1230——————==

Soul of the Evil God

After stepping away from that spot, I returned to Jangryeong Valley with my companions. I wanted to ask Susanoo about the Immortal Sword Technique, but honestly, with that Mid-level Eight-Scaled Demon Beast causing chaos to the Kyoto barrier, everyone seemed too flustered with post-processing. Once back in Jangryeong Valley, I checked on Seo Mun-hye’s condition.

“She looks a bit better now…”

It definitely just looked like she was sleeping peacefully, so I felt somewhat relieved. I didn’t know when she’d wake up, but when Seo Mun-hye was okay, I wanted to do activities with her too.

As I sat next to her bed, Zhuge Sa spoke.

“Baek Woong, I’m sorry, but we don’t have time to sit around. We need to move right away.”

“Where do we need to go?”

“To the Kingdom of Duke Du. We must meet Matteo Ricci, who’s set up camp there, and get the Silver Phoenix Fragment.”

“Does that mean….”

When I hesitated and asked, Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Go to the ruins of Balhae and acquire a complete Silver Phoenix. That’s our best bet to deal with the memory issues for now.”

“……!!”

I was a bit shocked and replied to Zhuge Sa.

“Is that even possible?! The prophet clearly stated that obsidian couldn’t handle the burden of my memory…”

“Technically, it was under the condition of [Earthly metals]. You remember that from your previous adventures, right?”

Zhuge Sa’s eyes sparkled.

“The Silver Phoenix, the last relic of the Balhae palace, is not an earthly metal, and even the metal used is alien. Plus, the sorcery hidden within it is from the Great Race. Right now, it’s the highest probability divine treasure capable of handling the memory issues.”

“Well, that makes sense!”

“If you understand, hurry up and move. If you stay here nursing Seo Mun-hye, we’re in trouble.”

“We’re in trouble? Why?”

Zhuge Sa’s face turned a bit serious.

“A lot has already changed. Since Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen has been sealed, ancient beings are being released. You can guess what that means. The issue is, we still haven’t grasped a tenth of the variables they create. The longer we wait, the bigger the chaos grows, and our movements get constrained. You understand better than anyone what it feels like to be caught up in it, right?”

“……”

How could I not…

“Luckily, Gon and Susanoo aren’t too aggressive and communicate decently, but the activity range of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen could be broader than we think. In other words, variables may already be running amok somewhere on the other side of the planet.”

“Damn…!!”

Understanding Zhuge Sa’s explanation darkened my mood. Just as he said, time isn’t on our side right now, and we needed to acquire whatever we could as quickly as possible. I jumped to my feet and declared.

“Let’s go right now! Follow me, Dracula.”

“Before that, go to Namgung Clan and obtain the Suspicious Fishhook.”

“Oh! I almost forgot about that.”

“Sure, the Soul Exchange Technique is nice, but having the Suspicious Fishhook would be more convenient. If it’s just you and me communicating, the Soul Exchange would suffice, but there will be times you need to give Dracula orders as well.”

That made sense. I nodded and asked.

“What about the Namgung Clan folks?”

“Do whatever you want, they don’t matter in this grand scheme.”

“Right.”

Boom!

I first went to the secret room of the Namgung Clan and got the Suspicious Fishhook.

Chwaak!

“Ugh… Ugh…”

In exactly 20 seconds, the clan leader, Namgung Myeong, had a long line of blood drawn across his neck, clutching it, wide-eyed. I could have ended it faster, but I didn’t want to strain myself as an expert and took my time just chopping him down, and yet here we were in 20 seconds. I bluntly told Namgung Myeong.

“Be grateful I killed you quickly due to my time constraints. But since you’re a bad guy, you should at least suffer a bit before dying.”

“Ugh….”

Boom!

“L-lord!!”

“Don’t worry about that guy. I’ll take care of you too!”

“Uwaagh!!”

Crash!

With that, I slaughtered every single elder like a beast and then rescued the women abducted by the Namgung Clan, stuffing them into my Wooden Armor. I planned to release them with the help of the Sword Demon.

Just as I was aiming to meet Matteo Ricci in the Kingdom of Duke Du, an unexpected situation arose.

“Not here?”

The subordinate I dispatched to Matteo Ricci’s base in Duke Du nodded.

“Nope. If you’re talking about those colorful-eyed folks, they asked us to manage this base a while ago and then just vanished. So we are now sorting supplies for the warehouse.”

“Did they happen to mention where they went?”

“I don’t know. They don’t trust us much… I’m just here because the lord ordered me to be here.”

“C’mon, give me a clue or something.”

“It’s not like I can just pull things out of thin air….”

“C’mon, think a bit.”

As I said that, I discreetly took out two chunks of platinum and slipped them into the manager’s sleeve.

“Hmmm! I remember something now.”

At that, the manager’s eyes sparkled as he stroked his beard.

“Matteo Ricci, you say? That fellow warned us to lead the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Duke Du up to the high mountains as quickly as possible. Something about a flood.”

