전생검신 85권 9화

I kept calling out to the sleeping Zhuge Sa, but Zhuge Sa just wouldn’t answer.

“Hey, Zhuge Sa!! Hey!!”

I got curious about why Zhuge Sa was suddenly asleep. More than that, the idea of falling asleep seemed strange to me, making me think it was fascinating.

“The soul sleeps…? Can that even happen? When Zhuge Sa switched to my body using the Soul Exchange Technique, it didn’t seem like Zhuge Sa had ever fallen asleep.”

I realized there was still so much I didn’t know about the nature of the soul. While absentmindedly staring at the massive barrier in front of me, a thought suddenly struck me.

“If the soul sleeps, does it dream too?”

If so, is a soul’s dream the same as a living being’s dream, or is it different?

If they are the same, then isn’t there not much difference between a soul and a living being?

So, what on earth is the [dream] that both the soul and life experience at the same time?

“……”

Thinking philosophically, which isn’t like me, made me gradually feel a headache creeping in. Shaking my head for a moment, I muttered.

“Yeah, I’ll think about this later. For now, let’s meet with Gum Cheon-jae, the leader of the Heavenly Martial Sect.”

What Zhuge Sa had last told me before falling asleep was to meet Gum Cheon-jae. It seemed even Zhuge Sa didn’t know the exact location of Gum Cheon-jae, so I felt the need to gather some information first.

“Hmm. I need to get into the castle, but… this castle wall feels a bit off.”

Normally, I would have jumped over the wall using my amazing physical abilities, but for some reason, I felt an instinctive warning that I shouldn’t. Peeking at the top of the wall, I noticed that there didn’t seem to be any guards. Normally, guards should be posted to watch for suspicious forces approaching the castle, but there wasn’t a single one.

Why are there no guards?

Is it because the wall is too long?

“No, there are plenty of humans in the Central Plains. There’s no way they wouldn’t have guards just for that reason. So, what’s going on?”

As I pondered, I became convinced that there was some secret about this wall itself. It seemed humans didn’t have to keep watch because there was no threat. With that thought, I turned my gaze to the enormous castle gate about fifty steps in front of me.

Even in front of the gate, not a single guard was visible, just a huge steel door standing tightly shut. With no presence around, I was near the gate without being attacked. I thought to myself.

“Should I jump over the wall or just charge through the gate?”

I had to choose one to enter the castle.

After some contemplation, I made a third choice.

“No, let’s wait a bit longer. Someone will come in or out of the castle, and it would be better to sneak in when they open the gate.”

If it were my original body, I would have had the confidence to handle a commotion, but right now, I was stuck in an incomplete mechanical body, and I was also responsible for Zhuge Sa’s soul. If I acted rashly and the mechanical body got destroyed, who knows what would happen to Zhuge Sa’s soul?

With that in mind, I distanced myself a bit more from the gate but kept enough distance to observe it properly. Then, sitting in a cross-legged position, I activated the Setsu technique.

Woo hoo—

Through Setsu, I felt the World Tree’s power being absorbed with magnificent momentum through my entire body’s magic meridians. The mana I had drained away during combat was instantly replenished, and I could feel my mana vessel expanding rapidly. The Setsu technique could be likened to a blood vessel for the body, essentially functioning like a dantian, so the massive deployment of Setsu indicated that my state was akin to a martial artist reaching a rebirth of flesh.

Ba ba ba

The mana gathered with tremendous force and suddenly began to condense at a single point inside. The condensed power formed a gem-like shape in the tube of Setsu, rolling in with a soft thud, and the flow of mana began to stabilize once again. I pondered this unique process.

“I see. Unlike internal power, the mana automatically stores itself in a different form without a separate process.”

The mana, now stored in gem form, would likely serve as a medium for a Sephiroth user to unleash a powerful spell in critical situations. It was akin to a martial artist gathering innate energy over time, which they could later unleash in a martial technique. Excited by this new power, I immersed myself in training, and about three shijins passed.

……

My mana grew stronger, but it seemed Zhuge Sa’s soul still hadn’t awakened. As time passed, I finally began sensing human figures approaching in the distance, billowing steam as they drew closer from the desolate sand.

Chikaaa—

Chik!

A steam vehicle, clattering noisily! Its shape resembled the one I had ridden in Luoyang, but it was much larger, and it seemed packed with people.

“Whoa!”

“Hey, don’t shove!”

“Ahhh, it smells like poop.”

