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“How the heck does that guy know about this?!”

No way! How could anyone be so sure that Yu Shun has disappeared? Even Shao Hao Jin Tian only thought he was missing; they could never be certain he was gone. That’s why they hired me as an apostle to track him down. And now, this guy speaks with such confidence!

‘Wait, how does he even know I’m pretending not to know?!’

What if I’ve been caught?!

I felt a surge of panic, but managed to mask it quickly and replied casually.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about….”

[No use playing dumb.]

Then Gon pulled his left arm from his robe and rolled up his sleeve. Beneath, there were scales similar to fish, but one stood out—it was a different, red color. I confirmed the scale was indeed red, and Gon continued.

[The scale of the Dragon of the Regulation is activated…. It’s certain that Yu Shun has been obliterated….]

“What does that mean?”

[The source that sealed me is the Emperor, but he didn’t seal me himself…. The one who borrowed the Emperor’s magic to seal me is none other than Yu Shun…. As long as Yu Shun exists, I can never recover my strength or use the powers of the Dragon.]

“…….”

[However, the fact that the power of the Dragon has returned to me…. Can only mean that the Old Ruler Yu Shun has been obliterated…. The moment I opened my eyes from the seal, I realized this right from the start….]

So that’s it.

I couldn’t deny his words and instead shifted the topic.

“…Well, okay, let’s assume Yu Shun is gone. That’s less work for me, so I’m all for it. But how the heck did you know I was pretending?”

As I protested, Gon seemed to grin.

[You know what the powers of the Dragon do…?]

“How am I supposed to know that?”

[To counter Yu Shun’s corruption, I’ve spent ages developing a technique called Fire Soul to create my clone and avatar, the Dragon of the Regulation…. And the moment you arrived at Mo Mountain, the Dragon returned, granting me a new ability….]

My heart skipped a beat at what Gon said next.

[That ability is… the capacity to detect what my opponent wants to hide….]

“What?!”

Gon burst into laughter.

[Heh heh heh! I doubted my eyes…. There was a red aura of deceit swirling around your body as I said, ‘I am searching for the existence of Yu Shun’…. However, the truth that ‘Yu Shun has been obliterated’ is factual…. And the next moment, I could read the truth you wanted to hide….]

A blue flame flickered from Gon’s eyelids.

[It was clear—you want to conceal that you know Yu Shun has been obliterated….]

“……!!”

I couldn’t help but be startled. Maintaining a straight face despite being so deep into it is no ordinary feat. Gon continued.

[Knowing such insane truth already, you’re even deceiving Shao Hao Jin Tian, instilling my curiosity….]

“…So you played along to match my words.”

[It’s not good news if those lowlives catch on. But now seems like the right time to negotiate properly….]

Gon took a step toward me.

[Make sure to spare no effort in helping me regain my original strength!]

“…What if I don’t want to?”

[Hehe…. Would you be able to catch me if I tried to escape? Your strength’s no joke, but it won’t help you against me, while getting away is a different story.]

“Hmm.”

[If you refuse to negotiate, I’ll just run away and expose your secrets to the world. Hahaha….]

I frowned.

‘Damn it. This guy is a first for me….’

Usually, ancient divine beings would intimidate me with overwhelming force, so I’d only deal with their might until now. But Gon knew he recently revived and wasn’t fully powerful, so he was cunningly aware of my weaknesses to manipulate me.

If I had my advisors, they’d have advised me calmly on how to handle Gon, or negotiated in my stead. But without Seo Mun-hye around, I had to think of a way to manage this solo.

‘Hmmm. It may not be a bad idea…. Maybe I should try to get another companion out of this.’

After some thought, I spoke.

“Alright. But since it’s a trade, I want something in return.”

[What do you want?]

“The power of the Dragon.”

I crossed my arms.

“I feel it could come in handy for me in the future.”

[Sorry, but…. That’s my avatar and clone, so it’s an integrated technique. I can’t transfer or give it to anyone.]

“That’s not what I’m saying. You’ll use that ability for me.”

At my words, Gon showed an intriguing look.

[Oh…. You’re saying you want to be a companion?]

“Yes.”

[Hehe, do you really think I’d go along with such a ridiculous proposal? I don’t care how sneaky your intentions are; you’re still the apostle of Shao Hao Jin Tian. If Shao Hao senses my existence, he’ll immediately send you to deal with me. I’m not that foolish.]

