---

The 11th life has begun.

I found myself stuck in place, unable to move as the pain from dying flooded back to me. It felt like my entire body was sliced up with a sword, leaving me drenched in sweat, unable to budge.

“Huff… huff…”

I thought I was dead for sure, but I quickly cleared my mind. After all, I would have met my end regardless, so maybe it was just a relief that I went down giving them one last shot.

Nonetheless, a lingering grudge festered inside me. There were so many scumbags in this world who deserved to die. I simmered in that thought like hell until the pain gradually eased, and I slowly regained my strength. I rose to check on my condition.

‘Thank goodness. My internal power is intact.’

It dawned on me that I had gained quite a lot from my 10th life.

Now I could cast first-class medical techniques, had mastered Hua’s 108 Needles and Huatuo’s Five Animals Play, and even laid the foundation for the arts, significantly boosting my potential after over a decade of training with the sacred texts. Above all, learning about the whereabouts of the Moon Sovereign and the powers of the Guardian was an impressive feat.

‘…But my thoughts are still a jumble.’

I paused, still sitting in the barn instead of rushing out.

There were still a few unresolved questions haunting me. But after pondering them for a meal’s worth of time, I still couldn’t come up with answers. I resigned myself once more to borrowing Mangnyang’s power.

“Oh right.”

Just as I was about to sprint toward the Heavenly Secret, I suddenly halted at the door.

Something felt off. I cautiously cloaked myself with the Concealment Technique and approached the village chief’s house. In the early hours when everyone was asleep, I stealthily made my way into the chief’s room without being detected.

“Hmm…”

I quietly looked at the sleeping village chief. Strangely, he didn’t evoke much resentment in me. Instead, I crossed my arms while gazing down at him.

‘What if I just kill him and leave?’

Even though my grudge had lessened, that didn’t mean I couldn’t end him. Especially since the chief had always been unpleasant to me; I could easily blow his head off. But that murderous thought didn’t stem from a strong hatred for him.

Cause and Effect!

I had learned that even the smallest actions could heavily influence my fate. There had been more than a couple of times when I was on a roll, only to get tripped up by past events. So now, I wanted to test something out.

What impact would the act of killing the village chief have on me at this moment?

If I could figure that out, I might be able to understand future variables better. In fact, even if I just gathered a bit of power in my foot, I could easily bust the chief’s head. I lifted my foot, aiming it at the village chief.

“……”

I pulled my foot back.

‘Forget it.’

I could test this out, but I didn’t feel like it. Above all, just because I could resurrect, I didn’t want to keep using that ability all the time. To preserve my humanity, I had to avoid taking unnecessary lives.

‘There’s no need for pointless murder.’

This was a thought that came from learning the path of medicine.

I resolved to refrain from carelessly killing or harming the village chief and the people of the village. Instead, I just pricked the chief with a deeper sleep needle and began to check his condition meticulously.

He was overweight, had high blood pressure, and a high chance of suffering a stroke.

His turtle neck showed that both his lungs and liver weren’t doing well.

He was a typical case of wealthy illness.

I suspected that even if I left him alone, he’d likely kick the bucket within 15 years. Most people, aside from physicians, didn’t realize how deadly overconsumption of “meat” could be. Indeed, the chief hadn’t lived beyond that in history and had passed his wealth down to Kim Manje.

I noticed some silver needles lying uselessly in the chief’s room. After sterilizing the tips with a flame powered by my internal energy, I slowly maneuvered the needles.

Hua’s 108 Needles!

Life-Inclined Needle Method!

I carefully targeted the twelve acupoints on the chief’s body, expelling the Turbid Qi within as I inserted the needles. As soon as they were in, the bad energy inside him vanished, and his internal injuries began to heal. Once I stabilized him with acupuncture, I withdrew the needles and used Huatuo’s Five Animals Play to further stabilize his condition, easing his joints with each press.

After a moment, the chief was peacefully snoring away, a serene expression on his face. Since I had infused him with my power, I knew the Life-Inclined Needle Method had a 100% success rate. I muttered as I stood up.

“With this, your body, damaged by alcohol, meat, and lust, should last another five years.”

If he cared for himself, he might even live a long life. The secret of the Hua’s 108 Needles was renowned even in Hebei, so this was quite simple. I felt as though I had slightly repaid the debt from killing the past village chief and headed toward the Heavenly Secret.

After obtaining the Heavenly Secret, I dashed straight to Mount Huang.

‘Alright, let’s go!’

Upon my arrival at Mount Huang, I immediately prepared to obtain the spear and sword, as well as the Black and White Lotus, before entering the secret realm. I found the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng within moments. Getting my hands on it was surprisingly easy, so before consuming the ginseng, I decided to plunge into the pond where the Black and White Lotus rested.

Plop!

After entering the ruins in the pond, I moved the golden casket outside, dove back in, and approached the altar. I decided to reread the inscription on the stele.

Oddly enough, this time I could interpret more of it. I was able to read almost all of it, piecemeal.