Shouts and raucous curses echoed from inside as limbs flailed out the windows like bean sprouts. It was clear the vehicle was crammed with far more humans than it was designed to carry. There were five more compartments behind it, and those looked similarly overstuffed, indicating there were definitely several hundred people inside this steam machine.

Looking at that scene, another thought crossed my mind.

“There’s no railway here, so how’s this steam vehicle running? Is it built differently from the one in Luoyang?”

Sure enough, the vehicle was crossing the barren red desert without any tracks. I couldn’t help but think it should be deeply stuck in the sand, but it moved seemingly just fine. Observing closely, I figured out why.

“…… The wheels are subtly floating in mid-air!! What the heck!?”

Since the wheels weren’t touching the sand, they weren’t sinking!

While I was still stunned by this, the steam vehicle eventually came to a halt in front of the castle gate, and the giant driver jumped out with something shiny, black, and rock-like.

Recognizing this was my chance, I thought.

“Let’s go!”

Ta-da!

I quickly leaped onto the roof of the steam vehicle, flattening out like a spider. As soon as I did, the vehicle jerked back into motion and rolled into the castle gates, allowing me to enter Nanjing without issue. As soon as I stepped in, my eyes met the sprawling steam-filled castle.

Poo—

Chikaika—

This city could be said to be filled with steam, as vapor curled out from every corner. Steam pipes hung from the roofs of not just common houses but every building, releasing clouds of steam continuously while waves of hot air swirled through. The screams of people inside the steam vehicle filled the air.

“Uugh! So hot!!”

“Shut up, will ya! We’re almost there!”

“Don’t get poop on your clothes! God… eewww…”

…….

It seemed like something terrible was happening inside, but I had no desire to see it.

Grrrrrr

As the steam vehicle crossed a block and began to rise, I realized the tracks themselves seemed to lift into the air. It seemed they thought the void was not a space to waste and had built elevated roads. Seeing a web of roads densely woven in the air amazed me.

“There were elevated roads in the Great Bear Empire era too, but this one looks rougher and more primitive…”

Grrroooorrr!

After some time, the steam vehicle finally delved deep into the castle. Eventually, it stopped at a station, and the mechanical sound echoed.

[Ahh – This is the conductor speaking. We have arrived at the station, please exit in an orderly manner.]

Clunk!

Whoosh!

Contrary to the conductor’s words, stinking, grease-slicked humans poured out of the vehicle like a flood. People were soaked in sweat, some vomiting, while others crawled forward desperately. I watched this harrowing scene from the roof with a frown.

“What’s up with these people…? They look like they just came back from a grueling day of manual labor.”

While I was monitoring the situation from the roof, a strange voice suddenly came from behind me.

“Who are you, Iron Man?”

Turning to glance back, I saw a middle-aged Taoist in a Daoist robe standing on top of the vehicle. He held a flame technique in one hand and a sword in the other, suggesting he was someone capable of both martial arts and sorcery. He glared at me with a slight frown.

“I didn’t bother you earlier, fearing there might be an accident with the vehicle, but if you don’t reveal your identity now, I won’t hesitate to take you down.”

[……]

He seemed to be a guard of this vehicle. I looked at him and responded.

[I am Yi Chong. I have come to meet the great Gum Cheon-jae of the Heavenly Martial Sect.]

“Yi Chong? Never heard of you… Where are you from?”

[I hails from far away Luoyang.]

At my words, the middle-aged Taoist scoffed.

“Hmph, don’t make me laugh! There’s a vast magical realm stretching thousands of li between here and Luoyang. You’re saying a mere Iron Man came alone all this way? Where are you spewing nonsense from?”

[It’s true. Besides, I’m an old acquaintance of Gum Cheon-jae.]

“Since the founding of Nanjing Castle, countless liars have said such things.”

Ssssss

The Taoist pointed his sword at me, a chill radiating from it. He glared sharply at me and declared.

“Kneel immediately and cease any resistance. If not, I will slice you down.”

[If I do that, will you escort me to Gum Cheon-jae?]

“Not a chance. You will be sent to the Iron Man’s prison for interrogation.”

[That would be quite inconvenient… I have urgent matters to attend to, and I don’t wish to waste time unnecessarily.]

“I don’t care about your issues! I just don’t want to hear any more nonsense from you.”

Pa-at!

