Chapter 248
“We need to talk about something.”
A few days after my spar with Lee Kwang, the Sword Demon called me aside. “Baek Woong, how do you plan to deal with the Imperial Palace from now on?”
… I had been thinking about it, but it was an awkward topic. I hesitated before replying, “Honestly… unless something major happens, I suppose I will just observe. I don’t plan to fight the Imperial Palace at this moment.”
“And why is that?”
“There are two reasons.” I looked him straight in the eye and continued. “First, it’s already too late. The Imperial Palace has likely produced special soldiers like demons and the Portrait Immortal using alchemy. Without assistance from the Great Immortal, I currently can’t deal with them myself.”
“Hmm. What’s the second reason?”
“If I recklessly confront the Imperial Palace in my current state, it puts both our Sect Leader and the Shadowless Sect in danger.” I laid out my thoughts sincerely.
The reason I had recklessly attacked the Imperial Palace right after my rebirth was that I had a chance then. But now, nearly a decade post-rebirth, the Imperial Palace’s power has grown exponentially, leaving no chance for victory. Plus, it would severely impact the barely emerging Sword Demon and Shadowless Sect, which I couldn’t even think about.
The Sword Demon seemed to ponder my words for a moment before replying. “Think a bit cooler-headed. So what do you think is the way to win?”
“No, no, that’s not what I’m talking about. You’re not addressing the core problem.”
“Huh?”
The Sword Demon gazed at me calmly before continuing. “Even if you managed to gain power and destroy the Imperial Palace like you did in your previous life, would you really be stopping the conspiracy of the Black Mask behind the scenes controlling it? Besides, even if you wipe out the human factions, the Apostle of the Ancient God, Dalgi, along with the Ancient God itself, would still be standing.”
“Well… that’s true…”
What was he trying to say? As I stared at him blankly, the Sword Demon continued, “Your greatest enemy isn’t the Imperial Palace.”
“If it’s not the Imperial Palace, then who is it?”
With his arms crossed, he said firmly, “The Gods!”
“……!!”
“Ultimately, you must defeat the ancient monsters known as [Old Ruler] if you wish to win.”
I blinked in surprise at his words. [Old Ruler]!
Some dwell in Dark Heaven Village and are rulers of constellations far beyond human knowledge! Even in the Heavenly Realm, their power was too daunting to confront directly, as if daring to look away from them altogether. They wielded divine powers in the truest sense.
I couldn’t hide my panic and stuttered, “H-how am I supposed to eliminate those beings? Even the Great Immortal couldn’t do that!”
“Didn’t you just say it? Living a potentially endless life and tolerating someone’s tyranny forever is intolerable.”
“……”
“The Imperial Palace is just a lackey of the [Old Ruler]. Instead of being fixated on them, shouldn’t you deal with their leader first?”
What the Sword Demon said made perfect sense. I had often had similar thoughts myself. I knew that the [Old Ruler] were the source of all evil, but his words carried an unmistakable conviction that I felt compelled to listen to.
The Sword Demon continued, “You’ve partially given up on opposing the Imperial Palace in this life, but you don’t need to go that far. The reason is that what’s important now isn’t your personal martial might.”
“Are you saying there’s a way to fight back?”
“Yes. There is plenty of ways.”
Pointing at me with his index finger, he continued. “Even if you bravely train to increase your martial arts, to surpass Lee Kwang, you’ll need at least fifteen more years. And even if you surpass Lee Kwang, at least five others would be there who could easily overshadow him as if he were a mere pup. You’ve already reached the limit in achieving things through martial arts alone.”
“Hmm…”
“However, you have the Seven Luminaries. And you have the mysterious Wooden Armor and the Golden Lamp as well. Those are your greatest advantages, things that even world-class martial artists cannot overcome.”
“Are you suggesting I utilize tools?”
“Of course. Your strength is not in martial arts alone. It can be seen as an abundance of mental strength and will, along with the powerful utilization of those tools.”
After offering that piece of advice, the Sword Demon took a deep breath and said, “From today, find a way to nurture the Golden Lamp. That seems the only way for you to defeat the [Old Ruler].”
I agreed with his reasoning. To challenge the Imperial Palace by building up martial arts would take a century! And I couldn’t guarantee my mental strength would last that long. What I could realistically do was nurture the Golden Lamp and harness its power.
Reflecting on his words, I said, “To nurture the Golden Lamp, I must kill something with it.”