[… the song of darkness… partners united… the walk of the wind… the cold, white god of silence… the Primordial North… the one who arrives… there are no trials… but to those seeking to unlock… meet the god of silence… draw blood… awaken to reach… what is offered at this altar… is the blood of the arriving one…]

“Ooo…”

I felt a strange sense of curiosity. Since the unique sensation I felt at the Moon Sovereign’s ruins, it seemed I had gained some ability to decipher strange words. I didn’t know why, but nonetheless, it was a very useful skill in this situation. After reading it a few more times to commit it to memory, I decided to challenge the trial of the Divine Water.

Kugugugung!

The wall opened, revealing a single-log bridge leading to the Divine Water. A moment later, when a giant spider leaped up from below, I instantly cast Thunderclap and prepared the already planned attack with Lightning and Wind Interaction. While it took some time to charge in a real fight, I already had my needles prepared, so it wasn’t a problem.

The huge spider let out an enormous screech, but I was already charging in, plunging my spear deep into it. Given the sudden boost in my physical abilities compared to my usual state, the spider couldn’t even fight back and just had to take my preemptive strike.

“Lan! Me! Thrust!”

Boom!!

[Kyaaaaah!!]

I had barely pierced five times, but the spider lost six of its massive legs. Realizing it was outclassed, it attempted to shoot webs at me again, but by then, I had already charged at its vital points and dismantled it.

Spwack!

The spider’s blue blood shot up. Gathering all my internal energy, I hurled it against the side wall before it could fall.

Crash!

It banged against the rocky wall, creating a massive noise. Feeling satisfied seeing the unsightly creature stuck there, I grinned.

“Hmm, nice.”

This was a complete victory. I realized that taking down a giant spider single-handedly was no longer an issue. Casually crossing the bridge, I retrieved the Divine Water and glanced back at the squirming spider stuck in the wall.

“……”

Speaking of, that thing was quite the demon beast, wasn’t it?

Then wouldn’t it have an Inner Dan too?

Swack!

I threw a dagger from my pocket on a whim. It struck perfectly between the spider’s eyes, and due to its massive internal energy, its head exploded. Once the twitching spider finally stopped moving, I leaped toward its corpse after half a moment passed.

Screech!

I carefully landed on the dead spider’s body and raised my sword to slice through its outer shell. Blue blood erupted from it, and I quickly dodged back as the acid blood splattered. I could see the adjacent rock wall dissolving from its acidic nature. With acid blood gushing everywhere, I grimaced and jumped back toward the entrance.

“Ugh. This is going to be tough.”

I wasn’t sure how to harvest the Inner Dan, and with the creature’s body saturated with that acidic substance, I couldn’t risk touching it carelessly. I figured I’d need to bring someone experienced in hunting or medicine to study that spider later.

After reliably dealing with the spider and securing the Divine Water and the golden casket, I emerged above ground, collecting the roots of the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng and the Black and White Lotus into a large bundle. The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng had to be handled carefully, so I wrapped it with great care, while I harvested eight roots of the Black and White Lotus instead of the usual amount. I even gathered four lotus flowers, lightly dried, to stack in with them.

I took everything I could carry.

Indeed.

This time, I wasn’t going to eat the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

Even if I did eat it, it didn’t seem likely to significantly enhance my internal energy. Instead of consuming the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng myself, I thought I’d look for ways to utilize it. Unlike the Black and White Lotus, the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng held high external value, so if I used it well, I might achieve my goals easily.

Once I had gathered everything from the secret realm, I sat on a rock in front of the waterfall to catch my breath. I felt the need for a moment’s rest since I had been at it nonstop today. While sitting there, I thought.

‘The Huashan Sect was the Wind Spirit Sect, right?’

And the sect leader of the Huashan Sect, the Azure Dragon Sword, Yong Junil, was likely closely related to the Dharma Guardian of the Wind Spirit Sect. That bastard who killed Miho was his disciple. Ever since I reincarnated in the barn, this fact had been bothering me.

I hadn’t thought much about it before, but things were different now.

Why was one of the Nine Great Sects, the Huashan Sect, a faction of the Wind Spirit Sect?

It couldn’t just be because the sect leader was a disciple of the Wind Spirit Sect. That alone wouldn’t explain it. It seemed that the elders and disciples of the sect had all firmly learned the True Sect Mastery, which was widely recognized. My previous encounters with the imposing martial arts from the Wind Spirit Sect didn’t align with that idea. Furthermore, while the Huashan Sect was a new faction, it had existed for over a century.

Lost in thought, I muttered.

No, I won’t act just yet. I shouldn’t recklessly intervene and screw things up.

Right now, slipping into the Huashan Sect out of curiosity or stirring up trouble would only make it harder to meet Mangnyang. First, I should share the information I gained from my 10th life with Mangnyang and listen to his opinion before taking any action. I set my sights on the distant base of the Huashan Sect.

“I will definitely uncover your roots.”

Finishing my rest, I immediately began to dash toward Jinrang Valley, where Mangnyang was. Along the way, utilizing both Thunderclap and acupuncture techniques allowed me to reach my destination even faster. I confidently asserted that my running speed had surpassed even legendary steeds.