In the next moment, a swift blade intent surged forth, aiming to pierce my chest. It was fast enough that I realized the middle-aged Taoist was indeed a Peak Expert, and I quickly dodged the blade intent. As I avoided it, the Taoist exclaimed excitedly.

“You’re not an average Joe! You seem confident in your skills, but you won’t make it out of here alive!”

Swish

As the Taoist swung the flame technique, a loud bang echoed, and dozens of swordsmen in the same attire appeared from all directions. As I looked around, the Taoist ordered.

“Maoshan Squad, bind him!”

Tatata—

In the next moment, the squad of Taoists attacked me simultaneously. I began to evade using only my physically enhanced abilities powered by mana, but it seemed there was a limit to reading the flow of the opponent without utilizing martial intent and internal energy, as I felt their attacks grazing my body little by little.

Phew

Swoosh

“Damn it.”

Among the torrent of blade intents, I barely dodged while sustaining several scratches, feeling slightly humiliated. It felt like I was taking hits I should have avoided. But being unable to utilize martial techniques and internal energy was akin to having my instinct utterly blocked as a martial artist, so there was nothing I could do.

Damn, if I could just use martial arts properly, I could easily take them all down without a scratch! But seeing the middle-aged Taoist was starting to panic.

“Wh-what’s this? Is an Iron Man really this strong? Our Maoshan Squad consists solely of the best of Maoshan Sect…”

I replied tersely to his words.

[No wonder you looked familiar; so you guys are from Maoshan Sect. How’s Taoist Master Dosan doing?]

“……!!”

[Considering how Mangnyang taught you, do you really think it’s wise to treat me, a comrade of Mangnyang, this way?]

Upon mentioning Mangnyang and Maoshan, the middle-aged Taoist’s face went pale. After hesitating for a moment, he said.

“You know Mangnyang… So what’s your connection with him?”

Noticing the change in his tone, I quietly smiled.

[I’m an expert from Soeul Village, sent out a while back. I know about the Wu Dao incident. If you let me meet Gum Cheon-jae, I can prove my identity immediately.]

“Hmm…!! What should I do now…?”

The middle-aged Taoist pondered deeply before replying.

“Then, for the time being, please come with us to the Grand Dragon Pavilion. There, you can have your identity verified by the pavilion master.”

[Grand Dragon Pavilion? What’s that? I’ve been on a secret mission since long before this castle existed, so I don’t know much about it.]

Feigning ignorance while telling a blatant lie, the middle-aged Taoist scratched his head.

“Hmm… It’s a place where the strongest experts gather in Nanjing. It seems there are a lot of people from Soeul Village there too.”

[……]

“If you truly believe in your identity, please undergo our surveillance there. We can’t allow suspicious individuals to roam free.”

[That’s quite rude. I’ll certainly remember you for this.]

“Ugh…!! But I guess there’s no choice…”

[……]

I contemplated. So there are plenty of experts from Soeul Village at the Grand Dragon Pavilion?

‘If that’s the case, there’s a high chance I might run into some familiar faces…’

Would they really believe I’m Baek Woong now, considering my body has changed so much?

Honestly, I had no confidence. There was a far greater chance that the crazy Iron Man would just slice me down.

But right now, it seemed I wouldn’t be able to meet Gum Cheon-jae through normal methods unless I did this, so I nodded my head.

[Lead me to the Grand Dragon Pavilion.]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I’ll meet someone, at the very least!

Sii—

Grrroooorrr

A short while later, I got on another steam vehicle with the middle-aged Taoist. He sat across from me, while surrounding him were the Taoists of the Maoshan Sect, all with their swords drawn, aiming at me. Feeling the pricking tension of the blade intent, I grew uncomfortable and said.

“You sure are suspicious.”

“Try putting yourself in my shoes. You have no idea how suspicious you seem.”

I let out a groan of frustration.

[I know. But I’m a narrow-minded human, and I will surely take my revenge on you.]

“……”

[What’s your name and alias? I absolutely need… to get my damn revenge!]

As I gritted my teeth, the middle-aged Taoist hesitated before lowering his hand.

“Withdraw your hands.”

It felt like the Taoists of Maoshan were lowering their swords, dissipating the blade intent. Then the middle-aged Taoist cleared his throat.

“W-well, you don’t need to know my name or alias. I’m just fulfilling my duty.”

I nonchalantly waved my hand.

[Ha ha, I was just joking. There’s no way I’m petty enough to take revenge.]

“……”

The middle-aged Taoist’s face twisted in disbelief.