“I’ll make that not happen. Shao Hao is always too lazy to bother, so he’ll believe it if I say it’s vital to find Yu Shun.”

[…I can’t believe that.]

“Then let me prove myself to you.”

In response, Gon scrutinized me with his eyes aflame in blue, as if trying to discern who I was. I chuckled at his gaze.

“So, how does it look using your Dragon powers? Do I seem like I’m hiding more?”

[…No. I see you genuinely want me as a companion. I didn’t think you were serious.]

Then Gon let out a loud laugh.

[Hehehe…. You must truly be a crazy one…. Knowing how dangerous it is to have me, an enemy of the Three Sovereigns, as a companion…. Alright, I’ll believe in that madness just this once.]

“So, is the deal done?”

[Let’s make a deal.]

“Awesome. From now on, we’re companions. If you betray me, you’re done for!”

I declared decisively. After casually settling the situation, I turned to Gon.

“Gon, I’m thinking of visiting the prophet; you’ll need to come with me.”

[Fine…. Keep your promise to help me resurrect, as you said.]

“Will do.”

[Being out here makes my power leak out. I’ll head back inside.]

CLAP!!

I went on in search of the prophet.

“Prophet, it’s a deal!!”

[Hmmm…. Who are you….]

“I’m Baek Woong! Look at the seal you’ve inscribed.”

[…Reborn Person!!]

After the prophet recognized my seal and confirmed my status as a Reborn Person, I turned to him.

“Prophet, what I want to know is the current state of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. You need to find out if he’s sealed or not.”

This was something I had to verify in this life!

With no one but the prophet to trust for this task, I was anxious.

[That’s quite a challenging request…. Why do you need to check on the Emperor’s status? To reach the lofty peak ruling the Divine Temple…. You, the Reborn Person, seem exceptionally weak right now.]

“That’s none of your business, is it? Just find out.”

[Alright…. Show me the treasure…. If the cost is right, we’ll start the deal.]

I laid out the treasures I had collected in this life—the magical gold bar from Xuyou’s ruins, Yi’s twin broadswords, the Azure Dragon Halberd, Sacred Lotus, Black and White Lotus, the fake Triune Divine Artifact, and Yodo Muramasa. I didn’t include anything I deemed too important.

After examining the treasures for a while, the prophet said,

[That’s actually quite insufficient…. Are you trying to skimp on the treasures?]

“Damn it. If you ask too much, I’ll just choke on it.”

[Hehe…. If you can part with that much, then…]

Swipe

“What about this?”

When I offered the Grimoire Nameless Ritual Book, the prophet’s eyes widened slightly. It seemed he was measuring its value for a moment before shaking his head in dismay.

[Still lacking.]

What a load of nonsense! When I looked into the trends of the Celestial Realm, that would have been more than enough!

Then again, asking for the status of the Emperor, the pinnacle of the Divine Temple—it’s only natural a steep price is expected.

“Here, I’ll throw in the Nameless Ritual Book!”

[Ooooh…!!]

The prophet seemed genuinely stunned as he wiggled his tentacles. He took a moment to gauge its worth before taking a cautious glance at me, speaking hesitantly.

[It’s still regrettable…. Just… just a tiny bit more… so close….]

“…Hey….”

[I mean it…. Just really, really a tad more…. It’s so close….]

This guy isn’t trying to pull a fast one, is he?

I grew suspicious and contacted the Yodo at my waist mentally.

[Hey! Can you tell if the prophet is lying with the power of the Dragon?]

Gon replied, looking somewhat wary.

[I could, but if it’s that powerful a ruler, they’ll likely notice me [watching]. Do you think you can handle their wrath?]

[I don’t care!]

[If that’s the case…. Just so you know, this ability can only be used three times a year.]

[What?]

[Since I’ve used it twice already, this is the last time I can use it this year….]

This guy didn’t mention that earlier!

Screeching –

A fleeting red light flashed from Yodo’s hilt. And in that moment, I felt a strange glow being imparted upon my eyes from Yodo. Simultaneously, words took shape and appeared over the prophet’s head.

[The Evil God has already made a deal and wants to keep it from the Reborn Person.]

“…….”

This bastard?!

I couldn’t contain my anger and burst out.

“Hey!! You bastard!!”

[Ah!…. Reborn Person… Did you just use the powers of the Dragon on me?]

