Reincarnation Sword God

---

Chapter 15: The True Path

“How the heck do I get the mask from Nüwa? And more importantly, why does she even have Fuxi’s mask?”

My mind was a tangled mess, and I had no clue what to do next, so I decided to just take a deep breath and chill. Right now, it was on me to figure everything out.

After I left Master Mangnyang’s village, I aimed to find the old capital of the ancient Hanhwa. It seemed smarter to gather intel from the clues in the Lü Buwei texts before dumping everything on Zhuge Sa.

Pahaat!

“Hmm, here we are…”

I arrived in the northeastern part of Henan Province. I had never been here directly, but with Puyang nearby and having been there a few times, I first dashed to Puyang and then sped over. This place was historically close to a region known as Yangcheng.

As I passed through nearby villages, taking in the pungent smell of rotten fish and market spices, I casually asked the merchants around. Using the information I gathered, I finally made my way to the place Lü Buwei mentioned.

It was a bit outside the city, in a northern basin near the outer city. Just as Lü Buwei said, three small hills cradled the basin, and many shrines dotted the area. Since I had learned directly from Lü Buwei that there was a secret space where he had hid the Demon Book in the well of the inner village, I decided to check it out.

‘Almost there.’

The Hanhwa had moved its capital several times. Yangcheng was the first capital before the establishment of the Xiah Dynasty by King Wu, and it was where Hanhwa first settled. The second king, Ha Huqi, moved the capital north to a basin by the Luoshui, and then again to Dijiu, so they changed capitals three times in total.

Lü Buwei had chosen the spot to seal Lü Buwei’s texts right where the ancient Yangcheng once stood. While it was called the first capital, no one knew exactly when that time was in the long-ago mythological age. With immense financial power and intelligence, Lü Buwei had managed to pinpoint its location.

Upon entering the inner village and searching for the well, I found it blocked by rubble. I used Gong Pa Ruohua’s technique to clear the blocked well.

Boom!

The well’s passage seemed to go deeper and looked ancient in construction. The walls were made from sturdy materials, showing off the strength it possessed to endure for thousands of years. It made sense since it was where Lü Buwei intended to keep the ultimate Demon Book.

As I delved deeper into the passage, I saw a massive wall blocking the door, just as Lü Buwei described. The wall was embellished with a huge engraving that resembled a wine vessel, and I murmured to myself.

“That’s a Jia.”

Jia was one of the most iconic artifacts from the Three Dynasties, used in ceremonial rites during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou eras. It referred to a vessel for pouring wine, featuring a spout and a prominent tail on a three-legged base.

According to Lü Buwei, this wall was a powerful guardian gate created during a sacrificial ritual, and the engraving was directly modeled after a Jia from the Yin ruins, serving as a key. Obviously, the way to open this wall was to push a Jia that looked exactly like this one into its slot.

However, that wasn’t the case. This sealing was wicked for a reason. Any human stumbling upon this relic would normally try to find a corresponding Jia. But such a small vessel simply did not exist.

I recited the incantation I got from Lü Buwei.

Woooom

Pachii!!

As soon as I finished the incantation, something formless filled the engraving as if it had never been empty. In that instant, the engraving vanished without a trace, and the wall rumbled upwards.

Yes, it was structured so that only someone who knew the liberation spell could pass through. Lü Buwei had never intended to pass his treasures to anyone but himself, so he had never revealed any riddles to solve.

A half-hearted grave robber attempting to mimic the Jia-shaped hole would only trigger lethal traps around, ensuring it would never open.

A Demon Sorcerer might catch on, but in this warrior world blessed with sorcery skills, Demon Sorcerers were exceedingly rare.

“Looks like Lü Buwei wasn’t lying this time.”

Sure, he could’ve easily deceived me, but maybe it was because I was the only one capable of breaking the two-thousand-year-long imprisonment. Lü Buwei seemed keen on giving me the Lü Buwei texts in exchange for my assistance, which turned out to be a wise decision.

