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Four Gods’ Soul

After we all exited the ruins of Chi You, I shared in detail what I had just experienced with my companions.

Why did this happen?

What exactly was that entity, and why was I the only one who sensed it?

Zhuge Liang closed his eyes in thought before speaking.

“That entity was willing to reveal its presence only to you, Baek Woong. It’s likely to be some kind of sorcery or power at play.”

“What kind of creature is it?”

“……”

Zhuge Liang seemed cautious with his words, then added, “For now, just focus on what you can do. Don’t dwell too much on this matter.”

“I have a gut feeling. I sense that someone is orchestrating things behind the scenes! How can I not think about it?”

“Does thinking about it make any solutions appear? And if that entity revealed itself intentionally, it might be a part of their scheme. They could be trying to manipulate you through your psychology.”

“Ugh….”

“Even the greatest strategist or hero can fall for the enemy’s plots. The key is maintaining your perspective and remaining calm, regardless of how entangled you become in their schemes.”

Zhuge Liang glanced at Seo Mun-hye and suggested, “If there’s no urgent battle to be fought, how about you stay here and keep watch over the seal? There’s no one else who can do it.”

“I will do that.”

I felt a pang of guilt towards Seo Mun-hye and said, “…I’m counting on you.”

“It’s alright. But please take good care of my father.”

“Understood.”

After that, we returned to the Imperial Palace of the Great Bear Empire. Zhuge Liang then pointed out a young man with a silver ponytail in his twenties from among the waiting companions.

“You there, step forward.”

“Are you talking to me?” the young man replied.

“Indeed. Jeong Do-ryeong.”

The one who stepped forward was Jeong Do-ryeong, a member of the Dan Clan and the lieutenant of the Three-Legged Crow Clan under the Twelve Joules. He had participated in the assault on the Celestial Realm and descended with us to the earthly realm after the trials of the tower concluded. Though he didn’t shine particularly brightly during the trials, he was still considered a companion as he stuck with us until the end.

Zhuge Liang looked at Jeong Do-ryeong with a piercing gaze, forgoing pleasantries.

“I didn’t have the chance to ask questions earlier because of the urgency, but now you must reveal everything you know about the Twelve Joules and the Dan Clan.”

“I wanted to ask Yeodong-bin as well, but he disappeared right after the trials in the Celestial Realm, so it is what it is.”

“……”

“This is a sort of interrogation, but you volunteered, so I assume you won’t mind?”

Jeong Do-ryeong smiled faintly.

“Of course. I’ll share everything I know.”

“First, what’s the current status of the Twelve Joules?”

Jeong Do-ryeong answered succinctly, “They’re mostly holed up in the Sacred Altar Tree and rarely come out.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well… I’m not sure, but it seems they’re planning something using the core of the Sacred Altar Tree. Even members of the Dan Clan are not allowed inside.”

“So you’re saying the members of the Dan Clan don’t know the plans of the Twelve Joules? That feels like you’re hiding something.”

Jeong Do-ryeong shrugged.

“Not knowing is simply not knowing. After all, I was leading the Gyeryongsan Clan while fighting against the Twelve Joules, and I ended up losing to the Master of the Twelve Joules and joined under him.”

“I’ll let that slide. Just remember, you need to answer as accurately as possible according to what you know.”

Zhuge Liang fixed his gaze sharply on him.

“What does it mean to be part of the Dan Clan?”

“……”

Jeong Do-ryeong seemed to ponder for a moment before replying, “According to my understanding, it means to be reborn in another body. However, not every member of the Dan Clan follows this rule; there are special cases.”

“……!!”

Rebirth!!

‘Being reborn in another body?’

I couldn’t help but be surprised. Reborn individuals were known to be incredibly rare, could they really artificially induce human reincarnation?! The room erupted with astonishment at the unexpected revelation. Zhuge Liang spoke calmly as if he had anticipated this.

“You said you’re 33 years old, right? That’s too young for a natural death, especially considering your prowess in martial arts. The possibility of dying from old age is unlikely. So, can it be said that you can be reborn without concern for the state of the physical body?”