At the same time, it seemed the prophet recognized that I had used the power of the Dragon and whirled to face me. He looked panicked, his tentacles trembling, while my face was flushed red as I yelled at him.

“You despicable bastard!!”

[Hah… ouch…. So, you really used the power of the Dragon! Then, that’s Yodo, and inside is Gon, correct?]

“Correct!”

[Since the sudden seal caught me off guard, I didn’t register that ability, so I was careless…. Oh no….]

It looked like the prophet quickly understood Gon and the power of the Dragon. Ignoring what he was saying, I yelled out.

“This son of a witch is trying to bleed me dry while already in bed with the Evil God!”

[Hah… Hah…. Is there a law against that? We’re just meeting, and you didn’t ask, so I didn’t respond….]

“Shut up! How can I trust you not to set a trap or sell my information to the Evil God?!”

After being deceived before, I couldn’t help but react like this!

[Hmmm…. Wait a moment….]

I strode up to the prophet’s face, shouting.

“You better compensate me right now!! If you don’t sell me the information for free, I’ll never deal with you again!!”

[……!!]

The prophet looked considerably surprised. Obviously, he felt a strong sense of crisis knowing I could cut off our deal. He fidgeted with his tentacles, pondering for a long time before finally speaking.

[I cannot…. I can’t sell information about the Evil God….]

“Why?! You’re abandoning the duties of an info dealer!”

[I may have made a mistake, but…. It’s too risky to sell information on the Evil God! The moment I go against that person, the threat to my entire race heightens….]

“Fine. If that’s the case, then I’m out of this deal….”

But then the prophet took hold of my arm with his tentacles and spoke frantically.

[When did I say I wouldn’t compensate? Would I even treat a precious guest dismissively? Just listen to the alien’s words to the end….]

“What’s the plan?”

[I can’t sell the information on the Evil God, but…. How about only going as far as the Nameless Ritual Book and then finding out the current status of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen…. What do you say?]

That means getting the supreme grimoire and saving on additional materials.

It felt like a decent deal, but I wasn’t satisfied, so I replied to the prophet.

“Don’t make me laugh! Do you really think that compares to information on the Evil God?!”

[Ugh…. You’re really demanding….]

“It’s about your credibility!! Are we going to do business or not?!”

[Gah, fine….]

The prophet reluctantly agreed, his tentacles drooping as he spoke.

[Then… can you help us explore the Divine Temple with all our tribe’s power…!!]

“What?”

[Our tribe has never borne this much loss before…!!]

CRACK!!

In the next moment, my vision completely shifted.

‘Where is this?!’

And I found myself in an area that seemed to be the outer cosmos of the Divine Temple I had seen before, with a passage leading inside visible far off in the cosmos.

Bwee bwee bwee

A mechanical orb appeared before me, glowing red. It began to create illusions in the air, and each one symbolized a divine being.

[Ancient God Shiva, Vishnu, Neith are in a deep sleep within their chambers. Shenlong is patrolling, drifting on the ominous clouds. Besides them, over 52,938 mid to lower-tier divine beings and spirits are in a state of latent sealing. Additionally, 2 [Old Rulers] are also in a dormant state.]

Powerful figures appearing right in front of me like illusions was astounding. Then, the orb beeped and withdrew the illusions, projecting new ones.

Bwee bwee bwee

[Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen… Currently confirmed missing. He does not exist anywhere in the Divine Temple. However, a thick darkness has draped over the Emperor’s throne, suggesting an inspection is necessary.]

“……!!”

[Loss of cause and effect for Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. Loss of cause and effect….]

WHOOSH

Suddenly, I found myself back in reality. The prophet waved his tentacles, speaking.

[I can’t believe this…. That darkness that scatters the Emperor’s essence…? Could there truly be magic that even I don’t know? Who on earth is the one casting that seal?!]

“…….”

[You look somewhat expected, Reborn Person…. Could it be… no way….]

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I muttered gruffly, causing the prophet to flinch. He sighed deeply and continued.

[It seems in your previous life, you performed an unbelievable miracle…!! What is this… Is this even possible?! With just that level of power to achieve this in such a short time…]

“Enough. So, is it true that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is sealed?”

[Indeed. Gong Sun Xuanwen will likely remain sealed until certain conditions are met….]

“Certain conditions?”

[Yes…. What that is, I can’t tell you for sure…]

The prophet’s next words startled me.

[That seal may very well carry over into your next reincarnation.]

 

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