1295——————==

Soul of the Evil God

It seemed like both the Sword Demon and Lord of Shadowless Sword were taken aback by my words. The Lord of Shadowless Sword, slightly losing his composure, said,

“Didn’t you just say before that you were merely joking about being Seo Mun-hwi’s master? What are you talking about now?”

That’s right. When I was convincing the Lord of Shadowless Sword, who had attacked Soeul Village with the Tianzhu forces, I had dropped the line about being the disciple of the previous Lord of Shadowless Gate, Seo Mun-hwi, to throw him off. Of course, after that incident, I brushed it off by saying I just had good intel and it was all a joke.

So saying I was a friend of Seo Mun-gul, the previous sect leader, was contradictory. It didn’t match the previous story, so the Lord of Shadowless Sword had no choice but to call me out on it. However, even in a crisis, I spoke calmly, feeling the words flowing from my mouth.

“It was to avoid causing confusion for you, the blood alliance of Soeul Village. If I had properly questioned the hierarchy of Shadowless Gate at that time, it would’ve been tiring for both of us, and since it wasn’t the time for that, I tried to let it slide unrelated. If the Master of the White Lotus Sect hadn’t come, that would be how it would have been for a lifetime.”

I continued speaking more assertively.

“But with the Master of the White Lotus Sect now including Shadowless Gate in his sights, it’s no longer a time to be picky. I learned some martial arts from Seo Mun-gul in the past, and I was told to help if anything happened to Shadowless Gate!”

“……!!”

The Lord of Shadowless Sword flinched. He still seemed bewildered, while the Sword Demon was analyzing the truth of my words calmly. After a moment, the Sword Demon spoke up.

“I don’t understand. Throughout our history in Shadowless Gate, there have been cases where the current sect leader freely passed down martial arts to outsiders, and that is the leader’s authority. However, is that still enough to claim you are a friend of my grandfather? What exactly is the bond you claim?”

Ugh!

As the Sword Demon pressed me calmly, I almost stuttered. It was indeed not easy to deceive someone of his caliber with just a few words. But I kept my expression neutral while gazing at them and said,

“As you may have heard already, I am a disciple of Lee Gang-ryong, the predecessor of Thunder God Lineage. I was drifting around Jianghu briefly, where I had a conversation with Seo Mun-gul, and out of that friend’s bond, we exchanged martial arts. I taught Seo Mun-gul some techniques of Thunder God Lineage, and he did the same for me. And we promised to help each other if any unforeseen events occurred in our respective sects.”

“I haven’t heard that your grandfather learned martial arts from Thunder God Lineage.”

“Would you tell such matters? While sharing martial arts between friends might sound nice in theory, it’s obvious it would paint a negative picture for the descendants of both sects.”

“Hmm…”

The Sword Demon seemed to lack a reply to my vaguely evasive response. My words weren’t exactly logical, but I had said enough to make it hard to deny. Ultimately, only actual proof could substantiate my claims, and I had already demonstrated that I knew the martial arts of Shadowless Gate—since the cause and effect had reversed, we couldn’t clarify our dispute straightforwardly at this moment.

‘What counts now isn’t whether the Sword Demon believes it or not. A lie concocted carelessly won’t work here.’

My best move was to muddle the truth and the lies and create ambiguity.

I seized the change in atmosphere and continued speaking.

“Whether you believe it or not, I regard Shadowless Gate as a true blood alliance. That’s why when I learned of your daughter, Seo Mun-hye’s status, I did my utmost to guide her respectfully, and I intended to quietly assist from the shadows whenever possible. However, now that the greatest martial world force, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, is coming directly, I can no longer afford to do that!”

“What do you mean you can no longer afford to do that?”

“Starting today, you two must lead all disciples of Shadowless Gate to Soeul Village. While you’re there, even if the Master of the White Lotus Sect comes personally, I will ensure your safety without fail.”

“…….”

“…….”

The Sword Demon and the Lord of Shadowless Sword exchanged looks, visibly troubled. It was as if unexpected truths had been revealed to them, along with a sudden offer of subservience. Perhaps for that reason, the Lord of Shadowless Sword frowned.

