---

I, after finishing the sparring match, spoke to Mangnyang, “I have a lot to take care of, but I’ll go see Miho.”

Mangnyang nodded as if that was the obvious course of action. “That’s probably best.”

There’s a lot to do ahead. Plus, once the White Lotus Sect’s assault on the imperial palace begins, I’ll be swamped. I needed to meet Miho before everything got chaotic.

Crack!

When I arrived at the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace in Kyoto, I didn’t find Miho, but rather the Emperor with vacant eyes staring off into space. It seemed Miho’s enchantment had him so completely bewitched that he wasn’t responsive at all, sitting like a lifeless doll gazing out the blue window.

Just as I was about to leave him be and look for Miho, he surprised me by speaking.

“… She is… not here right now…”

“…!!”

I turned to look at him in shock, and the Emperor continued to stare blankly at the sky. As I gazed at him, light slowly began to return to his eyes. After blinking ten times, he seemed to regain a normal human expression.

“Your Majesty?” I asked.

“… I don’t deserve to be called that… Heh heh…”

The Emperor chuckled bitterly, and I was genuinely astonished inside. ‘Does he actually have consciousness?’

The Emperor was the pivotal figure entrusted with the power Miho held on this realm. Without keeping him enraptured, Miho was just a powerful demon in the grand scheme of things, hence her persistent use of strong enchantment techniques. Her sincerity in enchantment was formidable enough to baffle me, so the Emperor retaining his sanity was almost unfathomable.

“She’s gone to inspect the obsidian mine directly. So she won’t be back until tomorrow,” he said, clarity returning to his mind.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Of course. You are the human she cherishes the most. Your name is Baek Woong.”

“……”

What on earth was going on? Even if the enchantment was lifted, how did he know about me? I looked at him with bewilderment, and he spoke again.

“I regained my senses about a month ago. Until then, I was but a puppet, devoid of reason. But suddenly awakening, I seized control of my body. Of course, I concealed this from the Noble Consort using sorcery passed down through the royal bloodline, but I could overhear the Noble Consort’s stories and information.”

A month ago. As I tried to remember that moment, it clicked. It was right after I’d passed my memories onto Mangnyang and Miho using obsidian, three months prior, when Miho had suggested we go to the heavenly realm together.

‘At that time, Miho was quite shaken after receiving my memories from the obsidian. Could that have influenced her enchantment technique?’

While I was lost in my thoughts, the Emperor continued to gaze at me intently.

“You’re probably wondering why I didn’t pretend to be a puppet and chose to speak with you directly.”

“That’s correct.”

Honestly, if he’d kept up the act of being an idiot, I’d have never noticed. This meeting was only possible because the Emperor took the risk to speak to me. As I stood there, unable to grasp his mindset, he explained.

“Because you are the reason I broke free from her enchantment. I owe you my gratitude.”

“……”

“By pretending to be a fool, I could hear her soliloquies, which were mostly about her affection, curiosity, and countless adventures involving you, Baek Woong. Hence, I inadvertently gathered information about your group’s circumstances as well.”

“You mean you know what I’ve been going through?”

“Indeed. I’ve heard that you are a reborn person.”

He knows everything. Miho must have rambled on about the facts I shared from my memories out of boredom. It seems that, while hiding his consciousness, the Emperor pieced together my identity. It looks like he inferred ahead of time that the reason Miho’s enchantment broke was because of me.

‘Miho’s mind was shaken deeply, causing her enchantment to falter. In the meantime, the Emperor found his clarity.’

From what Miho mentioned, her enchantment was innate and a high-level sorcery. If the sorcerer’s mental state waivered, vulnerabilities would emerge.

After processing the situation, I addressed the Emperor. “I don’t understand. Even if you say my presence broke her enchantment, that doesn’t guarantee I’m sympathetic toward you.”

The Emperor shook his head. “That’s not true. It’s precisely because you are a reborn person.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you are a being that accumulates countless information and experiences through repeated lives, you wouldn’t easily dismiss such an extraordinary experience. Rather than rashly revealing everything to her, you would seek new possibilities. Am I wrong?”

“……”

What he said hit home. Until just a moment ago, my thoughts were keen on suppressing the Emperor and waiting for Miho, but now, it made more sense to converse calmly with him to gather information and explore new attempts. The Emperor clearly deduced my tendencies from Miho’s soliloquies. Despite being bewitched, it seemed he was originally no ordinary individual.

The Emperor let out a bitter smile. “I have a request. I’ll share information that might greatly help you, so please refrain from mentioning that an opening in her enchantment may emerge in your next reincarnation. I wish to retain at least a bit of freedom…”

This was a proposal for a trade. I rested my chin on my hand, considering, and then asked, “You hold great resentment against us, don’t you? How can I trust the information you provide?”

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively. “Not at all. In fact, I’ve come to find this puppet life isn’t so bad.”

“……?”

“The nationwide era of Dongyoung has only recently concluded. During that colossal chaotic period, even the mightiest daimyos perished pitifully, leaving the Emperor—someone with only a title—without any respect and in a miserable predicament. Tokugawa treated me merely as a pet. Had I remained silent, I would have starved to death.”

The Emperor stared blankly at the sky. “Then, suddenly, the Nine-Tailed Fox appeared and enchanted me, taking control of the Kyoto Palace and securing the Emperor’s authority and influence through her political skills. To be exact, she merely solidified her operational base, yet because of that, I survived.”

“If you were already bewitched by Miho, this would be meaningless,” I pointed out.

“Ha… It’s better to be her puppet and live comfortably than to suffer daily from the pangs of reality. At the very least, while being a puppet, I could live somewhat peacefully in a dreamlike state. Not to mention that I am under the robust protection of a great demon, which guarantees my safety. So, it’s rather a blessing.”