“Hmm… Interesting. So, it grows through killing?”
“Yes.”
“How about trying to kill a few guys in the Central Plains as a test? I do know a couple of Demon Path figures.”
“……”
Seeing the Sword Demon casually suggest that, I thought his admirable nature had little correlation to his preferences. It wasn’t for no reason he was called the head of the Heretical Sect. I replied, “That could work, but don’t we have two pressing matters to address?”
“You mean the matters of Dragon King’s Valley and Zhuge Sa?”
“Yes.”
“As for priority, you should first seek guidance from Dokgo Seong at Dragon King’s Valley. But I want to keep an eye on the bait I set for Lee Kwang. If you go into Dragon King’s Valley to engage in closed training, you won’t be able to come out.”
“Huh? Bait?”
The Sword Demon smirked. “I told Lee Kwang after our spar that if he wants to know Dokgo Seong’s whereabouts, he should go find Thunderbolt Three Saints first.”
“……”
I took a sip of my tea and retorted, “Why would Lee Kwang make such a choice?”
“He’s probably trying to throw the Martial World into chaos. A major conflict between the White Lotus Sect and the Official Martial World could drag in the Imperial Palace too. In that muddy fight, he likely hopes to gain some benefits.”
“Hmmm!”
“It’s not without chance. However, I see his actions as a gamble. It’d be best if he stays alive until you become strong enough.”
I could understand the Sword Demon’s perspective. “You believe he won’t undertake reckless actions while searching for Thunderbolt Three Saints then?”
“That seems to be the case. He needs to find Dokgo Seong no matter what.”
The Sword Demon appeared to be crafting some great strategy. Only someone with experience leading large forces, like the Sword Demon, could draw up such a plan. I once again realized his capabilities and gazed at him as he continued, “Let’s do this; first, kill a few Demon Path folks to test the Golden Lamp, then we’ll save Zhuge Sa. Training at Dragon King’s Valley can come after.”
“Must we save him?”
“Hehe. Isn’t it a bit hard for you to try to try it on a successor? If you attempt this, it’s obvious Mangnyang will freak out and try to stop you.”
The Sword Germon’s playfulness made me feel like I was a mischievous friend. “Isn’t the Thunderous Wall tedious?”
“If that woman is merely protecting the legacy of Zhuge Sa, then she wouldn’t have reason to refuse it. I don’t think it’s the same as clashing with the Thunderous Wall,” I replied, albeit reluctantly, but seeing the Sword Demon’s determination made me think it might be worth trying. So, I reluctantly nodded my head.
“Alright, I’ll give it a shot.”
“Good. Then let’s head out to take down some Demon Path guys.”
With a flash, the two of us headed toward the Central Plains, utilizing the Golden Lamp as commanded by the Sword Demon. Upon arriving in Anhui Province, he moved discreetly into the castle’s inner quarters, avoiding notice as he went deeper.
Eventually, we reached a hidden chamber suitable for the lord of Anhui Province. I found it oddly uncomfortable to be so deep within the castle, as even peasant presence here could attract a death sentence.
[Wait, is there a Demon Path guy hanging out in a place like this?]
[Yes, he should surely be here.]
The Sword Demon ventured further in. Upon reaching a space filled with stone walls, he gently infused his internal power. Immediately, the stone walls shifted aside, revealing another passage.
‘Secret Passage!’
The secret passage reacting to Qi was clearly a human-made structure. The Sword Demon rushed through the passage, with me following closely behind.
We soon found ourselves in a living area. It was perhaps spacious enough for three or four people, filled with necessities for daily life, as well as food supplies. In a corner, I noticed two or three people seemed to be sleeping, wiggling.
As the Sword Demon scanned the space, he sent me a mental message. [The target is hiding. Don’t act recklessly.]
[Hiding? I can’t feel any presence…]
[His Invisibility Technique is top-notch. If you recklessly move, you’ll at least suffer severe injuries. Stay alert.]
With caution towards the entity hiding somewhere, I had no choice but to heighten my senses. According to him, taking a single step could lead to my demise.
The Sword Demon lingered for a moment before shouting, “Is that you?”
Crash!
The Invincible Sword struck at an invisible target. Simultaneously, a remarkable force appeared to block the sword, causing the dark figure to stagger back. A nimble person, revealing a small sword, yelled out aggressively, “What the hell are you doing, Sword Demon!”
It appeared the man recognized the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon grinned and responded, “Well, do you really not know?”