I stepped inside and at last reached the place that held the Demon Book, the Lü Buwei texts. But instead of the book laid out as I expected, a gargantuan flag pierced the ground.

Noticing a powerful spirit energy emanating from the flag, I squinted and examined it with my Fire Eye Golden Spirit technique.

Wooo

“Impressive… it contains spirit energy comparable to a treasure. But it’s definitely not a treasure itself, more like a renowned exorcist’s talisman.”

It felt slightly lower in rank than actual treasures, but even so, it packed a potent spirit energy that made up for its structural simplicity. This meant that the being who originally wielded it was an exceptionally powerful exorcist.

As I got closer, I noticed huge letters engraved on the wall pillars.

[To those who seek the Demon Book, give up!]

“……”

The text was so worn it seemed to have been written hundreds of years ago, covered in dust. It seemed like over two thousand years, someone powerful had come to this ruin and just took the Lü Buwei texts. In most situations, that would be absurd, but given a span of two thousand years, it made sense.

I easily yanked out the flag. It read “Pasha” on its front, and despite pouring in my energy to swing it, I realized it wouldn’t work without the proper incantations and method.

“Hmm.. should I call it the Pasha Flag? But how do I track down the whereabouts of the Lü Buwei texts…?”

I realized the futility of mulling over things any further, so I decided to employ the technique again and head over to Zhuge Sa’s location at Jangryeong Valley.

Pahaat!

When I revealed my recent memories to Zhuge Sa, he pondered for a moment before commenting.

“This could get interesting.”

“Zhuge Sa, if Nüwa has Fuxi’s mask, how do I get it?”

“…There are two ways. One is to obtain it from her, the other is to take it by force. Of course, you do know that the latter isn’t an option, right?”

“Yeah. But I still don’t get why she even holds onto Fuxi’s mask.”

“Simple. Nüwa was also involved in sealing Fuxi. She’s keeping the mask under tight guard to prevent him from ever awaking.”

“……”

I let out a frustrated sigh.

“Damn it! So she’s definitely not going to give it up! No way she’ll allow Fuxi to be awakened again…”

“No, there’s a way.”

“A way?”

“Obsidian.”

Zhuge Sa’s eyes lit up.

“Give Nüwa the Obsidian and share all your memories with her.”

“……!!”

“That will force her to help you. You’ve witnessed the end where all gods were betrayed by [Father] and perished. If her goal is the survival of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, she’d be compelled to assist you.”

Oh, right!

I was impressed by Zhuge Sa’s perspective, a method I never thought of before. I cheered loudly.

“Alright! Then I’ll set up an offering ceremony, summon the Queen Mother of the West, and just give her the Obsidian!”

“Wait a second. This plan is risky.”

“Huh?”

“It’s easy and simple, but… we still don’t fully understand Nüwa’s intentions. There are many truths we haven’t unraveled about the afterlife, nor do we know exactly how she relates to the darkness of the Celestial Realm. Isn’t that right?”

“But if she learns of the gods’ destruction…”

“Even if that happens, it doesn’t guarantee she’ll cooperate. You’re still too weak to negotiate with her directly. Did you miss what happened with the Master of the Twelve Joules?”

“She might be even worse. Especially if we’re talking about the Three Sovereigns, they could seal you away with cosmic secret techniques.”

“Yeah…”

“Even Nüwa might not be able to seal the Heavenly Secret, but either way, it’s still risky. If we waste centuries to learn that she’s a time-sucker, how can we make such a hard choice?”

“So what should we do?”

Zhuge Sa took a sip of tea, then replied.

“We’ll need more materials to negotiate with Nüwa. Like information. At the very least, we need to learn why Fuxi was sealed. Without that, with Nüwa’s nature from the past lives we’ve seen, you might get obliterated before you even speak a word.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Nüwa hadn’t flinched or shown fear even when summoned by another [Old Ruler]. She was well aware of her divine powers and knew how to wield them. She was always ready to smash anyone she deemed weaker. It could be said she didn’t relish playing with mere mortals and had no qualms about violence.

“Why was Fuxi sealed, anyway?”

“Well… from Nüwa’s point of view, she might have wanted to go full-on dictatorship in the Celestial Realm. But I’ve got a strong feeling that’s not it.”

“Why not?”

“The Celestial Realm is, in fact, merely a playground for the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and their intermediary. It’d be ludicrous for Nüwa to wish for absolute power there, and then ambush Fuxi, her equal twin, to seal him.”

“……”

“There’s got to be another reason. It’s likely something beyond the concerns of even divine beings.”

“Hmm… how do we uncover that?”

After a sip of tea, Zhuge Sa set the cup down and stated.

“First, we need to scout. Observe the situation in the Celestial Realm, figure out what changes have occurred, and then move accordingly.”

“Got it.”

“And I can free Lü Buwei. You should walk away with the Moon Sovereign.”

“…huh?”

I accepted everything except that—Moon Sovereign was unexpected. As I blinked in surprise, Zhuge Sa shot me a glance and said.

“Is there any reason you can’t?”

“Fine.”

Pahaat!

I rushed off to grab the Moon Sovereign’s seal and made a quick getaway. I sensed a massive power swirling behind me, as if a Guardian was about to awaken, but I decided against confronting it. I could’ve done it earlier too, but I didn’t want to mess with the world.

“The Master of the Twelve Joules…”

Also, after getting a good beating in a past life, I really wanted to mess him up. Once I snagged the Moon Sovereign, I aimed for the Imperial Palace to gather the Crystal Stele and Divine Portrait before heading to the National Seal in the Heart of the Imperial Palace. Normally, the barrier would be impenetrable in the absence of Cheon Woo-jin, but using the Moon Sovereign, I infused it with Yin Spirit Power and launched a massive strike.

Zheeng!!

“Huh, it’s cracking!!”

Perhaps due to a significant boost from the Yin Spirit Power? As I hit the barrier of the National Seal with enough force, the mythical barrier cracked audibly.

I continued launching attacks for five or six times until visible ripples started to form in the space. Just as I was about to strike the National Seal barrier again—

“Who the hell are you?!”

Pahaat!

Suddenly, Zhuge Bu, the Astrologer, and an Alchemist appeared behind me. Knowing all of them were skilled in sorcery, they had already begun their incantations to bind me.

As Zhuge Bu launched a preemptive attack with a binding spell, I instead charged forward and sliced at his throat.

Boom!

“Gah…!!”

Zhuge Bu hastily activated a teleportation and shield spell to somehow nullify my attack, yet the impact was unavoidable and he staggered back, spitting blood. The moment Zhuge Bu faltered, the others were completely thrown off but I paid them no mind and launched an attack on the Alchemist.

Puk!

“Gaaah…”

The Alchemist collapsed, his heart pierced by the Moon Sovereign’s Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword. But I calmly withdrew the blade and mumbled.

“Fake body.”

The moment I stabbed, it clicked. The Alchemist must have sensed danger and sent a fake body for manipulation.

Fighting here was futile, so as the Astrologers completed their incantations, I held up the Moon Sovereign mirror above my head.

Flash!

“Ahhh!”

“No, it’s a reflection…?!”

The moment the mirror gleamed, the spells the Astrologers cast were flawlessly reflected back at them. Having experienced that reflection skill during the trial of the Seven Luminaries, I quickly learned how to employ it once I had the Moon Sovereign. The Moon Sovereign’s mirror could reflect most techniques and sorceries, becoming a powerful weapon under the right circumstances.

As I put the Astrologers down, I activated my sword technique and sent the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword toward the cracks in the barrier.

Boom!!

“It’s broken!”

The moment the seal of the National Seal shattered, I rushed in. Grabbing the National Seal in hand, I used my technique to escape from that place.

Though I could annihilate Zhuge Bu and the Astrologers, there was no need to go that far. The Imperial Palace Forces were maintaining their balance, and I had no idea how Zhuge Yulong would react after slaughtering them all. Besides, I had already worked alongside Zhuge Bu two times in a past life, so I was reluctant to kill a good man simply because I didn’t hand over the Obsidian.