How long had it been? It felt like about half a shijin passed when I noticed the vehicle coming to a grinding halt with a screeching sound.

As we disembarked, following the middle-aged Taoist led us out to a city that seemed very unfamiliar to me, and I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise.

[Whoa.]

What can I say? It felt completely different from Luoyang.

While Luoyang had preserved the architectural styles of Han civilization, this place had almost none of those old styles left and felt like I was encountering something entirely new. Neon signs gleamed, metallic silver buildings soared, and new wheeled transportation devices filled the streets. Even more remarkable, it seemed like there were many more Iron Men than humans walking around.

While strolling, I stumbled upon something else that shocked me.

[Is… is that an Otherworldly Race?]

No doubt about it. Alien races were walking about here and there. Some were even the lizard-like species I recognized, the Reptilians. My astonished gasp caught the attention of the middle-aged Taoist, who commented.

“Where exactly are you from? Those beings have been around since the early days.”

[The Otherworldly Race is dangerous. Aren’t you afraid?]

“Don’t worry. Lord Gum Cheon-jae only accepts good-natured Otherworldly beings into the city. Their technology has greatly helped maintain it.”

[……]

“We’re nearly there. This way.”

Eventually, I entered a massive martial arts school labeled the Grand Dragon Pavilion. It was an enormous structure, about ten stories tall, and each floor was easily five times the size of the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. Having never seen such a grand martial arts school before, I felt intrigued as I looked around. Suddenly, a booming voice rang from above.

“Huang Xu! I haven’t heard that you were visiting!”

Boom!

A moment later, someone descended from the tenth floor using an impressive technique, landing haphazardly on the ground. An immense combat aura radiated from that presence, causing the Maoshan disciples to faint instantly.

“Ugh.”

“Ugh…”

The being had knocked out the experts with pure pressure and glared intently at Huang Xu, who, despite shaking, held it together rather well.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Does saying sorry settle it? I clearly announced to everyone that no one was to visit during my critical training session!”

Seeming rather angered, that being continued to glare. Huang Xu hurriedly spoke.

“B-but I had to bring an unusual visitor who must meet the pavilion master.”

“A strange visitor? You mean the Iron Man next to you?”

“That’s right. He calls himself Yi Chong, a martial artist from Soeul Village. He claims to have just returned from a secret mission. I have no way to judge for myself, so I came to show him to the pavilion master. He even knows about Mangnyang and the Maoshan Sect’s affairs.”

“……”

“The pavilion master is one of the strongest from Soeul Village.”

The pavilion master surveyed me with eyes brimming with formidable combat spirit. I instantly recognized that kind of aura belonged to a high-level Absolute Realm master. He stared at me for what felt like ages before he finally spoke.

“I’ve never heard the name Yi Chong, nor have I known about any secret agents from Soeul Village. What are you doing here?”

[……]

“From the aura you radiate, you seem like an evil being. If you don’t answer me directly, I’ll cut you down right here.”

Kugugugu…

I could tell his words were no idle threat. The terrifying grip of his absolute realm was enveloping everything, creating a space where intent to kill thrived. If I pulled any tricks, his blade would surely slice me into a million pieces.

But I didn’t flinch at his murderous intent. Instead, I murmured nostalgically.

[You’re not standing on the side of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. So that means Seo Mun-hye is in this castle?]

He flinched at my words, and I could see his intent flickering like a candle. He narrowed his eyes further at me.

“…… Who are you? Do you know Hyea?”

[Of course. I believe this round is exceedingly important, so I have been giving it my all day and night… but somehow I ended up crossing paths with you like this.]

“……”

I sensed the overwhelming pressure around him ease slightly. He seemed taken aback, blinking in surprise.

“Y-you didn’t mean to say you…”

[Sorry for being late. Fortunately, I had this obsidian to help me get through.]

“……!!”

He trembled, looking utterly shocked. Then he murmured.

“I… I can’t believe it. You don’t look like the same face I remember.”

[What can I say? I haven’t been able to bring my original body into this world yet. I’m just momentarily using this Yi Chong’s body as a contract.]

“……”

[I never thought I would end up in another dimension from Aokigahara Life Sea. I apologize.]

At my words, the pavilion master’s deadly aura completely dissipated.

After a moment, he yelled, sounding almost in tears.

“Baek Woong… is that really you!!?”

I nodded.

[That’s right, Sword Demon.]

The Grand Dragon Pavilion master was none other than Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong.