1286——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I started pondering how to recruit Musashi, thinking he would be great as a spy.

‘Hmmm. If I exert all my strength, he’s no challenge at all. I’ve already beaten him once…’

Of course, it wasn’t a cheerful victory but a hard-fought one, however, what’s the point of dwelling on that now? I’ve surpassed myself since then, and if I resort to methods beyond mere strength, handling Musashi shouldn’t be that hard. He follows power, so if I just bring him down once, he’ll likely listen to me.

‘After all, he’s been forced to work for the Special Team ever since he was beaten by the Twelve Joules, so if I kneel him down in the same way, he will listen to me too.’

I could easily win if I dragged the fight out as before using Infinite Slash and Peerless Technique.

The real problem was his current location. I murmured in frustration.

“Damn it… that Musashi is hiding well at a place being watched by the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

Yes, unlike before, the imperial palace had become a veritable fortress for the Eight Parts of the Divine allied with the Zhuge Clan. The Emperor Zhu Hu Chong had gone missing, and it was practically a demon cave now. Trying to recruit Musashi amidst that chaos would just end with me getting ambushed by those divine guardians. It was the worst possible place for a fight.

So, I needed to lure Musashi out to initiate a battle.

‘He just concealed himself after I spotted him, so I have to start searching from scratch…’

But the problem was that I had no clue where Musashi was hiding inside the palace.

Musashi’s unique technique of hiding by cutting through space with Intent Heavenly Pillar made him undetectable. Even high-level demon artifacts designed for reconnaissance struggled to sense him, and it was only the Master of the White Lotus Sect with extreme martial prowess who had ever discovered him by sheer instinct.

I couldn’t just use some lame tricks to draw him out. He had resentment toward the Twelve Joules, but he was the type to take his duties seriously, diligently working for the Special Team. Given his situation in the demon cave, he must be hanging on for dear life while passing information about the Eight Parts of the Divine to the Twelve Joules, making it nearly impossible to coax him out with a mere bait.

‘Of course, there’s the issue of the sorcery barrier the Yacha placed in the palace, and the Eight Trigrams Formation laid out by Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu…’

…Now that I think about it, that’s a pretty tough challenge!

I felt my earlier excitement about finding the perfect spy wash away in an instant.

‘Ugh. If only I had that obsidian strategist to give me guidance right now… I could consult Mangnyang, but this matter directly involves the Zhuge Clan. Just asking for advice would drag Mangnyang into this…’

I barely controlled the rising urge to rely on someone else. If I changed my resolve about not using the obsidian in times of temptation, I’d be stuck and forced to directly deal with the confusion of the world. I was already quite involved as it was, so pushing it any further was simply out of the question.

After thinking myself to a headache, I let out a sigh.

“Phew. I was supposed to take a break, and yet here I am, working hard again… Damn it… But I feel like I need to do something to avoid regrets.”

Isn’t this what you’d call an obsession in future terms?

‘I don’t know. I’ll just beat Musashi whenever I meet him… there’s no need to rush.’

What truly mattered to me now was to empower the people of Soeul Village gathered around me and, further down the line, to ensure they become the backbone of my comfortable life. As Village Chief, I still had many obligations that needed attending, so I should keep the grand tasks for later.

“Well then, let’s work hard today… or maybe I’ll play around instead!!”

Just like usual, I repeated my martial teachings and transmissions. And perhaps due to preventing the invasion of Tianzhu Shiva’s heavenly martial world, about two and a half months passed quietly without any major news in the ordinary life of Soeul Village.

During that time, I could visibly see the rapid growth in martial arts abilities of characters like Sagong Lin, Extreme Tiger, and the Assassination Squad Leader. When they first started, it was hard to notice, but as I established a structure and transmitted my superior martial arts and techniques, those who were already geniuses were quickly gaining strength. At this pace, I was sure they’d have remarkable growth within a year.

Bangil had also improved significantly compared to when he started. Calling him a second-rate warrior was no longer right; he was clearly developing a solid foundation, and with a few more years of practice, he could surely reach the first-rate level.

Master Hyuncheon had also completed the basic concepts of the Seven Great Techniques, and since I started training him right away, I felt he would also make substantial advancements once he fully integrated the basics into his body.