“……”

“By the way, you’re awfully young for this… are you really the representative of that Samjeol Lee Kwang? I know your skills are impressive, but you’re not trying to fool the main office, are you?”

He seemed suspicious, but I didn’t feel like engaging too much. Instead, I glanced at Dracula, who had his arms crossed.

“The Jesuits seem to have already sensed the great flood, my lord.”

“Is that so. This is significant information.”

Just like when Susanoo connected to the flow of Kyoto, the Jesuits—being the headquarters of excellent sorcerers and wizards—must have noticed it too. They were likely making moves of their own to prep for the impending great flood.

“But it’s a problem. The last piece of the Silver Phoenix Fragment is with Matteo Ricci, and I must find him to obtain it.”

The thought of running out of time made me anxious. I summoned the National Seal.

“National Seal! Find Matteo Ricci.”

Whoosh!

Moments later, the National Seal marked the coordinates of Matteo Ricci’s location, and upon seeing it hover over the spherical representation of Earth, my eyebrows twitched.

“Wait… Luoyang?”

Why is he in Luoyang?

I had expected he’d be at the center of the Jesuits.

Feeling suspicious, I decided to investigate Luoyang first.

Boom!

When I arrived near Luoyang, I felt a strange sign and looked up at the sky.

‘Such a red sky!’

And under that scarlet-tinged sky, an unknown and towering source of tremendous magical power spiraled up, reflected in the Fire Eye Golden Spirit. I approached the walls of the Outer City to have a look, and once I saw the area around the Imperial Palace, I was astonished.

“……!!”

The Eight Parts of the Divine Yacha!

Roar!

The Yacha revealed its beastly form, standing as a guardian in front of the Imperial Palace.

Grrrrrr….

And on the opposite side of the Yacha, a mysterious, dark form writhed, casting its amorphous body over the entire Inner City of Luoyang. It looked as if two monsters were glaring at each other, causing me to scream.

“What on earth is that?!”

“My lord, the townspeople can’t perceive those two beings.”

Just as he said. Because I was activating the Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I could sense the presence of the Yacha and the amorphous monster, while ordinary people in Luoyang carried on their everyday lives, completely unaware they were engulfed by the amorphous monster.

‘Are they completely oblivious that they’re already inside that monster’s belly?’

I felt chills run down my spine. And while the Yacha had revealed its true form, it seemed the people also weren’t reacting to it. Realizing something, I spoke.

“Their souls are in a spirit state.”

“Yes. It seems neither of them appear to be ready for a fight at the moment.”

“Hmmm…. The Yacha is undoubtedly defending the Imperial Palace. Do you happen to have any idea what that sticky monster opposite the Yacha is?”

“…I wouldn’t know. It’s just an existence filled with deep chaos.”

“…….”

I had been to Luoyang before and had looted treasures like the National Seal, Crystal Stele, and Nameless Ritual Book. But back then, I had never encountered such a standoff. I was taken aback by how things had changed while I had been away for a few days.

Using the Soul Exchange Technique, I explained the current situation to Zhuge Sa. He responded.

[Did the National Seal find out Matteo Ricci’s exact location?]

[Um… it seems to be inside the Imperial Palace… No, right next to the emperor.]

[It’s highly likely Matteo Ricci has allied with or is trying to persuade the Imperial Palace forces, and that’s probably related to the amorphous monster surrounding Luoyang right now.]

Zhuge Sa continued to speak.

[It’s extremely dangerous to approach Matteo Ricci right now. It seems the situation has escalated to a point even an Apostle-level strength can’t handle.]

[Ugh.]

[Rushing in would only result in a fight with the furious Yacha. That would not be a wise strategy at all. Right now, what I recommend is finding that fellow and approaching quietly.]

“That fellow?”

[Hehe… I’m referring to the bat who’s likely been watching the situation unfold in secret.]

Whoosh!

Dracula and I used transformation techniques to infiltrate Luoyang without being noticed. We made our way through memory reliance to a large Medicine Hall, and as I knocked on the door, a tall, bearded middle-aged man appeared and said.

“Hey, kid. What’s up?”

I remembered having a scuffle with this guy once, but didn’t feel like doing that again, so I ignored his words and used divine technique to shove him aside before heading to the underground of the Medicine Hall.

“No!! Intruder!”

Boom!

As I stepped into the underground and stood before the seal, soon enough, a dignified elder with a clean appearance approached. The elder seemed quite flustered, looking at Dracula and me.

“T-this is impossible. You are powerful beings of the Demon Path… you can’t possibly be after this Dimension Door, can you?”

I gazed at the elder quietly, speaking.

“Master of the Five Great Physicians, Seo Kang-hyeok. Since this is such an important place, it’s nice you didn’t bring your cronies, making it easier to talk.”

“……”

“What you sealed here should be the Fire Dragon Sword used by the legendary swordsman Yeodong-bin, right?”