“This is too sudden. I know you’re a peculiar person, but can’t we talk a bit more sensibly?”

“I’m sorry, but the situation is urgent, and I can’t explain further. If you can’t accept my proposal, I have no choice but to leave.”

“Hmm….”

As the Lord of Shadowless Sword seemed to ponder, the Sword Demon stepped forward and spoke.

“To be frank, I think your words are lies. There’s no basis for you to claim to be a friend of my grandfather.”

“…….”

“It’s highly likely that you’re just spouting nonsense. If a supreme expert like you were to disregard methods, it wouldn’t be so impossible to learn the martial arts of Shadowless Gate.”

Ugh… did I get exposed?

My heart raced as I kept my expression neutral, and the Sword Demon continued.

“However, your attempt to protect our Shadowless Gate is an act contrary to the law of the jungle. I don’t know what motives you have hidden, but I want to believe that your righteousness still exists in your inefficiency. Hyea has seen you long enough to know you’re not a bad person.”

“So….”

“If you promise me two things, I will have Shadowless Gate subordinate to Soeul Village starting today. This is something I suggest as the leader of a martial world sect.”

“Name them.”

The Sword Demon spoke calmly, with clear eyes.

“First, I hope you will freely share the insights of the higher martial arts you possess with us. Second, I hope you won’t discriminate against us or betray us no matter what happens.”

Indeed.

It appeared that the Sword Demon was set on accepting my offer based on the benefits for Shadowless Gate. And since it ultimately aligned with my goals, I nodded willingly.

“I will pledge my name to that.”

“Good. We shall follow the resolve of Chief Baek Woong.”

As the air shifted to an agreement between me and the Sword Demon, the Lord of Shadowless Sword, who had been listening, remarked in a grumble,

“Why act all warm and fuzzy? In the end, everything played out according to Chief Baek Woong’s plan, so it’s all very disheartening.”

I smirked at his words and replied,

“This isn’t the time for grumbling. With your current abilities, you wouldn’t even be able to point out the flaws of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, so you need to train hard starting today to elevate your martial skills, don’t you think?”

“……!!”

The Lord of Shadowless Sword wore a look of wounded pride, but it seemed he had nothing more to say. I couldn’t tell what the Sword Demon was thinking, but I could guess he wasn’t feeling particularly great either.

‘Perhaps the Sword Demon thought he could avoid conflict with the Master of the White Lotus Sect. But instead, I’ve wrangled him into this bond…’

It might not be the best choice from the Sword Demon’s perspective, yet his willingness to follow me stemmed from his nature to confront rather than escape challenges. He believed that in the coming chaotic times, avoiding confrontation wouldn’t provide answers, which he typically believed in. I felt a bit guilty, thinking the Sword Demon must have been upset.

‘I will do my utmost to help you strengthen your abilities.’

In hindsight, I should have pulled in Shadowless Gate sooner, but delays had led to this point. I gathered my thoughts and began relocating the residents of Shadowless Gate into my wooden armor. Given the important treasures and assets of Shadowless Gate, it was quite a load.

The next day, upon completing the relocation of Shadowless Gate to Soeul Village, Mangnyang spoke to me with a troubled expression.

“Hmm… Just the people from the slave market would fill the temporary accommodations to capacity, but the number of Shadowless Gate’s people is considerable. If you include the dozens of experts along with their disciples and followers, it’s hundreds of people.”

“Are you saying there’s nowhere to stay?”

“For now, it’s been arranged, but it’s really filled to the brim.”

“But I previously cleared out a mountain to create a base….”

Mangnyang fanned himself with a fan, as if bewildered by what I said.

“That amount of land will fill up quickly once humans start settling. Plus, since your request wasn’t merely for places to sleep, but rather for quite decent accommodations, the carpenters and masons had to build a lot of support facilities.”

“Hmm…”

“Even after greatly expanding the territory of what’s practically a small village and constructing plenty of buildings, it has come to this. I assume you already know it surpassed one thousand six hundred households.”

“…….”

“At this point, merely expanding the village won’t be enough. We’ve reached the limits on land and irrigation facilities. So what should we do?”

If expanding the village isn’t possible, what should we do?

As I tilted my head, Mangnyang spoke up.

“It’s time for Soeul Village to upgrade to a city.”

“A city?!”

I blurted out in surprise, and he nodded.

“Yes. Up until now, we had been operating within the bounds of a village, but if it’s grown this large, we must recognize it as an independent city. That’s just a matter of scale, personnel, and economy—obviously so. It’s almost overdue.”

“A city?! I never imagined such a thing.”

“It’s how history has always been in the Central Plains. A village that gradually grows over decades—sometimes over hundreds of years—transforms into a city. While that’s the standard, an upgrade from a remote country village to a city in less than three years hasn’t happened historically.”

As Mangnyang muttered, he gestured towards something with his index finger.

“Go bring back Princess Hyosung. Since we’re in the midst of sending the Eight Parts of the Divine, I think we’ll need her help as well. That’ll make it easier to upgrade to a city.”

“Princess Hyosung?”

I raised an eyebrow, questioning him.

“Are we supposed to go topple King Yinghui, who sold her to the slave market?”

Mangnyang shook his head.

“Surely you can’t be serious. Even a rotten human like King Yinghui is still part of the imperial family. Selling a princess to the slave market would be a heinous crime judged by the Ming laws, and only the Emperor could pass that judgment. As you mentioned, if the Emperor has already been killed by the Eight Parts of the Divine or turned into a slave, stirring this issue would bring their attention and cause them to intervene.”

“Hmm!”

“In truth, considering I received authorization from the Seongseo Castle Lord previously, we could skip this, but I’m someone who enjoys killing two birds with one stone, so let me handle this as I please.”

“What kind of plan do you have in mind?”

Mangnyang clenched his fists with a determined look and shouted.

“Princess Hyosung is a beauty, so I’m thinking about using her beauty. I’ll charm the Eight Parts of the Divine with her looks and send them to the outer dimension!”

“Huh…!!”

T-That’s possible?!

A truly unimaginable plot!

‘Amazing!’

To think they could wipe out the Eight Parts of the Divine using Princess Hyosung… Mangnyang really is the best strategist!!

“What, are you sitting there listening seriously? It’s a joke.”

“…….”

“There’s no way that could work.”

Oh, right…

As Mangnyang smirked with a mischievous expression, I felt a bit annoyed. Standing there with a stern face, Mangnyang chuckled and said,

“Just fetch her. I’ll explain everything once you bring her here.”

I did as Mangnyang instructed and brought Princess Hyosung, who was staying at the inn. Once she arrived, Mangnyang asked her,

“Your Highness, do you want to kill King Yinghui, the one who sold you to the slave market?”

“…….”

With Mangnyang’s brutally straightforward question, Princess Hyosung paused for a moment before answering.

“If so, will you kill him for me?”

“Of course.”

Huh?

I was taken aback by Mangnyang’s words, which were different from earlier, and Princess Hyosung stared at him intently before nodding.

“I want him dead.”

“You’ve spoken well. However, the current Emperor is a notorious tyrant, and his eyes and ears are blocked by vile individuals. Even if you reported this outrageous matter, there’s no way to settle your grievances through normal procedures. Moreover, regarding the execution of an imperial family member, the incompetent tyrant who can’t even manage his own body wouldn’t punish this matter properly.”

“…Are you toying with me?”

“No. If you’re willing to forgo normal vengeance and restore your status as a princess of the Great Ming, I’m saying I can make it so you can kill that King Yinghui. Very cruelly, at that.”

“…….”

“I’m not jesting. What will you do?”

Mangnyang’s question seemed to draw Princess Hyosung into deep consideration. Eventually, she nodded.

“…Having fallen into the slave market, it would be greedy to expect anything more. If Chief Soeul Village guarantees my future and safety, I will accept this.”

“Of course.”

I replied, and Mangnyang grinned as he spoke.

“Very well. Then I will send you to the Seongseo Castle Lord. Please proceed with the plan as I tell you.”

Soon, Mangnyang outlined his scheme. After listening to the entire plan, Princess Hyosung said flatly,

“It wouldn’t be difficult to do as you suggest. However, the Seongseo Castle Lord is fundamentally a greedy person, so he might have malicious intentions and try to imprison or kill me. Who will protect me during that process?”