‘…As for Jin So-cheong… who knows…’

The concern lay with Jin So-cheong. I was teaching her Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique, but she had been only rotating the Thunder Spirit from day one and didn’t seem to ask for further advanced teachings. She had to be feeling the power of the Nine Chambers of Thunder, so it was odd she kept fixating on the basics without saying a word, which made me question if she was actually doing well.

“If you don’t know the intricacies of the Soul Exchange Technique, you can forget about doing anything beyond basic rotations, and your body will keep hurting. If you want to make faster progress, it would be wise to learn the Soul Exchange Technique from me, wouldn’t it?”

At that, Jin So-cheong just continued her relentless rotations and answered me.

“I understand what you are saying regarding that technique, but I believe there’s no rush. I’m contemplating on figuring it out myself and moving towards the truth.”

“Hmm?! How can that be?! The Soul Exchange Technique isn’t just some techniques; it’s one of the most powerful techniques of the Heretical Sect….”

“It differs for each practitioner. The Grand Master would use it benevolently, and I plan to do the same moving forward.”

“……”

After that, Jin So-cheong completely ceased to ask about the Soul Exchange Technique. Of course, I had a desire to control her training speed and wasn’t trying to withhold teaching or drag it out, but her casual dismissal of learning the Soul Exchange Technique left me in a daze. Yet, I secretly thought it was a good thing.

‘Right… no matter how much of a genius Jin So-cheong is… how could she comprehend managing the soul from nothing without any teachings, instructions, or keys!’

If that were the case, what would that make all those historical figures who, through bone-crushing efforts, learned the Soul Exchange Technique!

It would obviously take more time for Jin So-cheong to fully grasp the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique. I sighed in relief.

Then, about two and a half months later, another unexpected event unfolded.

“Is it you that goes by the Village Chief Baek Woong of Soeul Village?”

“…….”

“Hoho… I just came to have a sip of tea at the Village Chief’s home, but you sure have a scary face. Do you know who I am?”

I glanced at the old man in a brown robe with a relaxed demeanor, feeling a little tense. Then I calmly replied.

“I do not know why the renowned Immortal Eight Immortals, Lee Cheol-goei, would come to this small village in the mortal realm while even using transformation arts…”

Indeed, while he might not know me, I’ve crossed paths with him on multiple occasions in past lives.

‘Damn it… even transformed into a human; he hasn’t changed a bit from his immortal face.’

Having received help from the Taoist figures, Lee Cheol-goei’s spirit had entered a human body through possession and he was now manipulating it with transformation arts, or perhaps, in the case of a significant matter, he had made a grand sacrifice to temporarily gain a physical form in the mortal world. In the latter case, it only occurred during substantial occasions, so the former was probably the likelier scenario.

Immortal Eight Cheol-goei!

He was the master of the legendary technique of borrowing a corpse to return a soul, and among the Eight Immortals, he was considerably older. When I recalled the memories of Yeodong-bin, even Zhongli Quan seemed trivial in front of him. Not to mention, I had heard that among the Eight Immortals, Cheol-goei’s skill was outstanding, especially in combat abilities.

Why in the world would Immortal Eight Cheol-goei visit our village?

Then, Cheol-goei stroked his chin, appearing thoughtful.

“Indeed, as I’ve heard, Chief Baek Woong is quite the remarkable person. The world is vast, yet it’s exceedingly rare for someone to recognize me at a glance. Even the Earth Immortals would struggle with that. How did you manage to discern it? My public portraits and true features differ greatly.”

I replied calmly.

“There’s no reason to answer. A great immortal like you wouldn’t come here without intent, and if you disturb the peace and stability of Soeul Village, I, Baek Woong, will not just sit by.”

It’s usually pointless to bow down to the heavenly realm from the get-go. Based on past experiences, that only makes them more arrogant or look down on humans. I felt this acutely with people from the Southern Flower Immortal and the Eight Immortals. Rather, it’s better to put on a strong front from the start.

“……”

Lee Cheol-goei looked at me with a peculiar gaze. Then he adjusted his robe, stating.

“Please don’t be so hostile. I am a great immortal and mean no harm to humans… well, if I were truly human…”

“Are you here to fight or not? Be clear.”

“Hoho!! You’re an interesting fellow! I sense impatience from you, but why is that?”

As I clenched my fist hard, Cheol-goei appeared startled by the surge of energy.

Then he stiffened slightly and said, “Once again, don’t be hostile. I’m not here to fight.”

“What’s your business then?”

“Immortal Sword Technique!”

“……!!”

