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“Follow me.”

I stepped into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace. The Asura had transformed back into human form, now wearing a look of mild annoyance. I could understand why; the sheer power of my heat had unexpectedly put him in an embarrassing position.

Swish…

In a flash of chaotic light, I suddenly found myself inside the palace. Ghosts loomed throughout the vast space of the grand hall, and I knew they were as significant as Great Immortals. Their curious gazes turned toward us, but then my companion spoke sternly.

“If you don’t take your eyes away, I’ll pluck them out.”

“Eek!”

With that, the ghosts screamed and scattered. Once their presence vanished, my companion moved forward, and I silently followed behind him.

‘This immense royal court is something I can never adapt to. It’s just too expansive…’

The palace housed a staggering 99 chambers—not something you’d find in the human world. In this endlessly large palace, it took crossing three gates just to reach the royal court.

After a while, the Asura and I finally arrived at the court. There, in the vast, dark space, sat a giant on a throne, watching us closely. Of course, I recognized him; I had seen him numerous times before.

Then, my companion stepped forward, kneeling as he announced.

“Your Majesty, I have brought the Apostle of Shao Hao Jin Tian.”

“Well done, heat.”

“Then I shall take my leave.”

“No. Wait a moment.”

“Your Command.”

My companion slowly moved to the left of the dark giant. The giant looked down at me and said,

“So you’re Baek Woong, the one the Apostle of Shao Hao Jin Tian has been so entertained by?”

It seemed my true identity was already known.

After all, once I became the Apostle of Shao Hao Jin Tian, the other Sovereigns would have learned of my existence. Thinking it was as I expected, I bowed before the throne and respectfully addressed him.

“I am the Apostle of Shao Hao Jin Tian, Baek Woong. It is an honor to meet you.”

Indeed, standing before me was Jeon Wook, the Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns and the Supreme Deity of the North!

I couldn’t believe I was face-to-face with the master of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace.

Jeon Wook chuckled softly and commented,

“You seem preoccupied.”

“…I came to find my human associate, but I feared I may have disturbed your mood, Your Wook….”

“Hmm. Shall we say things slowly?”

Suddenly, Jeon Wook interrupted me, raising his hand.

“Listen! Prepare a feast.”

“Yes, my lord!!”

A ghost’s voice echoed from somewhere, and soon after, a colossal banquet was set up in that vast space. The gathered ghosts piled in from either side, bustling about as if preparing for something.

‘Huh…?’

Jeon Wook had invited me to share a meal once before, yet this felt strangely different. The scale of this feast was majestic, and the ghosts seemed to be preparing for something beyond just a meal. While my thoughts were racing, Jeon Wook ordered,

“Musicians, play!”

Ding ding ding

Numerous ghost musicians began to play simultaneously on various instruments—from stringed to brass—creating an enchanting melody that reverberated through the air. The grandeur was unmistakable compared to what I had encountered before.

As I stood there bewildered, Jeon Wook waved his hand, conjuring a magnificent and elaborate banquet table before me.

“I can’t treat a guest poorly. Sit in the seat of honor.”

Of course, a spot facing the Sovereign and enjoying a meal was indeed an honor!

I felt nervous and hurriedly responded,

“W-wait, calling me a guest is far too much honor. I’m just a mere Apostle….”

“You have good manners. But I find excessive humility distasteful; rejecting my offer again would bring shame upon me.”

“….”

“Sit comfortably. This is not a place crafted to harm you.”

I couldn’t help but feel flabbergasted.

‘Is Jeon Wook being this friendly?!’

I had rarely experienced such treatment in my life. The last time I had shared a meal at Jeon Wook’s feast, it hadn’t been like this. Naturally, it was clear to me that Jeon Wook wouldn’t extend pure goodwill to anyone, so I felt incredibly suspicious.

What was his true motive?!

‘But if he insists it is an honor, rejecting it would be foolish…’

Declining would only create an issue. Thus, with no other choice, I cautiously sat down.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to the great Jeon Wook. It’s an honor to be in your presence!”

I offered polite flattery as best as I could. Jeon Wook appeared satisfied and grinned, gently waving his hand.

“Let the Asura sit comfortably beside you. I’ll set aside his subservient nature for today, so just enjoy the feast.”

Even the great Asura had no choice but to bow his head in deference.

“Oh, great Jeon Wook! With a grace as vast as the seas, I cannot dare raise my head. May the atmosphere be full of vitality….”

The Asura’s unusually humble demeanor stemmed from knowing that Jeon Wook, despite his words, could easily crush the Asura in an instant. Each misstep would see the Asura facing fatal consequences, so he had no choice but to be subservient.