“Why would you betray? You’ve already joined the Twelve Luminaries and found your way! Why are you trying to kill me?”
The Sword Demon responded to his mournful cry nonchalantly, “Because you need to die. For our Shadowless Sect to start anew, we need to wipe out the Demon Path completely. Honestly, I never liked you.”
“Don’t joke around. I won’t die easily!”
“Ha ha! Is that so?” The Sword Demon squinted. “Black Demon, today is your grave.”
Indeed. The Black Invisibility Artist hiding deep within Anhui Province’s castle was none other than the best assassin and contractor known as Black Horse of the Demon Path. It seemed the Sword Demon had come here after learning of his whereabouts, intending to eliminate him.
Swoosh! The Sword Demon unleashed the Mind Control Technique and unleashed a flurry of Invincible Sword attacks. Any peak expert would surely be bested by his touch. But, given the Black Horse was also a peak expert and revered among assassins, he calmly defended against the attacks, trying to vanish with his Invisibility Technique.
“Not happening!”
The Sword Demon directed a sideways flick of his finger. In that moment, the Invincible Sword surged through the air at an unprecedented speed and shattered the Black Horse’s defense, landing a cut on his leg.
Thud!
Though the Black Horse’s leg wasn’t severed, his tendon had clearly been damaged, effectively immobilizing him. The Sword Demon’s ability to suppress a peak expert so effortlessly was almost beyond belief.
Grinding his teeth, the Black Horse tried to move with just his upper body as the Sword Demon remarked in awe, “You can move without even screaming? Worth your name, Black Horse.”
Thud! “Gack!”
But the Sword Demon had already quieted the Black Horse with the Mind Control Technique. I glanced inward and saw that the assassins who’d been asleep had been subdued just as easily. It was truly divine awe.
The desperate Black Horse croaked, “Cough… Just kill me quickly.”
“If you can provide me valuable information, I might just consider it.”
“Fine. What do you want to know?”
“Everything!”
For half a moment, the Sword Demon extracted information from the Black Horse. He learned of the Black Night Gate’s vision and secret techniques’ hiding locations, along with concealed assets, contractor routes, and interesting secrets about the new generation of assassins. Some of the information was so unexpected that I couldn’t help but be surprised.
In disbelief, the Sword Demon asked, “Is that really true?”
“Indeed.”
“The Old Sage of Mount Tai…?”
“The information I just mentioned is the highest grade intel I have. Please take it seriously.”
“Hmm.” The Sword Demon shook his head. “Got any proof?”
If I had specific evidence for this sort of thing, I wouldn’t have survived so long against the Imperial Palace.”
“That’s a valid point. We will check it out later.”
With that, the Sword Demon gestured for me to end it. “Make it quick.”
“Got it.”
Without hesitation, I swung the Golden Lamp and took the Black Horse’s head. It was with such swift precision that he likely felt almost no pain. The Sword Demon then gathered the remaining subdued assassins, forcing them to kneel down.
The Sword Demon examined their faces and remarked, “There’s no Assassination Squad Leader. Looks like he’s completely gone independent.”
“Independent?”
“He must have believed that as long as the assassins survived, even in death, the Black Night Gate’s lineage would continue.”
I tilted my head in confusion. “Yet he shared such significant secrets…”
There wasn’t even a need for further torture to confirm it; the secrets he had revealed rang true.
“The Black Horse merely kept minimal loyalty to his sect while pursuing his own benefits. He likely thought it better to die easily than to endure torture.”
“So, the reason you didn’t inquire about the Assassination Squad Leader’s whereabouts…”
“Because that was his greatest reverse scale. The moment I tried to extract that, he would undoubtedly shut up and die.”
In other words, a deal had been struck, trading the fate of the Assassination Squad Leader for all the other secrets.
With a swish, I again swung the Golden Lamp, taking the heads off more assassins. The Sword Demon observed the scene with a scrutinizing eye.
“Looks like about four have been dealt with. Is there any reaction from the Golden Lamp?”
“Nope. Absolutely nothing.”
Indeed, there was no sensation at all. I had expected the Golden Lamp to react to the blood, or for Itaka to move, but it remained utterly unresponsive, raising doubts about the Prophet’s advice.
“Huh… Is four enough to barely touch the surface? Truly a fitting divine treasure.” The Sword Demon mumbled and then embraced the realization, saying, “Seems like you’ll need to kill more to find your chance.”
