사신지혼(四神之魂)

As Seongseo Castle Lord panicked, Lee Kwang narrowed his eyes as if he were enjoying the reaction. Then he spoke.

“It was a long time ago, but I remember vividly. When Eom Sung uncovered the corruption of the powerful minister Jiwi Gae and gained power, I recall that King Ju Seong-geun lent a hand as well. Back then, I was deeply impressed by the king’s decisiveness and action!”

What the heck is he talking about?

I tilted my head in confusion, but the Seongseo Castle Lord’s complexion turned pale at Lee Kwang’s respectful tone. With a face as white as a blank sheet, the Lord bit his lips tightly and trembled, clutching his hands.

“…I know nothing about it! Eom Sung’s revelation of Jiwi Gae’s corruption was solely his achievement, wasn’t it?”

Lee Kwang, deadpan, responded with a question.

“Is that so?”

“What…?”

“Is it truly so?”

“……”

“Would Eom Sung think the same?”

As Lee Kwang continued to ask without changing his expression, the Seongseo Castle Lord appeared speechless, like a fish out of water. He glared at Lee Kwang with clenched teeth, but his gaze showed more fear than killing intent.

Even though the Seongseo Castle Lord seemed to have mastered some self-defense martial arts, he couldn’t withstand the gaze of a Peak Expert like Lee Kwang for long. Unconsciously, he averted his gaze and said,

“Lee Kwang… you’ve resigned from active duty now. If it were back when you were part of the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace, causing trouble for me wouldn’t be beneficial.”

Lee Kwang shrugged, as if he found the conversation tedious, and gave a dismissive sound.

“I’m not trying to go against the king. With someone like you treating Anhui Province as your own territory, what rebellion could I start? As long as you don’t trouble my master, that’s enough.”

“That young child can’t possibly be your master?”

“Martial artists’ ages aren’t just what they appear. Their martial skills don’t reflect it either.”

“Huh… Surely not….”

The Seongseo Castle Lord looked at me in shock, then spoke in a somewhat greedy tone.

“What are you plotting with that phantom from Soeul Village, Lee Kwang? If you speak honestly, I, Ju Seong-geun, will lend a hand too.”

“…….”

“As long as you don’t have to pay the tribute, you can…”

As the Seongseo Castle Lord subtly tried to tempt him, suddenly Lee Kwang raised his voice.

“King!! Eom Sung’s neck will end up on the chopping block like this!!”

“……!!”

“Before I bring out what I possess, show some mercy!!”

Yikes!

It all seemed like an utterly incomprehensible conversation, but this time, the Seongseo Castle Lord’s face turned pale as if he had seen a ghost. It was clearly a terrified expression, and before long, he seemed to lose strength in his legs, falling backward with a thud.

Thud!

“Uh… ugh.”

“How dare you threaten the Castle Lord!!”

Clang!

The warriors guarding the Lord were furious and drew their swords and spears, while Lee Kwang grinned as if he had been waiting for this moment and pulled out the spear he had leaned against.

“I’m feeling threatened here as well. I have no choice but to obey the wishes of His Majesty the Emperor.”

“What nonsense….”

Whoosh!

A chilling killing intent swirled around Lee Kwang, making the warriors, who were just about to charge, hesitate. Though some of them had been training in martial arts for years, instinctively sensing the difference in strength, sweat began to bead on their foreheads.

Then the Seongseo Castle Lord finally collected himself and spoke.

“Stop it. Everyone fall back and sheathe your weapons.”

As the warriors sheathed their weapons at his command, Lee Kwang also returned his spear to the floor. There was a hint of regret on his face, while the Seongseo Castle Lord sighed in frustration.

“Lee Kwang, you’re even more unruly than I had heard. I didn’t expect such a ruckus from you after being quiet for so long.”

Lee Kwang made a martial authority gesture.

“Still, please forgive me.”

“You insolent brat!”

The Lord, now speaking in an exhausted tone, shifted his gaze to Mangnyang and said,

“I will grant your request unconditionally. You won’t need to pay tribute in the future; I’ll inform the Lord of Anhui, so do as you wish to expand your village. At least, below the Taoist Masters and Central Inspectors, there won’t be anyone to hinder you.”

Mangnyang, as if he had expected this, grinned and bowed politely.

“I cannot express my gratitude for your grace, akin to the sea.”

“Haah… Is there anything more to say?”

“It seems we can proceed along with the Castle Lord’s subordinates, so I doubt there will be further inconveniences.”

“That sounds right. Now, let’s wrap this up….”

The Seongseo Castle Lord waved his hands irritably to dismiss us, but suddenly his gaze landed on Mangnyang’s face. A suspicious tone crept into his voice.

“I’ve thought this before, but you, Mangnyang, have you perhaps seen me in Luoyang?”

“That’s impossible. I’ve spent my whole life buried in the countryside as a scholar.”