“……!!”

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to bring you harm.”

Seeing Seo Kang-hyeok flinch in surprise, I smiled.

“But I need information. If you provide that to us, I promise not to unleash wrath upon you.”

“Who… who on earth are you…”

“Just answer my question. Do you not wish to promise?”

As I clenched my fist and growled, Seo Kang-hyeok looked like he was seriously contemplating. After some time, he let out a sigh.

“…I swear…I beg you, don’t touch my family or this seal.”

Zhuge Sa’s stratagem was to win Seo Kang-hyeok over to our side!

Seo Kang-hyeok was the master of the Seo Clan and an elite sorcerer capable of wielding summoned spirits, making him a valuable intermediary and information source in this situation. After making a pact with Seo Kang-hyeok, I moved to the top floor to talk with him.

Seo Kang-hyeok said.

“What is it you wish to know?”

“I see that the Yacha from the Eight Parts of the Divine is in its beast form guarding the Imperial Palace. And Luoyang seems to have been swallowed by some unknown monster.”

“……”

“How did this situation occur? Tell me what you know.”

Reluctantly, Seo Kang-hyeok spoke up.

“The monster appeared out of nowhere a few days ago. It’s a being whose origins I’m not aware of, but the Imperial Palace is on high alert against it and has entered an emergency combat stance, as you can see.”

“I’m not interested in any of that. Tell me what’s happening inside the Imperial Palace right now.”

“How would I even know that?”

“How uncooperative you are. Dracula!”

“Yes, my lord!”

I shouted, and Dracula responded sharply. I instructed Dracula.

“If this guy doesn’t comply, kill everyone in the Seo Clan. Then, just destroy the seal underground.”

In all honesty, I would stop him if he tried, but I felt this level of pressure was necessary for Seo Kang-hyeok.

“Understood.”

Seo Kang-hyeok’s eyes widened in surprise.

“T-this is too much!”

“Get your act together. I’m saying if you give us information, we’ll leave you in peace. Just don’t hide anything, and whatever you know will spare you harm from the seal and your clan.”

“Alright… Ugh…”

Seo Kang-hyeok, feeling frustrated, hung his head and finally spoke up.

“I’ve learned that Lord Zhuge Bu has started a rebellion and taken control of the Imperial Palace.”

“…What? Is that true?”

“Yes. Moreover, the Emperor has already been killed, turned into pig slop for a while now, and someone unknown has been seated in his place.”

“…….”

I could see the situation clearly from his words.

When the emergency situation arose, Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu likely thought it was too dangerous to keep the ineffectual Emperor as a puppet and decided to eliminate him altogether.

[Baek Woong. You should press Seo Kang-hyeok for more info….]

Just as I was taken aback by the surprising information, Zhuge Sa provided me a tip, and I followed his lead, asking Seo Kang-hyeok.

“Seo Kang-hyeok. I believe soon enough, the Dharma Protectors will be drawn in to attack the Imperial Palace. Would you please tell the Master of the White Lotus Sect that I want to join in?”

The moment my question came out, Seo Kang-hyeok’s face turned as pale as a ghost, overwhelmed by surprise. He looked dazed, his body going limp as he muttered.

“H-how do you know that?”

I continued speaking as Zhuge Sa had instructed.

“No need to be surprised. I’ve already figured out that you’re a pawn of the White Lotus Sect. And, being a double agent for the Eight Parts of the Divine, you would have already informed them of the White Lotus Sect’s plans to spring a trap against the Yacha, right?”

“……”

Seo Kang-hyeok trembled in fear. I shot him a piercing glance, driving my point home.

“From now on, your master is me.”

“Ugh… No….”

“Are you thinking of summoning the Yacha? Go ahead. But even if you call for it, your neck will still roll.”

Seo Kang-hyeok hesitated. He trembled, but realizing his predicament, he gave in and bowed deeply to me.

“My lord… please accept my loyalty.”

“…Alright.”

Having secured Seo Kang-hyeok on my side felt good, but it also put me on edge, so I said to Zhuge Sa.

[Was this really necessary?]

[You are astoundingly right! A sorcerer who maintains a double identity as a medical expert, a double agent, and you managed to make him submit with sheer loyalty…. Hehe. How do you even plan to tame such a cunning fellow?]

[…….]

[The allies you’ve gathered up to now are simply too exceptional, while strong-arming someone is the better approach with a guy like this. Don’t feel guilty about it.]

I didn’t have a retort and was left smacking my lips, when Seo Kang-hyeok said.

“I will act as you say. Also, I have one more critical piece of information. Please forgive me after hearing this.”

“What is it?”

“The Celestial Realm is watching over Luoyang. I have information that two immortals are surveilling near Luoyang.”

“That means….”

From Seo Kang-hyeok’s following words, I realized that the situation was becoming increasingly urgent.

“If a major upheaval happens in Luoyang soon, the Celestial Realm will surely intervene….”