Zhuge Liang’s words held weight. Jeong Do-ryeong was known as an extraordinary individual, but I had seen his exceptional martial skills during the trial against Xiang Yu. He was clearly one of the best practitioners among humans.

Jeong Do-ryeong nodded in agreement.

“I became a member of the Dan Clan and acquired this body four years ago. Physically, there’s not much difference from before.”

“So it means being part of the Dan Clan doesn’t involve sexual reproduction nor borrowing a human womb. It must be some other form of rebirth.”

“Hehe… Are you all-knowing and just asking for the sake of it? I feel a bit intimidated here.”

With a wry smile, Jeong Do-ryeong continued, “You’re correct. Those who seek to become part of the Dan Clan must ascend to the altar and perform a ceremony, during which the old body is sacrificed, and the new one is obtained.”

“An altar?”

“I performed the ceremony at the Star-Observing Altar on Mount Muni.”

I jumped in, raising an eyebrow, “Isn’t that the seal of the Moon Sovereign? So that’s where one becomes a member of the Dan Clan?”

Jeong Do-ryeong shot me a glance.

“I’m not sure what you mean by the seal of the Moon Sovereign, but the initiation ceremony to become a member of the Dan Clan can be held anywhere.”

“So, it can be done elsewhere?”

“Yes, as long as it’s a site where the ancient ruler Dangun conducted ceremonies, it can be performed at various places across the Korean Peninsula.”

“……?”

Dangun?

I asked, perplexed, “I’m a bit clueless here. Specifically, what does this Dangun represent? I know the Master of the Twelve Joules is currently referred to as Dangun and is the leader of the Han people, but does that title have some deeper meaning?”

To be honest, I had been in Goryeo for a long time, but no one in the martial or sorcerous circles truly knew the identity of Dangun. I assumed it was merely a title for the king of the Peninsula put forth by the Master of the Twelve Joules, but it clearly held a more profound significance.

“Hmm… Have you heard of the Dangun myth?”

“I’ve heard of it. The myth of the divine being Dangun descending from Mount Taebaek along with the Three Masters, right? Isn’t that sort of like the birth story of this Dangun king?”

“…Well, the greatness of Dangun comes from being a descendant of Hwanin.”

“Hwanin?”

That term sounded familiar. Where had I heard it before? Did it just slip my mind for a moment?

In response to my inquiry, Jeong Do-ryeong explained, “To the Han people, he represents the greatest deity and the root of all divine beings, the parent of all gods. Every deity is believed to originate from Hwanin, hence Dangun, as his successor, has reigned as a spiritual guide for every dynasty on the Peninsula, with all guardians serving him.”

“……”

Jeong Do-ryeong bore a somewhat twisted smile.

“It seems strange, doesn’t it? Considering Dangun should originally be Hwan-ung.”

I exclaimed incredulously, “The parent of all gods? That’s absurd! If Hwanin were such a being, I wouldn’t have missed hearing about it!”

“To be fair, he’s not treated as a personal god. More like a universal principle. The reason we genuinely believe in the existence of Hwanin and Dangun is primarily due to the Three Masters.”

“……?”

“The Three Masters are not of this world, yet they deliberately descended upon it to assist Dangun, granting legitimacy as long as they remain loyal to him.”

“Hmm.”

It seemed like I was getting it, but not fully. Was the fact that every person on the Peninsula revered Dangun’s presence the core of the legitimacy behind any dynasty? While I was still perplexed, Zhuge Liang interjected.

“Looks like we’re drifting off topic. Anyway, when the ceremony is performed to become a member of the Dan Clan, it is led by the Master of the Twelve Joules, correct?”

“That’s right. Only the Master of the Twelve Joules can conduct the rites for the Dan Clan.”

“What are the benefits of being reincarnated as a member of the Dan Clan? You must have been a pretty strong human to begin with, so there must be substantial reasons behind abandoning your original body.”