“Hm… understood. Open the door for me.”

We stepped out of the castle under the escort of the guards. After coming out, we booked a room in a large inn and entered with my companions.

‘Since we’re already in Seongseo Castle, should we take a few days to sightsee?’

I thought to myself, feeling quite pleased, when I suddenly spotted Lee Kwang and said.

“Hey, disciple! I have something to ask.”

“What is it… or rather, what is the matter?”

Due to strong feelings of rebellion, he awkwardly resorted to honorifics. I noted every single action and resolved to press him harder with my questions.

“What was the reason the Seongseo Castle Lord was startled by your words earlier? And what was all that talk about Eom Sung and Jiwi Gae?”

“…….”

Lee Kwang appeared reluctant to answer, but under my steady glare, he slowly opened his mouth.

“This won’t do. Starting today, let’s increase the number of Ranna Chul sessions to one hundred thousand…”

“Wait, Master! It’s just that I forgot the details of the past!”

Well, that makes sense. I nodded with a wry smile.

“Oh, I see.”

“Currently, one of the most powerful ministers in the court is named Eom Sung; he gained power by uncovering Jiwi Gae’s military supply corruption.”

“I got the general idea from the flow of conversation. But what did that have to do with the Seongseo Castle Lord’s surprise?”

“Well, it turns out Jiwi Gae wasn’t actually guilty of military supply corruption; the fabricated crime was conjured up by the Seongseo Castle Lord and Eom Sung.”

“What?!”

Mangnyang, who was listening close by, seemed shocked as his eyebrows shot up in disbelief. He stroked his chin, deep in thought, then spoke.

“Lee Kwang, are you saying that the food supplies supposedly embezzled from the Six Departments by Jiwi Gae were false? That caused quite a bloodbath in the court!”

Lee Kwang calmly recounted the truth.

“Even though he was pushed out of the succession order, the ambitious Seongseo Castle Lord concocted this plan to cement his influence in the center. He lured the central young official Eom Sung, manipulated the incident, and siphoned off military supplies to his secret depot, even torturing and bribing Jiwi Gae’s servant to fabricate false evidence. While Jiwi Gae wasn’t exactly a paragon of integrity, he was unjustly exterminated, and his entire clan was demoted to slaves. Since then, Eom Sung has earned the emperor’s trust and gained power.”

“Mm…!! So you knew all this and didn’t expose the conspiracy!! But many unjustly executed besides Jiwi Gae were loyal officials who supported him!!”

As Mangnyang spoke, with palpable emotion, Lee Kwang responded brusquely.

“My duty as a member of the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace is merely to follow the emperor’s commands. If I meddled in other matters and it brought disgrace to the emperor, then that would be true treachery. And now that I have Eom Sung and Seongseo Castle Lord’s weaknesses, if they commit any felonious acts, I can swiftly clean house, which is why I remained silent.”

“……Tch!!”

Mangnyang clicked his tongue in disbelief. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps some of his friends had suffered in that blood incident as well. I turned to Lee Kwang and said.

“Lee Kwang, you were just moments ago threatening the Seongseo Castle Lord with the truth of the conspiracy.”

“Threatening? Nah, he just jumped to conclusions all by himself… that’s just how it is.”

“That sound like the same to me. You sure are consistent.”

“……?”

Lee Kwang scrunched his face as if he didn’t entirely understand, but I felt like I had a clearer idea of the kind of person he was.

‘So that’s why in my previous life, he could visit the powerful minister Eom Sung as if it were his own home.’

It was a bit odd that the selfish, unaccommodating Eom Sung would give Lee Kwang such grand treatment just because he respected an ancient Azure Dragon.

‘The truth is, Eom Sung had probably learned through some means that Lee Kwang knew his weaknesses, and he lived in constant fear, flattering Lee Kwang to avoid attacks.’

And Lee Kwang, knowing this, had gone to utilize Eom Sung for the revival of the Thunder God Lineage like a cat toying with a mouse.

How does one even put that into words?

A never-ending human farce lay before me.

I wasn’t even inclined to be angry. Instead, I shook my head and said,

“Let’s leave this talk for now. After all, Emperor Zhu Hu Chong might be on my to-kill list later, so we can shove that aside for now. We’ll deal with the wronged individuals when that time comes.”

That seemed to wrap things up nicely.

“……”

“……”

At my words, Mangnyang, who was just about to lose his temper, and even Lee Kwang, appeared utterly bewildered and stared at me in shock. Mangnyang stuttered,

“What on earth are you saying, Village Chief Baek Woong, about killing the emperor broad daylight at an inn?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve gone mad, suggesting killing the emperor at an inn in broad daylight!”

I paused to contemplate what I had said wrong. After a moment, a realization struck me.

“Ah!! I shouldn’t be casually mentioning the emperor’s death, should I?”