I tried to maintain a straight face, but Cheol-goei gazed at me with penetrating eyes.

“Can you explain how you’ve come to learn the Immortal Sword Technique after arriving in the celestial realm? I, Lee Cheol-goei, intended to leisurely have tea here today while discussing this.”

“…….”

What the hell… I completely forgot about that.

‘The Immortal Sword Technique uses the power of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman… I did release the restrictions from the last time I was trapped by it, but that doesn’t change the fact! Naturally, using the sword this lifetime would send a signal to her…’

In that moment, I sensed something was off. The first time I had used the Immortal Sword Technique in this life was quite a while back, at least three months ago. Why was he coming around now?

‘Back then, when I attempted to use the Immortal Sword Technique, I felt pain and was told by Cheon Woo-jin that it was a control mechanism from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. Surely, the same should have happened this time…?’

I grasped this situation felt wrong and chose to remain silent. Through experience, I knew that speaking too hastily would only reveal my weaknesses. I also realized, just as Cheol-goei stated, that behaving aggressively was not the best approach now.

‘Lee Cheol-goei is… just the messenger of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. He doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motive.’

However, it might still be prudent to pry a bit. I gave him a scrutinizing look and asked.

“There’s no need for you to come here personally when you can just send a command from the heavenly realm to relay this…”

“Oh ho. Actually, I didn’t come alone.”

“What do you mean?”

“That friend over there is rather shy since it’s been a while since he’s been seen in the human realm. He should be coming out soon.”

Suddenly, multi-colored clouds converged and a clear light spread through the void, showcasing a figure darting towards me at unimaginable speed. Those with ordinary skills couldn’t perceive that moment, but I could distinctly identify the flying sword technique being used.

Swish

As the resplendent multi-colored clouds parted, a stoic figure clad in white with an ancient aura landed gracefully. The moment I laid eyes on him, I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my forehead, inexplicably tensing up.

As soon as he touched the ground using the sword flying technique, I involuntarily shouted.

“Yeodong-bin…!!”

It was definitely Yeodong-bin!!

Having never used a device to call him in this life, I had scarcely paid him mind, yet here he was, materialized before me alongside Cheol-goei!!

Then, with a perfectly composed and cold expression, Yeodong-bin gazed at me and spoke. It was evident he had borrowed a human body like Cheol-goei.

“User of the Immortal Sword Technique. Let us go to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman together.”

“…….”

Upon my silence, Cheol-goei appeared worried, as if he was taken aback.

“Hey! You can’t just spill everything from the start! We need to extract information gradually to see how much he knows!”

“It’s pointless. That man’s gaze already knows everything and is the gaze of one who’s prepared. We are mere messengers of the celestial realm, and we should be diligent in our assigned tasks.”

“Ugh.”

In terms of hierarchy, Cheol-goei was vastly superior to Yeodong-bin. Given that Zhongli Quan had called Yeodong-bin a superior when he was already a matured Taoist when he was just a child, that was naturally the case. However, unlike when Cheol-goei had been berating Zhongli Quan, his demeanor changed in response to Yeodong-bin’s resolute words, unable to retort. It seemed Yeodong-bin carried weight above what was apparent due to leading the Eight Immortals.

Yeodong-bin studied me intently, and I spoke calmly.

“This is a rather sudden request. I need some time to think.”

“Is that so? Until when?”

“…At least a month.”

“I shall return in a month.”

Wow, that was quite concise!

I quickly agreed to the proposal.

“Alright!”

But then Cheol-goei muttered in an exasperated tone.

“Ugh… that Yeodong-bin…”

From Cheol-goei’s perspective, he likely intended to have a psychological battle with me and draw out information, but Yeodong-bin had jumped in and wrapped up the conversation, leaving him aghast. Not to mention, Yeodong-bin’s character did not indulge in psychological warfare or schemes, making further argument pointless.

‘Huh. This is better…’

As I felt that Yeodong-bin was much easier to talk to than Cheol-goei, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Wait, the conversation isn’t over yet.”

“What?”

Whoosh

I reflexively slipped into using formal speech, and suddenly, Yeodong-bin summoned his sword and pointed it at me.

“I, Yeodong-bin, have applied for a separate mission with the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and received approval.”

Looking at him with a puzzled gaze, Yeodong-bin spoke without an ounce of emotion.

“You are to demonstrate how well you can use the Immortal Sword Technique.”