“……”

Should I call this a change of perspective or a form of optimism? The Emperor’s mindset diverged vastly from that of an ordinary person. In certain respects, it seemed he was adeptly leveraging Miho’s power.

As I stared at him, the Emperor spoke, “However, she plans to leave for the heavenly realm with you in about ten years. After that, I must fend for myself under the scrutiny of the Tokugawa Shogunate. That’s why I feel the desire to live again.”

“Hmm… Let’s say you hold no grudge. So, what information do you plan to give me?”

“Before that, promise me. Ensure the safety of my life and secrets.”

I pondered for a moment and then nodded. “I promise.”

With a sense of relief, the Emperor said, “From what I’ve gathered through her monologues, it seems there exists a place for the otherworldly race. After considering that, I learned where their base is located. If you go there, you might find the clue you seek regarding the Seven Luminaries.”

The base of the otherworldly race! This was likely information he had originally possessed, but it had gone unnoticed until Miho’s tales sparked his deductions. Naturally, this was of immense value. Filled with curiosity, I asked, “Where is that?”

“That place is called Takamagahara, akin to what you might consider the divine realm. However, I believe it also serves as the base for this otherworldly race.”

“What makes you think so?”

“This remains a secret only to the Emperor, but Takamagahara is not merely land visited by the divine; it’s a sealed location harboring ominous beings and serves as a passage. From there came those who wielded immense power and ruled over this land as deities. I suspect that’s where the otherworldly beings reside.”

Takamagahara. I pondered that term in my mind and then asked, “And where exactly is that?”

“I’ve heard that a passage to Takamagahara exists in Gochang in the Goryeo region. You could find some clues there.”

“Thank you.”

“Just make sure to keep your promise…”

Suddenly, he slipped back into his vacant state. It seemed he was pulling himself into unconsciousness as a protective measure against sorcery. Even in this state, he would likely remain aware of external information.

‘What a fascinating sorcery.’

I woke the Emperor up again. “Wake up.”

“… What is it?”

“Teach me that sorcery too.”

“Hmm, alright. However, it’s a technique from the Yin Yang path, and without basic knowledge, you might not understand…”

“Don’t worry about it.”

As long as I remember it, I can make use of it later. The Emperor hesitated for a moment, then shared the essence, technique, and training methods with me. The sorcery itself wasn’t complex, so it didn’t take long to relay it. However, as he mentioned, learning about the Yin Yang path made some parts tough to grasp.

“This is known as the Hong Meng technique. Please use it wisely,” the Emperor said before once again disappearing into his unconscious state.

I couldn’t help but think about how tragic his fate was. Born into the role of an Emperor in chaotic times, a miserable life was assured for him. Now, swayed by Miho, he was forced to conceal his consciousness to survive. But looking at it another way, it also implied he was an exceptional figure, able to survive even while being swept along.

‘I need to get rid of the Emperor’s memories from the obsidian going forward.’

If Miho discovered the current state of the Emperor, the reaction wouldn’t be pleasant. At best, she’d get angry and increase her enchantment on him. Since I had a bond through the information regarding Takamagahara and the Hong Meng sorcery, I decided to rid myself of memories of the Emperor from the obsidian.

He likely knew I was a reborn person and chose to win my favor instead of asking for anything vaguely. The Emperor seemed to have a remarkable knack for reading people’s emotions.

As per the Emperor’s suggestion, after waiting about a day at the palace, Miho returned. Upon seeing me, she greeted me warmly, throwing her arms around me.

“Ah! You’re back!”

“Oof. Just a moment…”

My face was buried in her bosom, and I squirmed a bit, especially since Miho had transformed into a stunning beauty.

After we chatted about the events of the past month, Miho looked incredulous.

“So you did nothing over a month of hell training?”

“Yeah, pretty much…”

“Hmph, isn’t talent a funny thing? But at least you fought similarly to Jin So-cheong, so that’s a relief.”

“And what about you? Did you spend the month searching for the obsidian mine?”

Miho replied proudly, “That I did. Obsidian is mainly found near volcanoes, so I traversed the castles and villages around that area. I also acquired about five mines using my resources.”

“Five?”

“I don’t know how you infuse your Qi into obsidian, but bigger obsidian allows for more memories, right? The bigger the chance of finding a substantial piece of obsidian, the better.”

“I see…”

“The obsidian I bought from the mines is currently on its way to Kyoto. It should arrive within two months at most.”

“Thanks, Miho.”

“Hee hee.”

After a moment, I said, “I need to visit that obsidian mine myself. I have to ease your burden going forward.”

Miho suddenly looked a bit hurt. “Do you dislike me working hard for you?”

“No, that’s not it…”

“Haha! Just kidding. Although it would certainly be efficient.”

As she affectionately rubbed my cheek, Miho added, “But please avoid saying ‘next time’ going forward.”

“Understood.”

For me, dying and reincarnating anew was becoming second nature. However, for Miho, the present was just that— the present. I felt I needed to adjust my phrasing.

Miho suddenly seemed to remember something. “Oh! Have you ever read Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Relationships?”

“The Book of Five Relationships? I haven’t had the time to read it…”

“Still, it’s a secret technique written by Dongyoung’s strongest warrior, so you might gather some insights. It would certainly be beneficial for improving your martial arts.”

“Hmm, you have a point.”

I nodded and said, “I’ll definitely take a look.”

As I headed towards the obsidian mine with Miho, I contemplated, ‘I should show the Book of Five Relationships to the Sword Demon.’

After all, I had already planned to train again under him. Since I planned to train, it would make sense to show him the secret techniques from the Book and gain insights from his research as well.

 

---