On my way, I didn’t forget to stop by the Taekyung Village’s Hua Clan to grab the Phoenix Fragment. Knowing about Balhae, it was something I didn’t really need, but you never know when it could come in handy. I had a hunch that the Hua Clan wasn’t related to Hwa Seong-myeong’s ideals despite sharing the same last name.

Upon arriving at Jinrang Valley, I headed straight up to Mangnyang’s hut.

This time, I caught a glimpse of Mangnyang passionately sharing a kiss with a young maiden by the well. With a dreamy look in his eyes, he gently caressed her jawline before saying.

“You’re the only one for me… you know that, right…?”

“I’m so embarrassed…”

“Hehe, your smile is so beautiful.”

Lost in what seemed to be a youthful moment, Mangnyang only became aware of my presence when I cleared my throat.

“…Wha—who the heck are you?!”

“Oh gosh!!”

Mangnyang stumbled back in shock, while the maiden shrieked in surprise. I quickly raised my hands in surrender.

“Don’t worry! Just a wandering martial artist!”

Mangnyang suddenly yelled, “Don’t be suspicious! How did you get past Mangyun?”

“Ugh…”

It seemed Mangnyang was a bit miffed at having his romantic moment interrupted. He appeared more emotional and hostile than when we last met. With no choice left, I pulled out a gold nugget from the golden casket and tossed it to him.

“Just take this and let’s talk.”

“Huh!”

Catching the nugget hurriedly, Mangnyang turned flustered.

“What is this…?”

The maiden, equally flustered, stared wide-eyed at Mangnyang. He glanced at her but quickly hugged the nugget tightly, shoving her hands away.

“This is mine.”

His tone was forceful.

“…Tch…”

The maiden puffed up her cheeks.

Mangnyang suddenly grinned as he said, “Oh, Young Hero! What brings you here? Do you have something you need help with from the great Messenger Mangnyang?”

“……”

So just throwing gold at Mangnyang would lead to moments like this, huh?

I nodded and glanced at the maiden.

“I prefer to discuss in private.”

Mangnyang understood.

“Got it. So Hyang! Wait in the village.”

“Mangnyang…”

So Hyang cautiously called out to him, her gaze glued to the nugget in his hands.

“…We’ll split it, right?”

“……”

Mangnyang dodged her stare and hugged the nugget tighter.

“Hey…”

“……”

So Hyang stared daggers at him, but Mangnyang waved her off while nonchalantly flaunting the golden nugget, completely ignoring her. After realizing that further conversation was futile, So Hyang glanced back at the nugget one last time and headed down to the village.

“Greedy guy.”

So Hyang’s parting words were a punchline.

Mangnyang brushed aside her comment, confidently brandishing the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line.

“You must have some considerable powers to have made it past Mangyun! If you need wisdom, you’ve come to the right place! Just let me know what you need help with!”

I chuckled, feeling a sense of nostalgic warmth.

Yes, this was the Mangnyang I knew.

“Well…”

As I pulled out the Divine Water to discuss, I hesitated, recalling Mangnyang’s previous words.

[Then how’s this? From now, when you meet me, call it a ‘future investment.’]

[A future investment?]

[I may seem like a calculating person, but if you call it that, I will work hard to repay you for the gift.]

And someday, when you face a grand enemy and need help, I’ll do my utmost to repay you. This way, we won’t owe each other any unnecessary debts of the heart.]

Mangnyang had always seen excessive kindness as a burden. When he asked for such guidance back then, he indeed wished to trust me as a companion. Moreover, this principle was a shortcut to becoming someone with whom he could communicate.

Thinking carefully, I spoke.

“…This isn’t so much a request as a future investment.”

“Huh? Future investment?”

“Listen closely, you might find this hard to believe.”

I slowly shared with Mangnyang how I was a Reborn Person, recounting the total of ten lifetimes up till now, and that this was my 11th life. At first, Mangnyang seemed to regard me like I was crazy, but when I mentioned Cheon Woo-jin and his story, his expression hardened, and when I got to the part about pursuing the Seven Luminaries, he became fully engrossed in the tale.

When I actually presented him with the Seven Luminaries Divine Water, he looked as if he might faint and excused himself briefly to spit under a tree. When he returned, there was no trace of doubt left in his expression.

After a retelling that lasted about half a moment, Mangnyang was silent for a long while.

Then, without warning, he threw the golden nugget to the ground.

Clink!

“This story is far more precious than that gold. Truly, I’ve learned a great deal.”

He wasn’t angry. There was a flustered excitement on Mangnyang’s face, a rosy blush creeping up. My tale had struck a chord with the great ambitions buried within him. With a gleeful chuckle, Mangnyang settled onto the porch.

“Hahaha, incredible! So I’m going to form the Bancheon Alliance and throw down with the Imperial Family? How cool!”

“Of course, I can’t say what will happen to you in my 10th life. What I do know is that because of the Black and White Lotus root I leaked, the young master of the White Lotus Sect recovered, and the sect master invaded the Central Plains, nearly unifying it in just a few short years.”

“Hmm… let me think.”

Mangnyang tapped his head with the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line.

After a spell of thoughtful pondering, Mangnyang finally declared, “I can note three major points.”

 

---