Chapter 208
“It seems like it’s about time to make contact with the Red Moon.”
A few days later, Mangnyang said to me. I was taken aback by the unexpected comment and then realized what it implied.
“Are you talking about Red Moon, the Dharma Guardian of the Thunder God Lineage from the past?”
“Yes, if we’re going to meet, now is probably the best time.”
I pondered over Mangnyang’s words but couldn’t grasp why we should be seeking out such a powerful Peak Expert like Red Moon now. Unable to hide my confusion, Mangnyang calmly explained.
“We’re planning to give the world to the White Lotus Sect. The primary goal is to deal with the formidable force of the Imperial Palace, which we could never contend with on our own. But if the White Lotus Sect successfully topples the Imperial Palace, what then?”
“Hmm… I haven’t really thought about it.”
I hadn’t considered that. From what I’d seen, the Master of the White Lotus Sect was too transcendent to judge between good and evil. I assumed someone like that would possess at least minimal self-control and judgement, and wouldn’t act recklessly like the Imperial Palace.
Mangnyang chuckled softly.
“It wouldn’t be bad to live it up as part of the White Lotus Sect’s lower forces, but I don’t particularly desire that future.”
“Why not? If the White Lotus Sect rules the world, you, as their biggest contributor, would be treated as a key figure and gain immense wealth and a powerful martial force.” I was certain that if the White Lotus Sect ended up dominating the world, Mangnyang’s power would surpass even the Master of the Teng Yu Alliance. He could easily control the world as he saw fit under the White Lotus Sect.
But Mangnyang shook his head.
“If I aimed solely for personal glory, I would have started acting as soon as I emerged from the Imperial Palace. What I detest most is living a miserable life like a pig, bogged down in reality.”
After speaking that, Mangnyang continued to elaborate.
“Absolute power inevitably leads to absolute corruption. You can see that just by looking at the Imperial Palace. The Master of the White Lotus Sect is a superhuman, so during his reign, the world may be peaceful, but eventually, power with no checks will spiral into extremity. To maintain the balance of the world, we must prepare a counterforce before that happens.”
“Hmmm…”
“I was thinking of cultivating the Thunder God Lineage as that counterforce.”
What does that even mean?
As I looked at Mangnyang, he gazed at the sky and spoke.
“In the history of the White Lotus Sect, the Thunder God Lineage was actually regarded as being on par with the Su Shin Sect among the Four Great Families. The Su Shin Lineage became the strongest only after the then Master ascended above the Master of the White Lotus Sect. In other words, without the existence of the absolute martial genius who is the Master, the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage are equal to that of the Su Shin Lineage.”
“What are you trying to say?” My eyes widened at Mangnyang’s comment.
“I believe Jin So-cheong can catch up to the Master of the White Lotus Sect. If he experiences the pinnacle of the Thunder God Lineage, it would certainly be possible.”
“……!!”
Was he actually thinking that?
‘Ah… no way.’
I tried to recall my memories. In my past life, I had freely shared with the Thunder God Lineage the insights of Jang Sam-bong, the Supreme Master of the Wudang Sect. We even trained and researched together. As a result, both Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong drastically improved their martial arts, to the extent that Jin So-cheong earned praise from an elder expert of the White Lotus Sect. Jin So-cheong’s talent was something on par with genius—a miracle that didn’t happen often in the human world.
However, I had never considered that he could actually grow to challenge the Master of the White Lotus Sect. As I stood there in a daze, Mangnyang spoke again.
“In your first life, Jin So-cheong was renowned as one of the Ten Great Masters of the World. That was merely the result of him only honing the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage without finding any alternate paths. No matter how talented, a frog in a well has its limits. Not to mention, it was unclear whether he had a clear purpose of taking revenge against the White Lotus Sect.”
“However, what if we were to introduce Jin So-cheong to the Thunder God Lineage’s Dharma Guardians, the Thunderbolt Three Saints, early on and instill in him a purpose to defeat the Master of the White Lotus Sect? If the Bancheon Alliance clandestinely assists with this!”
“……!!”
“Can you imagine how strong Jin So-cheong will become ten years from now?”
