptions, Hyung. Right now, we need direct orders to act, not a debate over grand hypotheses. We don’t know when Cheon Gong-pyo will arrive, so we’re out of time.”
That was a fair point.
After acknowledging Cheon Woo-jin’s words, Mangnyang addressed me.
[For now, let’s go find Tang San.]
“Tang San?”
[That would be the best option. As you know, he is currently in the Four Talents Sect.]
“Understood.”
After finishing our conversation with Mangnyang, we acted according to his plan.
[Pa-at!]
With the aid of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, we arrived near the Four Talents Sect, where a lush forest awaited us. I recognized this forest; it was part of the terrain leading to the Four Talents Sect. As I recalled my memories and ventured deeper into the sect, an unexpected scene unfolded before me.
Ruins.
[Thud…]
[Thud…]
The main building of the Four Talents Sect still stood intact. And right in front of the building, I spotted someone waiting for us. Despite still having a youthful appearance, a tall and handsome man stood there, dressed in green robes, a smirk playing on his lips as he addressed me.
“Guageo Snake reported that there was an intruder, and it turns out it was you after all.”
“Tang San!”
Inside the ruined Four Talents Sect, it was indeed Tang San waiting for us. He had clearly matured over the past five years, now resembling an adult. Spotting Seo Mun-hye and Cheon Woo-jin beside me, he asked,
“When did you return?”
“Not long ago.”
“Ah… Well then, let’s go inside and talk.”
We followed Tang San inside what remained of the main building. This structure had been meticulously maintained, with barely any dust and tidy furniture. After serving tea, Tang San insisted,
“Hand over the obsidian. It’s better than a hundred words.”
“……”
While his request was reasonable, I stared at him, feeling a sense of discomfort.
I couldn’t bear this unfamiliar feeling any longer and spoke up.
“Tang San, I want to hear it from your own mouth first. What has happened over the past five years?”
“Hmm. What happened? Not much of anything, really.”
“Still, please tell me.”
“If I had to say, while searching for the Grave of the God, I returned to the Central Plains on the recommendation of the Sword Demon. I secluded myself for about two years to perfect my martial arts, and now I think I’ve reached a certain level, so I came back.”
“Here, you mean the Four Talents Sect?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you do once you returned?”
I didn’t ask just for curiosity’s sake. The strange discomfort I felt in this building, along with my instincts as a martial artist, was sending alarming signals. Seo Mun-hye and Cheon Woo-jin also appeared to sense something amiss from my demeanor, keeping their eyes fixed on Tang San.
Tang San chuckled and took a big sip of his tea before responding,
“I did whatever I wanted.”
“……”
I sighed.
“In the end, you caused something, didn’t you?”
I could easily guess what had taken place here. Tang San must have meticulously sought revenge against the Four Talents Sect, and the bloodline descendants of the sect who held a grudge against him wouldn’t have survived, not a single one. Even if they did survive, they would undoubtedly be in a miserable state, better off dead. I couldn’t shake the feeling that even now, someone could still be tortured in the hidden chambers or secret locations of this building.
“Extreme Tiger Hyung has gotten his chance to exact revenge against Yong Bi-cheon. I’m just as happy as you, Baek Woong, for having fulfilled my own dream. Hahahaha.”
Although Tang San laughed heartily, I couldn’t join in.
I knew well how cruel his nature could be, akin to that of the Zhuge Clan, and I could already imagine how horrific the sufferings of those targeted for revenge would be. There might be people with their skin flayed alive, still breathing.
‘Is this the right thing to do?’
I thought Yong Bi-cheon deserved to die, so during my rebirth, I decided to give Extreme Tiger the chance to deal with him. But with Tang San, it was different. For Tang San, the bloodline of the Zhuge family were enemies he could tear apart without hesitation, but the scale of that revenge was undoubtedly a massacre, a descent into hell. Even if those Rabid Zhuge family members sinned, I believed Tang San would kill them brutally.
However…
[Baek Woong, let’s be honest. You and I have both lived through abuse and plunder.]
[I regarded the Four Talents Sect as an enemy, and you regarded the village chief’s clan as your enemy. The only difference is that I had the talent for revenge, and you did not. If you had had the same genius I did, you would have done the same. You already did, in fact.]
[I admire and respect you. You tore through the facade without pretense, right? Hahaha, it’s so satisfying!]
I always felt a kinship with Tang San in our shared experiences of revenge. Not being able to openly refute or critique him due to my own sins weighed heavily on me—the burden of original sin.