“Hehe.”

Jeon Wook regarded the Asura with knowing eyes before gently lifting a massive goblet. At that moment, my companion poured a huge bottle of drink into Jeon Wook’s goblet, and as it filled halfway, Jeon Wook turned to me and said,

“Now… taste the famed liquor this hall is proud of. It is my favorite drink.”

I glanced at the massive bottle on my table, which appeared to be made of obsidian and was taller than a small child, looking heavy.

‘What is this? I’ve never encountered such a drink during my time as an Apostle…’

Curious, I lifted the bottle and poured it into the goblet the size of my forearm. Thick, dark liquid cascaded into the cup, filling it almost to the brim. The dark color was so deep that I flinched. Normally, I wouldn’t be able to drink something this dark while sober. But I tried not to show my concern and lifted the goblet.

“It seems to be an excellent drink. May I ask its name?”

“It is called Divine Liquor, Hyo-Young. The day Mount Buju crumbled, it was crafted from the essence extracted from the dark chaos.”

“……!!”

“If you drink Hyo-Young, even the gods will envy you.”

I gasped.

‘Buju Mountain? Could it be…!!’

This was about the grand war fought between Gong Gong and Jeon Wook during the Mythological Age!

They said during that war, Buju Mountain was shattered, and heaven and earth descended into chaos. It was even rumored that Nüwa intervened to stop their fight. Could this drink be made from the remnants of Buju Mountain?

It was certainly not a substance crafted from the human world. I had no idea what might happen if I drank this…!

Cautiously, I spoke,

“Am I allowed to drink such a precious liquor? Surely it wouldn’t typically be given even to an Apostle?”

At my question, a flicker of interest appeared in Jeon Wook’s eyes.

“Hmm… That’s true. But I wish to have a sincere conversation with you, and reciprocation calls for a fitting treatment, would it not?”

“…….”

“You’re boldly filling your glass. Seeing your courage, shall we have a toast?”

Ugh… If I had known it was such precious liquor, I wouldn’t have poured so much!

‘What does he mean by a sincere conversation? I have a bad feeling about this!’

I felt trapped, knowing I had to avoid consuming the drink at all costs. Then I briefly exchanged glances with the Asura, who suddenly began to move his lips.

Punishment Drink

‘…Aha!!’

I caught his clue, and swiftly raised my glass, standing before Jeon Wook.

“Jeon Wook! To down such a precious liquor in one go wouldn’t be right. A treasured drink surely deserves the proper drinking etiquette and art, does it not?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Let us raise the spirit of this gathering with some light-hearted fun. How about we play a game where the loser drinks?”

“Hoh….”

Jeon Wook stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then, he looked to his empty right side and spoke,

“What do you think, Rye?”

Swish

Simultaneously, a figure suddenly appeared from Jeon Wook’s right, revealing its true identity as Zhu Rong. He had been cleverly hiding until now, unnoticed by my senses. Jeon Wook’s right hand, Rye, smiled slightly.

“Isn’t it interesting? I’ve never seen anyone speak so brazenly to my Lord before.”

“Hehe… That’s right.”

Jeon Wook laughed in delight, proceeding with,

“Alright… A game offered by an Apostle. Suggest one.”

“…….”

Now that the opportunity to speak was in front of me, I found myself at a loss for words. Proposing a punishment game to avoid drinking meant I needed to cleverly win continuously to force the other party to drink instead. I needed to think of a game that would be easy for me to win without ruffling Jeon Wook’s feathers.

‘Okay… This should work!’

Despite the pressure, I soon recalled a game from 500 years later and exclaimed,

“Ah… Egg-Kicking!!”

I remembered how Zhu Xian and I often played this game during our training sessions at Shaolin Temple when we were bored!

“Egg-Kicking?”

“Yes! That is, um….”

As I stumbled to explain, the Asura quickly chimed in,

“Let me explain. It’s a game where you place black and white stones on a board and flick eggs off the board until they disappear.”

As the Asura succinctly described the game, Jeon Wook fell silent for a moment, pondering. Then he chuckled and announced,

“Interesting… In that case, I’ll give you three chances. And I too will only take three. Whosoever wins must fulfill the loser’s wish.”

“Ah… Yes!! Thank you so much! Then, could you summon the board?”

“The word is summoned immediately.”

Whoosh

As Jeon Wook’s statement ended, a gigantic board manifested outside the hall, densely packed with numerous ghosts that quickly appeared on the board. Ghosts lined the board like soldiers, and seeing that, I was taken aback.

“Do you mean ghosts play Egg-Kicking? That’s way too many for three!”