I trembled at his words. Over the decades, I had felt the talent gap between me and Jin So-cheong deeply. The only other person who might understand Jin So-cheong’s talent as well as I did would be Lee Kwang. I shivered with exhilaration at the thought that sparked from Mangnyang’s words.
‘It’s possible…!!’
No matter how much the Master unified the Four Great Families, it wouldn’t matter. Jin So-cheong, having received the insights of the Wudang Sect from me alone, could defeat the Dharma Guardian in a short-term contest within just a few years. I couldn’t even begin to imagine where his level might be after ten years.
Mangnyang chuckled softly.
“I took note of your knowledge about the Thunderbolt Three Saints and their base. Recently, reflecting on the memory of the obsidian, that idea became clearer. Since the moment I acquired that memory, I set the Bancheon Alliance in motion to set things up.”
“Set things up?”
“I had the information organization subtly inform Red Moon and Green Moon about the genius talent named Jin So-cheong, and secretly arranged connections between Bancheon Alliance members and them. Red Moon and Green Moon have currently taken a considerable interest in Jin So-cheong. Prior to this, they were aware of Lee Kwang’s existence, but they showed little expectation or interest towards him.”
“I see…”
Now I finally understood Mangnyang’s words.
“So you intend to go to the Azure Dragon Gate of Red Moon to negotiate with him?”
The Thunderbolt Three Saints, guardians of the Thunder God Lineage, secretly built their own power in Jianghu after escaping from the White Lotus Sect. Red Moon established the Azure Dragon Gate, while Green Moon created the Black Moon Group—a mercenary organization. Although the Azure Dragon Gate and Black Moon Group weren’t well-known, every member of both sects was a powerful expert fostered directly by the Thunderbolt Three Saints, harboring formidable strength.
“Exactly. Once the White Lotus Sect attacks the Imperial Palace and gains control of the world, time will be of the essence. We must gather the forces of the Thunder God Lineage while the White Lotus Sect is focused on the Imperial Palace.”
“Indeed…!!”
That was what he meant when he said it was the perfect timing. Normally, the White Lotus Sect would gather all information from the Central Plains based on the financing from the Fire Spirit Sect, but now, facing the enormous threat of the Imperial Palace, they wouldn’t have the capacity to concern themselves with trivial matters. In other words, this was likely the moment when their vigilance was at its lowest.
“The period after the Imperial Palace falls is crucial. After incorporating Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong into the Thunderbolt Three Saints, they’ll just have to hide and train their martial arts. Our job will be to buy time by refuge them whenever the White Lotus Sect launches a powerful assault.”
I muttered Mangnyang’s plan.
“The White Lotus Sect topples the Imperial Palace, and then the Thunder God Lineage keeps the White Lotus Sect in check…”
It was right to say they’d abandon the Thunder God Lineage. Strengthening their own independent forces by first striking the Imperial Palace was the best course of action for them. If the White Lotus Sect were to dominate the world first, it would be a second-rate choice to start late.
But that was their standpoint, and for us, merely being able to restrain the overly ambitious Thunder God Lineage and maneuver as we wish would be a good thing.
“Even if Jin So-cheong can’t eliminate the Master of the White Lotus Sect, it won’t matter. The mere existence of a Dharma Guardian-level expert with a grudge against the White Lotus Sect will make them much more cautious in dealing with Jianghu matters.”
Mangnyang grinned.
“And you’ll be able to subtly mix with the Thunder God Lineage and rescue them whenever necessary, while gaining a crucial position. Since you’ve used the surgical techniques, your past won’t be revealed. Isn’t that great?”
“Sounds good!” I felt thrilled, but then suddenly remembered something and asked.
“But what if the White Lotus Sect can’t defeat the Imperial Palace this time?”
“There’s no need to think about that.”
“Why?”
Mangnyang said firmly, “If the Master of the White Lotus Sect can’t take down the Imperial Palace, then who in the world could take on the Imperial Palace? It would mean it’s something impossible for humans to achieve.”
“……”
I recognized the significance of this assault on the Imperial Palace by the White Lotus Sect. If a formidable presence lurked within the Imperial Palace such that even the Master of the White Lotus Sect couldn’t topple it, it would imply that no human martial arts would triumph over the Imperial Palace.