“Don’t worry about that. A powerful warrior will guard you until the mission is complete.”

“Alright. I will follow you.”

After the conversation ended and Princess Hyosung departed, I glanced at Mangnyang and said,

“Would it be best to send Asura as her guard?”

“No way. If the Seongseo Castle Lord becomes the eye of the storm, he will definitely send his lackeys to monitor him. If Asura’s face gets seen, all our plans will fall through.”

“But the Thunder God Lineage’s experts also have their faces known…. ”

“Haven’t we recently recruited a decent expert whose face isn’t known? That’s precisely who we had in mind.”

“Oh!”

“Send him. The Seongseo Castle Lord won’t be able to breach the guard he sets around you.”

“Understood.”

The next day, Princess Hyosung left the village on horseback, accompanied by ten magnificent giants. I watched the giant easily catch up with her as she trotted, amazed.

“I hope Roland performs well.”

One of the strongest knights in the west, Roland, would face off against the world’s martial artists using Durandal and his armor, and there wouldn’t be many capable of breaching his guards. Particularly given his unique status as an immortal, he’d be the ideal choice as a guardian warrior.

Since it’s heard Roland has done plenty of guarding missions, I could only place my hopes on his experience. I turned to Mangnyang and said,

“Do you really think this plan will work? As I mentioned before, there’s also a strategist by the name of Gin Nara in the Eight Parts of the Divine….”

“And I also mentioned that he has a blind loyalty to Chi You. Strategists with excessive loyalty can be more easily deceived than mere folks. Especially considering the variables that arise from interactions between the aristocrats of the same race, it will be hard to arouse suspicion….”

Mangnyang, having replied carefreely, yawned and said,

“Huh… but really, do you think you can win even if the Master of the White Lotus Sect attacks? From what I hear from the Lord of Shadowless Sword, it seems a given he will come.”

“If we’re out to kill each other, the conclusion will be reached in an instant. However, since both he and I are aware of that, it’s possible we might just part ways without fighting.”

“Oh… the world of absolute masters is quite fascinating.”

Mangnyang stroked his chin in interest and said.

“Oh! While you were away, Jin So-cheong asked me to come to the clearing at the back mountain. You should hurry over to see her.”

Jin So-cheong?

I blinked in confusion but nonetheless hurried off to the back mountain. There, I could see Jin So-cheong performing martial arts.

“I bow before my master!”

I nodded at his greeting, but upon noticing another person present, I scowled.

“What’s Lee Kwang doing here?”

Indeed, there was Lee Kwang, standing beside Jin So-cheong with a fierce gaze and gaunt frame. Then, with a somewhat subdued yet determined growl, he said,

“Master. I am here to challenge the Thrusting Technique Ten Thousand Times right now.”

Finally, another blunder in the making!

‘Hehe… just the thing to brighten my gloomy mood!’

Watching Lee Kwang fail would boost my spirits!

My heart fluttered with anticipation, but I responded with a frown.

“If you want to challenge, I’ve always said you can do it whenever, but did you have to summon me to this back mountain? Are you embarrassed by the thought of failing in front of your disciples again?”

I tossed in a slight jab, but Lee Kwang merely shrugged it off nonchalantly.

“There are far too many strange individuals around the village whose origins are unclear. This is a performance I’m risking my life for, and I don’t want to do it in front of that kind of outsider. That’s partly your fault as well, Master.”

“Hmph. Your excuses are boundless.”

I scoffed and sat on a nearby rock.

“Well, go ahead. I’ll be watching to see how far you can get.”

“Before that, please promise me one thing.”

“Hmm?”

Lee Kwang said with a serious and calm voice.

“The Thrusting Technique Ten Thousand Times is a level of extreme training that no martial arts sect dares speak of… I’m risking my life here, so I expect you to demonstrate that you’re not just a master of words.”

“What do you want me to promise? Just say it, and I’ll likely accommodate your request.”

Could he be asking me to teach him the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique in detail?

As I contemplated with curiosity, Lee Kwang aimed his spear at me.

“My request is simple.”

And with his next words, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

“Master, you must perform the Thrusting Technique Ten Thousand Times alongside me!”