“There are enormous benefits.”

Jeong Do-ryeong slowly continued, “First, you become immortal. You will never die of old age, won’t age, and any injuries heal at a remarkable rate. Your base physical abilities will also surge to superhuman levels. Even if you die, you may conditionally resurrect.”

“…Resurrection?”

Zhuge Liang’s expression tightened at the unexpected revelation. Jeong Do-ryeong nodded.

“I’ve never seen someone resurrected, but I’ve heard the Master of the Twelve Joules has done so multiple times.”

“How can that be possible? Is that unique power of theirs?”

“I’m not sure. Regardless, that’s the first benefit. The second is concerning internal energy and bloodlines. When becoming part of the Dan Clan, one can artificially acquire rare bloodlines and sealing techniques, plus the speed of accumulating internal energy surpasses common sense. I surpassed my previous level of internal energy in merely a year after becoming a member.”

“……!!”

“The third benefit is resistance to demons and supernatural abilities. Most magic from otherworldly beings can be nullified without conscious awareness, and there are even those with abilities specifically tailored to counter such powers. Curses can also be mitigated, shared and thus reduced in effectiveness. And…”

Zhuge Liang leaned in with a grave expression.

“Is there more?”

“The fourth benefit is the sharing of experiences among members of the Dan Clan.”

“When you say sharing experiences, do you mean like transferring memories like the Obsidian?”

Zhuge Liang inquired, to which Jeong Do-ryeong promptly shook his head.

“Now that I understand what the Obsidian’s techniques entail, I can tell you it’s not that. It’s a much lower level and a different concept entirely.”

“Explain.”

“Hmm… Do you know about the internet?”

“I do.”

“The modern internet has a specific space for storage—or rather, it involves cloud computing. It’s something akin to that.”

Zhuge Liang seemed to reflect on the modern conceptual framework I shared. Perhaps it was due to having learned about this from Sima Ling? He understood immediately and said, “So when a member of the Dan Clan achieves experience somewhere and uploads it to a common storage, others can access that knowledge and techniques.”

“Exactly. But it’s not as handy as the Obsidian’s techniques, and instead of memory transfer, it’s more about acquiring objective knowledge. It feels like receiving a book or reference manual that has been thoroughly studied. A very basic form of memory… no, more like a skill transfer.”

“That alone would have been an immense advantage in ancient times. In an era where civilization is less developed and limited by time and space, sharing experiences and knowledge would have greatly accelerated progress, especially for martial artists or sorcerers.”

“You grasp it well.”

After a brief silence, Zhuge Liang suddenly murmured, “What an incredible privilege… Indeed, a disciple of Dharma would be tempted.”

“Don’t you have further questions?”

“Is the reason why you Dan Clan members don’t betray the Master of the Twelve Joules merely out of loyalty? Are there any other controlling mechanisms in place?”

“It’s not so much a controlling mechanism as there’s no need to leave the Dan Clan. So far, no more powerful sect or nation has existed in this world, so living the life of immortality while growing stronger has been enjoyable, right? Additionally, I’ve never seen the Master of the Twelve Joules impose any artificial constraints on the members.”

“That makes sense.”

Zhuge Liang, as if having deduced something, spoke, “The Manha Spiritual Gate likely refers to the essence of the Dan Clan itself. The members who have been reborn into the Dan Clan unite under the Master of the Twelve Joules, Ha Eun-cheon.”

“…That would be accurate.”

Suddenly, it seemed like Zhuge Liang had uncovered a lot about the Twelve Joules and the Dan Clan. His questioning was highly effective, and without realizing it, I found myself attentively listening to their discussion. Eventually, Zhuge Liang turned to me and said, “Baek Woong. Can you activate the Three Eyes of the Wheel King to see Jeong Do-ryeong?”

“Hmm… The Three Eyes? Give me a moment.”

I concentrated, attempting to summon the Three Eyes of the Wheel King like when I was in the Underworld. However, no matter how hard I focused, they wouldn’t manifest, and I gave up after some fruitless efforts.