“What’s the fun in playing with mere words? Such things do not interest me.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s do this.”

With a glance at Rye, he summoned a fiery whip and cast it onto the board. A terrifying inferno erupted, igniting a storm and blowing the ghosts away.

Boom!

“Aaaaah!”

“Eeeek!”

As the ghosts were hurled away by the fiery storm, the massive board became nothing but ruins. Content with the wasteland before him, Jeon Wook declared,

“The one with the most ghosts remaining on the board loses.”

“…….”

“Since I have the upper hand in this game, should both of you be taken out entirely, it will mean my defeat… and irrespective of wishes, every time you lose, you must drink a whole cup of Divine Liquor Hyo-Young.”

No, this isn’t Egg-Kicking at all!!

Not even close to the original game!!

I stared at Jeon Wook in disbelief at the absurdity of it all.

“Why? Are you not going to play? You proposed the game!”

“Of course I will! Hah.”

I forced a chuckle, yet Jeon Wook’s next words froze my expression.

“You must win to discover the whereabouts of your associate, Zhuge Sa.”

“……!!”

What did you just say!!

I struggled to suppress my emotions. But forcing my feelings back, I met Jeon Wook’s gaze, trembling as I spoke,

“So you had this planned from the start.”

I was caught.

“Hehe. I didn’t expect you to share similar thoughts with me. You might just make a fine subordinate after all.”

It seemed Jeon Wook had also intended to propose a bet under the guise of the feast. I felt a chill creeping into my stomach, and I dared to inquire,

“What will you do if you win?”

“Nothing much. If I win the game, you also drinking my Divine Liquor is a loss for me, wouldn’t it be?”

In that moment, I caught a glimpse of a cold, ruthless smile in Jeon Wook’s dark aura.

“At the very least, you ought to step down as the Apostle of Shao Hao, and become mine instead.”

“…….”

So that was the plan…

‘There was no way to avoid it.’

Zhuge Sa and Seo Mun-hye must have come here already. And it was certain that Zhuge Sa and Seo Mun-hye would have their whereabouts known only to Jeon Wook. In order to find out where they were, I absolutely had to win this game!

With clenched teeth, I said,

“I don’t think you would need to take human hostages just to acquire a mere mortal like me. As for Zhuge Sa and Seo Mun-hye, why not release them first and then engage in the match?”

Jeon Wook chuckled.

“Hehe… You claim to be a mere mortal, yet you confronted a Sea God? Surely, even if that god may be weak, they cannot be compared to mere mortals. You are worth my effort.”

“…….”

“Stop with the petty excuses. If you win the game, I’ll let you do as you please.”

“…Fine.”

Whoosh

Moments later, leaving the banquet behind, I walked to the giant board. As I approached, I saw the horde of ghosts swarming around the board.

‘There’s no going back now!!’

I’ll send all those ghosts flying off the board in one fell swoop!

As I was preparing to unleash my power and summon my sword, suddenly, Rye who had been standing by the throne shouted,

“Ghosts, be my shield!!”

…Huh?

“Yes, my lord!”

At that command, the multitude of ghosts howled, suddenly clustering together, forming a shield-like structure reminiscent of ancient battle shields.

Boom!

“…….”

It was clear this shield would possess an incomparably higher defense than previously seen. Stunned, I called out to Jeon Wook.

“W-what is this?! “

Jeon Wook, lounging on his throne, casually crossed his arms and replied,

“Did I say you couldn’t do this before the games started?”

“…….”

“You didn’t put any restrictions on how to consolidate into a shield.”

What kind of rule is that?!

But arguing against Jeon Wook would place me in a precarious position. No matter how mighty I was, I doubted I could shatter a multi-hundred ghost shield made of Great Immortal level entities in one go.

“In that case… doesn’t that apply to us too!”

“What?”

Pun!

Out of nowhere, the Asura soared down and landed beside me, drawing his sword as he stated,

“You never said I couldn’t help Baek Woong.”

“…….”

Jeon Wook continued his nonchalant stance, yet then broke into a wide grin, saying,

“Do as you wish.”

Jeon Wook seemed to anticipate that even with the Asura’s aid, it would still be a longshot. I felt a wave of relief that the Asura had jumped in, but I realized that resolving this challenge would still be daunting.

“Asura, what should we do?”

“…….”

“Even if we combine our techniques, we likely won’t be able to break through that shield formed by hundreds of ghosts.”

As I voiced my concerns, the Asura was focused, eyes locked on the banquet hall.

Finally, he spoke,

“Baek Woong, there is one way to win.”

 

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