After that, I moved to the great hall of the Namgung Clan. Upon finding that Clan Leader Sword King Namgung Myeong wasn’t in the great hall, but only the Eight Swords of Namgung and some lackeys, I sighed.

“Hmmm….”

One of the Eight Swords of Namgung shouted angrily at me.

“You! What sorcery are you using?!”

“……”

“Sky Team! Bind that intruder!”

Thud!!

“Shut up!”

I charged in aiming a clean strike at his head. In an instant, his head vanished without a trace, leaving the bystanders bewildered at what was happening.

I drew the Moon Sovereign’s Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword and casually beheaded six of the Eight Swords in mere moments. As the blood flowed profusely, the remaining people finally realized the gravity of the situation.

“Ahhh! A monster…!”

The martial artists from the Sky Team, shocked yet trained, attempted to charge me. I slipped through the gaps with my Three Treasure technique and executed lethal strikes everywhere. None could withstand even a single second before me; dozens of experts fell like scarecrows. Finally, I grabbed the neck of the remaining Eight Sword of Namgung and growled.

“Where’s Namgung Myeong?”

“H-Head Clan Leader is… resting…”

“Resting?”

“With… the women…”

“…Hooo.”

Bam!

I crushed his head like a watermelon and zoomed off towards the place where the women were being held. Confronting Namgung Myeong, I said.

“Namgung Myeong, get up and grab your sword.”

“Who are you?!”

I roared.

“Get up now! Before I flay you alive!!”

Namgung Myeong stumbled, adjusted his pants, and grabbed his sword. I glared at him and said.

“Listen up! Give it your all! This is just a mood-booster for me; you just need to help me blow off some steam!”

“What the hell are you rambling about?!”

“I’m coming!”

Schick!

With my sword technique, I executed a swift strike and clashed with Namgung Myeong’s sword for the first time. However, Namgung Myeong couldn’t handle the overwhelming force of my Qi combined with Yin Spirit Power, and his sword snapped in half. As soon as I cut through, I lopped off his right forearm.

“Gah!”

Schick!

We clashed again, and this time I severed his left leg.

In an instant, he lost both limbs and collapsed forward. Realizing he could have been finished off by me in just a second, he was in shock, trembling.

“T-Tenkai…!! Great Ancestors, please spare my life…!!”

“Do I look like a great ancestor to you? Am I beyond heaven?”

“Yes! Just spare my life…”

“I told you, this is just a mood boost.”

Slowly, I raised my foot and monotonously muttered.

“Look up. Quickly.”

Crack!

“Gahh… Aaaahh…!”

“Keep screaming.”

“Please… Please…!!”

I slowly pressed my foot down on Namgung Myeong.

“AAAHHH!!”

While Namgung Myeong shrieked, I felt nothing. As his cries began to fade, I stepped onto his temple, gently applying pressure like I would on tofu.

Boom!

With his brain splattering, I looked down at his lifeless body.

“……”

Still not feeling better.

I thought I could wipe out Namgung Clan’s wickedness and still feel fresh, but why did it all feel so off?

This was a first for me.

‘I felt great cleaning things up with Jin So-cheong…’

Even when I used bombs to obliterate Namgung Clan, I felt invigorated.

Yet why didn’t I feel invigorated now? Why did it just feel… uncomfortable?

…What’s this weird feeling?

Strange, kind of like cleaning up but also a little distasteful.

Maybe that’s why I hesitated to head off to grab the suspicious fishhook right away.

“Oh, Father!!”

The voice of Namgung Hwan, the Azure Dragon of the Sky, rang out. At the sheer panic in his voice, I turned and saw him trembling in shock.

“I will avenge my father…”

“Die.”

Pow!

I dashed forward and smashed Namgung Hwan’s head into a pulp with a single strike. The moment I took him out, I realized something had changed within me.

Oh.

It felt like squishing an insect underfoot…

---