Having killed Zhu Hu Chong like a bug repeatedly in my past life, I had completely lost sight of that fact now.

“…….”

Mangnyang looked drained, and it was Lee Kwang who sighed.

“Haah, Master. Even if you’re harboring such wicked thoughts, at least dodge the red flags.”

“You’re not going to stop being annoying, are you?”

“What kind of nonsense is that…?”

I interrupted Lee Kwang’s protest and declared,

“Regardless, Mangnyang. Now that I’ve wrapped things up, I’d like to explore Seongseo Castle for a few days. That’s alright, right?”

“Do as you please. Who could possibly stop you?”

“Haha! Then I shall see you later.”

Clatter clatter!

I waved farewell to my party as they returned to their cart and grinned.

“Alright, time to have some serious fun!”

I wandered through the night streets of Seongseo Castle, tasting delicious foods and ordering plenty of drinks. I wasn’t worried about running out of money since I had loads. While I was enjoying myself, many people noticed my face, but I paid them no mind.

For about two days, I didn’t sleep, constantly eating and exploring. Then, the captain of the warriors from my inn came to find me.

“Baek Woong! The princess is looking for you.”

“I shall follow.”

I headed to Princess Seo Cheon’s palace, accompanied by the captain. As soon as I arrived, the princess, adorned with elaborate decorations, waited for me, blushing as soon as she saw me.

“Oh! You’re here!”

“Indeed.”

I came to enjoy the meals prepared by the palace!

Clatter clatter!

“…Eat slowly.”

I indulged in the lavish feast prepared for me in the princess’s palace. While I ate, the princess observed me with rapt attention, looking as if just watching me brought her joy. I found myself utterly perplexed.

‘No matter how beautiful someone is, they must look ridiculous while eating, right? Is she really unbothered?’

As I continued to devour my meal, the princess suddenly asked,

“I heard from my father. Is it true that the Village Chief of Soeul may really be a Half-Transition Master?”

“Is that so?”

“Is it really true?”

“What of it?”

“I’m curious. Do all who undergo Half-Transition become beautiful like you, Village Chief?”

“Hmm….”

I was taken aback by the unexpected question.

‘Do they look handsome after Half-Transition?’

In fact, I had never experienced Self-Rebirth through my own powers, so I was clueless about it. This appearance was attained through surgical techniques, so how would I know? But I didn’t overthink and casually replied.

“The masters I know who’ve undergone Half-Transition are certainly very beautiful. So, there’s a possibility of that.”

“Oh my. What is their name?”

“Han Baek-ryeong.”

At that, Princess Seo Cheon gasped in surprise.

“Isn’t that the name of the one called the Grandmaster of the Twin Gate Sect in Luoyang?”

“Huh?”

“Is that person truly in the form of a beautiful girl?”

Now I was the one surprised. Princess Seo Cheon seemed pretty well-informed about Han Baek-ryeong. Her immediate reaction upon hearing the name indicated she must know her well.

‘A princess must know about someone as hidden and significant as Han Baek-ryeong.’

I munched on a chicken leg and replied.

“Yup. Make sure to ask Han Baek-ryeong the secret of the Half-Transition when you have the time.”

“……”

“Since you’re royal, I doubt anyone would dare kill you.”

Princess Seo Cheon broke into laughter, seemingly unable to contain her amusement.

“Ahaha! You’re certainly not acting like a boy at all. Your claims of Half-Transition seem to ring true.”

“Hm. If there’s nothing more to discuss, may I take my leave?”

“Wait a moment.”

“What now?”

I inadvertently retorted in irritation, but the princess cautiously asked.

“May I also visit Soeul Village?”

“Do as you please. Just keep in mind that I won’t be able to treat you as respectfully as I should for a royal.”

“Great! I’ll definitely go.”

“Go ahead then.”

After concluding the conversation, I exited the princess’s palace. Annoyed for having been rude to her, I knocked out the captain and considered what I should do next.

‘Having seen all of Seongseo Castle, should I head back to the village soon?’

I decided to move swiftly and exit Seongseo Castle. Flying would attract too much attention, so I quickly wielded my divine skills and raced along the deserted paths, pretending to be an ordinary martial artist. A short while later, I reached Soeul Village and, upon arrival, flopped down and rolled around in glee.

“Hmm… this leisurely life is nice.”

I rested my chin on my hands while lying in the great hall, counting leaves and enjoying my leisure. Even during this time, I continued to set Lee Kwang to work on Ranna Chul, increasing the frequency each time I felt bored.

And ten days later…

“Baek Woong! Big trouble!”

“Mangnyang, what’s happening?”

“The Eight Demons of the Demon Path you’ve ordered are sending us information, haven’t they? One tidbit among their messages is particularly alarming.”

I sensed another incident was beginning to unfold at Mangnyang’s words.

“The current emperor, Zhu Hu Chong, has declared that he will move the capital from Luoyang to Yan Jing.”