What would I do then? Would it be total despair?
‘… No, there must be a way.’
I decided to stop contemplating further as Mangnyang suggested. After all, with my current strength, I couldn’t do anything about it. Having spent years feeling that I couldn’t even manage my current situation while wasting mental energy on unnecessary worries had taught me that lesson all too well.
Miho, who had been listening beside me, spoke up.
“Hmm… I have a couple of things bothering me.”
“Miho, what’s bothering you?”
“Two things, actually.” Miho crossed her arms and looked seriously at Mangnyang.
“First, during Baek Woong’s tenth reincarnation, the Black and White Lotus got leaked, causing the Young Master of the White Lotus Sect’s strange disease to remain untreated, right? The White Lotus Sect back then must have had a power that was no different from now. Yet, they gradually occupied Jianghu and didn’t directly clash with the Imperial Palace for over a decade. Doesn’t that seem strange?”
Mangnyang closed his eyes in thought before responding.
“Hmm… Does it imply that they didn’t clash, but rather ‘couldn’t’?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ve thought about it too, but it’s an unresolved issue. You’re right, Miho.”
“And another… this is more important.”
Miho’s eyes sharpened.
“The Master of the White Lotus Sect could have wiped out the Thunder God Lineage at any time. If they wanted, they could have mobilized any of the three major forces beneath the White Lotus Sect to annihilate the weakened Thunder God Lineage. Furthermore, the Wind Spirit Sect even knew the whereabouts of Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong. Yet, the Master of the White Lotus Sect left them alone, even accepting the Thunder God Lineage’s declaration of independence during the fourteenth reincarnation with remarkable goodwill and generosity.”
“……”
“Do you think the Master of the White Lotus Sect is that kind-hearted? He was the one who originally ordered the cleansing of the Thunder God Lineage!”
Mangnyang’s expression grew serious at Miho’s question as he nodded.
“I can guess the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s purpose in leaving the Thunder God Lineage intact.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s why we need to cultivate the Thunder God Lineage even more.”
While listening to both of them, I suddenly realized and shouted, “The Ultimate Technique of the Thunder God Lineage!”
Mangnyang and Miho looked at me simultaneously. From their expressions, I immediately knew I was right. Mangnyang said with a serious look.
“The condition for the Thunder God Lineage’s independence set forth by the Master of the White Lotus Sect was to gather the Ultimate Technique. If the Master has other ulterior motives, that must be it. For unknown reasons, he is waiting for the Thunder God Lineage’s Ultimate Technique to be gathered.”
“Why? Isn’t he already invincible?”
“Unless you’re the party involved, you can’t know. Either way, if he has that purpose, then cultivating the Thunder God Lineage would certainly be the best course of action. Because the Master of the White Lotus Sect won’t destroy the Thunder God Lineage until the Ultimate Technique is gathered.”
“……”
I became increasingly frustrated.
Even as we were doing our utmost to shape the future, I felt as if we couldn’t escape the influence of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Noticing my gloomy expression, Miho patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, no matter what happens.”
“That’s something I should be saying.”
“Seriously… Are you trying to act tough here?”
Miho let out a laugh at my ridiculous remark. Meanwhile, Mangnyang shook his head, watching us.
“Truth be told, is there anyone living in sorrow for not having a lover…”
“Hmph! Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black? You’re the one who flirts with all the village girls!”
“That’s not called flirting; that’s called being a popular guy, Miho!”
“……”
Moments later, we burst into laughter.
Thanks to sharing our memories, even though we had only met recently, it felt as if we had been friends for over a decade, engaging in trivial jokes. I felt a sudden warmth from this bond.
‘I want to live like this forever.’
Yeah. Once we toppled the Imperial Palace, I would definitely make that happen. I wanted to leisurely spend time with Mangnyang and eventually live happily with Miho in the Celestial Realm. After all, I had heard that in the Celestial Realm, one would attain immortality, so I wouldn’t have to worry about reincarnation anymore.
‘Let’s do this!’ I clenched my fist tightly. After all, the long, long end of my past life was gradually coming into view.