As I fell silent, Cheon Woo-jin coldly interjected.
“Tang San, how about you make peace with the previous clan leader of the Four Talents Sect, Tang Mugyeok?”
“Hmm? How did you know?”
“Considering your character, there’s no way you would let go of such a significant target for vengeance easily. It’s obvious you’re still keeping him alive just to torture him.”
“Indeed. I was using him to pass the time until Baek Woong returned.”
“Stop it. That’s not humane.”
Tang San chuckled,
“Very well.”
*Ding!*
Cheon Woo-jin made a disgusted expression.
“Even if the revenge is already over, your face shows no signs of relief. You’re merely wearing the mask of a victim when, in fact, you are inherently evil.”
“*Hoo hoo hoo hoo!!*”
Tang San’s eyes lit up in a crescent shape as he laughed.
“True. Even if I hadn’t been tormented, I might have wiped out the Four Talents Sect someday. It could be my nature. But in this world of martial arts, those like me are labeled as overlords and heroes. Isn’t that funny?”
“I don’t care. You’re just garbage.”
“Consider this a favor. I haven’t been just lounging around for five years.”
“……”
Cheon Woo-jin turned his head sharply, clearly unwilling to engage. I then handed Tang San the obsidian so he could update us on the recent events. He appeared quite shocked as he said,
“What… why has the situation escalated this much while I’ve been playing in the martial world?”
“Tang San, during that time, did you have any contact with Mangnyang or any other companions?”
“None. I had no way to reach out. After wiping out the Four Talents Sect, I was having fun with the sects in Sichuan.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Tang San replied,
“Well, anyway. If we’re heading west to find the Golden Eagle, let me tag along. I can be a bit of help, even if it’s minor.”
“The Golden Eagle is guarded by a powerful Demon Sorcerer group. I can’t guarantee our lives.”
“That sounds like it could be fun.”
“More than that, if you happen to know the medical techniques of the sect, I’d like you to see if you can hasten Jin So-cheong’s recovery.”
“Hmm.”
I took Jin So-cheong out of the wooden armor and presented him to Tang San for pulse diagnosis. After examining his pulse carefully, Tang San remarked,
“The fact that you’re showing me Jin So-cheong indicates that your techniques from the Hua Clan can’t provide a solution?”
My face flushed red.
“It’s not that my techniques are lacking. I’m just a bit underqualified.”
“I never said anything.”
Tang San chuckled, finding it amusing.
“I’m a genius, so I’ve mastered the medical techniques of the Four Talents Sect, but honestly, I don’t see any specific solutions. However, I think I have an idea on how to speed up Jin So-cheong’s recovery.”
“What is it?”
“Feed him Daehwandan. The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and Black and White Lotus have a skewed power balance, making them poor choices for someone in Jin So-cheong’s current state. But Daehwandan is a moderate energy, and he should easily recover from that.”
“Ah!”
How did I not think of that?!
There’s nothing better for detailed recovery than Daehwandan from Shaolin Temple!
‘I must have forgotten after gathering so many treasures and blessings this lifetime…’
Or maybe it was because I was overwhelmed with bigger issues happening everywhere. I quickly fetched Daehwandan and fed it to Jin So-cheong, waking him from his slumber.
*Hiss hiss*
After a while, Jin So-cheong’s face flushed, and he gradually started to regain his consciousness. Although he was still vaguely aware of his surroundings, it appeared he would need at least another three to four days before he could move around properly.
Tang San commented,
“Mangnyang seems to have sent you to me with the intention of bringing me along for the Golden Eagle mission.”
“I definitely wouldn’t regret it even if I died.”
“Hmph. Saying that might be embarrassing…”
Tang San wore an expression that suggested he found it amusing.
Could he possibly be…?
But I quickly discarded the unwelcome thought that had popped into my head. I didn’t want to accept such a possibility.
After accepting Tang San as a companion once more, I spoke to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.
“Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens, please head to the British Empire immediately…”
I absolutely had to seize the Golden Eagle!
“Ah?!”
*Crackle crackle*
But before I could even finish my request to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, an ominous blue energy began swirling in the hall. We all recognized that this energy was wrapping around the entire Four Talents Sect like a whirlwind, and we instinctively bolted outside.
*BOOM!*
A moment later, a bolt of lightning struck the ground. Along with the lightning appeared a figure, gazing at us with an expression of nonchalance.
[I have returned, as promised.]
It was Cheon Gong-pyo.