“It’s not working…”

“…It appears the power of the Wheel King has been completely depleted. I suppose it takes a considerable amount of time to recover.”

“Why did you ask me to summon the Three Eyes?”

“I needed to verify something.”

Zhuge Liang fixed his gaze on Jeong Do-ryeong.

“With the Three Eyes, I can check if that guy bears the Mark of Oblivion.”

“……!!”

Mark of Oblivion!

I suddenly recalled the time when Xiang Yu had descended upon me.

[All righteous beings are inscribed with the marking of forgetfulness within the cycle of rebirth. However, there are rare cases in which this mark either vanishes or doesn’t exist at all. In such cases, they are reborn with their memories intact.]

Those with their Mark of Oblivion erased are reborn without going to the Underworld. The Master of the Twelve Joules had mentioned that the Three Masters had reincarnated in the past, deliberately using divine powers to erase the Mark of Oblivion. As I recalled the connection between the Mark of Oblivion and reincarnation, I understood Zhuge Liang’s intent.

“You’re saying the Master of the Twelve Joules possesses the ability to erase the Mark of Oblivion?!”

“Absolutely. Otherwise, members of the Dan Clan would never be able to be reborn in such a way. I wanted to ascertain it directly, but if you can’t summon the Three Eyes now, then there’s nothing we can do.”

“……!!”

“But what’s confusing is the origin of that body. It’s strange that they weren’t born from a woman’s body but received a fully formed body from the start. Moreover, this body is endowed with nonsensical superhuman powers. Theoretically, if a member of the Dan Clan lives for over a thousand years, they could easily surpass the Dharma Guardians.”

As Zhuge Liang pondered, he finally looked at Jeong Do-ryeong and asked, “What’s your goal, Jeong Do-ryeong? Surely you’re not just feeding us information about the Master of the Twelve Joules out of mere curiosity?”

“……”

Jeong Do-ryeong’s expression hardened slightly before he replied, “Revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“The Master of the Twelve Joules deprived me of the Ten Fortunate Lands that I was meant to claim, defeated me, and dismantled the Gyeryongsan Clan. I want to show them the sting of revenge at least once.”

It seemed there was a backstory behind Jeong Do-ryeong as well.

“Is that your justification?”

Zhuge Liang regarded him with a cold gaze.

“You’d better think carefully. Your petty ambitions might just seem like a trivial joke to Baek Woong…”

“Are you trying to threaten me?”

“If you see it as a joke, then that’s fine. It probably wouldn’t be wise to position yourself as an enemy of Baek Woong.”

“……”

As Jeong Do-ryeong fell silent, Zhuge Liang turned his attention to me.

“I’ll dig deeper into the information from Jeong Do-ryeong. You need to handle other matters.”

“What should I do?”

“Right now, you essentially have two major tasks. You need to find the place where Chi You’s body parts are sealed before the end approaches, or you need to gather information on the Battle Ground. However, in either case, it won’t be your job to do personally; you’ll need to delegate to your subordinates. For now, either relax in the palace or head to the Celestial Realm and train under Jang Sam-bong.”

That made sense. From now on, I would need to rely on the intelligence of the Great Bear Empire, and my personal involvement would be less efficient. Besides, the entrance to the Giant Race’s library only requires opening the door for humans to enter, so I had little else to contribute.

“Still, I feel like I could be more efficient if I went myself….”

Zhuge Liang stared at me with a blank expression.

“If that’s truly how you feel, then at least let me recommend a place for you. Look for the Compass of Guiding.”

“The Compass of Guiding?”

“That divine artifact used by the Emperor during his battle with Chi You mysteriously vanished after the Takrok War. The Daoists have a legend that it went missing while heading precisely south.”

As Zhuge Liang continued, I began to piece together my destination.

“The Compass of Guiding would likely have been used as guidance in locating the place to seal Chi You’s body parts. If it’s a divine artifact left behind by the Emperor, the likelihood is high.”

 

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