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0132 ———————————————-

Dark Heaven Village (暗天鄕)

The next day, I thought news of the emperor’s death would flash across the continent. Instead, the western sky was stained blood-red. Since something must have happened in Luoyang, Mangnyang wore a troubled expression.

About half a day later, a messenger arrived at Jinrang Valley. He looked like an informant from the Bancheon Alliance sent to deliver news from Luoyang. The messenger spoke urgently.

“It’s a big deal.”

“What happened?”

“The emperor has passed away, and the crown prince has immediately ascended to the throne.”

“… Expected.”

But what the messenger said next shocked both me and Mangnyang.

“And the Nine Lotus Sect has been declared the state religion, and an edict ordering a cessation of worship and faith in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism is spreading nationwide.”

“……!!”

The Nine Lotus Sect has become the state religion!

‘Why is this happening?’

I was dumbfounded. This heretical sect wouldn’t even appear for decades, and even then, it wouldn’t be recognized properly, but considered heretical and suppressed. Judging by the circumstances, the Nine Lotus Sect was clearly a gathering of wicked individuals serving the Old Ruler, probably linked to the Demon Subduing Hall.

But it was strange. Stopping the worship of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism isn’t something that a freshly ascended crown prince could just declare in a day. Moreover, banning the worship of Confucian shrines could provoke backlash from scholars. It could even incite rebellion from the prominent officials in the court.

Mangnyang asked with a bizarre expression,

“The Nine Lotus Sect? What is that?”

“I’m sorry. I’m still looking into it, but the atmosphere in the capital feels off. There’s a bright red cloud hovering over the capital, and strange phantoms are wandering around.”

“Hmm.”

Mangnyang sighed as if extinguished, then wet his hands.

“Got it. For now, you may leave.”

“Yes, Your Honor!”

As the messenger departed, Mangnyang seemed lost in thought for a long while.

Feeling unsettled by the silence, I spoke up.

“Mangnyang. This is…”

“Baek Woong. Let’s have a talk.”

“Understood.”

Mangnyang opened the door to his hut and stepped inside. I followed him in, and we sat across from each other in the room. Mangnyang spoke calmly.

“Baek Woong. The one you called an alchemist must be involved.”

The alchemist.

That was the figure who stood beside the emperor when I stormed the palace in my twelfth rebirth. They were cloaked in black and seemed to be holding the emperor down. As I recalled that person, Mangnyang continued.

“That alchemist is likely a successor sent in place of the sorcerer who specialized in human sacrifices.”

“Hmm.”

“And judging by their conversation with the emperor, it seems they were cooperating with each other in exchange for immortality. The emperor provided support from the imperial forces to help the alchemist and the Demon Subduing Hall in return for the gift of immortality.”

Mangnyang sighed deeply.

“However, given the situation, it appears the sudden death of the emperor has disrupted the delicate balance of that alliance. We might assume that the entire imperial court is now under the command of the alchemist.”

“That sounds odd.”

As I listened to Mangnyang, I said,

“It seems the emperor never really practiced any martial arts. If the alchemist is from Dark Heaven Village and possesses enormous power, they could have eliminated or manipulated the emperor long ago. Why wait until now to take action after cooperating as equals?”

“That may mean the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace protecting the emperor, particularly the Vermilion Bird, are far greater in skill than we thought… And that there were many protective barriers and techniques in play. With Zhuge Bu of the Inner Imperial Pavilion involved, they couldn’t have acted recklessly.”

Mangnyang sighed again.

“Anyway, the deed has been done. We need to consider our response from now.”

“Are you planning to inform General Hwang Yeon about this?”

“I suppose so.”

Mangnyang soon summoned General Hwang Yeon to tell him about the occurrences in the capital. Surprisingly, General Hwang Yeon appeared unfazed by the emperor’s death, but frowned when it came to the Nine Lotus Sect.

“The Nine Lotus Sect? What is that?”

“We don’t know either. All we understand is that due to the emperor’s sudden passing, a third force appears to have seized control of the palace.”

“So nothing is certain.”

“To gather information in the capital now, one would have to risk their life.”

“…….”

After a moment of silence, General Hwang Yeon spoke.

“Leader of Bancheon Alliance. I have a proposal.”

“What is it?”

“I would like you to rescue my family members who are detained by the Golden Eagle Guards. If you do that, I will fully support you.”

Mangnyang replied.

“It’s possible, but are you sure about this? You’d be directly opposing the Golden Eagle Guards.”

“Are you testing me? Even without your provocation, I’m prepared to fight them.”

Mangnyang awkwardly chuckled at General Hwang Yeon’s deadpan response.

“My apologies if I was rude.”

“Is it feasible?”

“Yes. I believe it will suffice. But I need one thing from you.”

“What help do you need?”

Mangnyang replied.

“Please write a letter persuading one person.”

A moment later, I received the letter from General Hwang and instantly teleported to the vicinity of Guanzhong using my skills. I approached the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School and addressed the gatekeeper, Bangil.

“I’ve come to see the Master of Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.”

“Is this brat out of his mind? You think the Sect Leader would just see you if you asked nicely?!”

“Tell him I’m here on General Hwang Yeon’s orders.”

“……!!”

Upon hearing General Hwang Yeon’s name, they looked startled. But perhaps feeling it was out of their hands, one ran inside. A moment later, the gatekeeper returned.

“You’ll be led to Waryong Hall.”

I went to Waryong Hall. As I entered, there were Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong sitting at a table together. Lee Kwang still had that handsome face and wore a nonchalant expression. Jin So-cheong looked at me with curious eyes.

I introduced myself with a bow.

“It’s an honor to meet the esteemed Master of Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. I am Baek Woong, sent here on the orders of General Hwang.”

After staring at me for a moment with clear eyes, Lee Kwang replied,

“Sent by General Hwang?”

“Yes. The details are written in this letter.”

I handed over the letter, and Lee Kwang took it and read it. After a while, he spoke to me.

“What’s the proof this letter is genuine?”

“General Hwang entrusted me with this phrase: ‘A lone boat, an old man in a straw cape and hat, fishing alone in the cold river as snow falls’.”

“… It’s genuine.”

Lee Kwang seemed unable to believe the letter until I recited that five-character poem he heard from General Hwang. It appeared the poem served as a sort of password among them.

Lee Kwang then said,

“General Hwang wrote that you’re a trustworthy individual. Indeed, you do seem to be.”

“Too kind of you to say.”

I replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. I was beginning to feel like my years of training hadn’t been in vain, as I was recognized for my abilities in front of Lee Kwang. I thought to take this opportunity to tell him.

“I’m also deeply moved to meet you as a disciple of the Thunder God Lineage.”

“The Thunder God Lineage? You can’t be…”

“I too pass on the Thunder God Lineage.”

“Oh, I must see this for myself.”

I went to the sparring arena to prove my skill. Since we would be working together moving forward, it wouldn’t do to hide that we were practically on the same side of the Thunder God Lineage. I performed my swordsmanship, showcasing the Cave-Collapsing Sword and Heavenly Contraction Sword techniques, which left Lee Kwang looking rather astonished.

After my demonstration, Lee Kwang spoke.

“Your swordplay isn’t purely the Ten Thousand Success Sword Technique. It incorporates insights from other sects.”

“My master inadvertently made connections with a former grandmaster of the Wudang Sect and obtained their insights. I combined them with the Thunder God Lineage to enhance our techniques.”

“Interesting. A sword technique that distorts space itself…?”

Lee Kwang smiled appreciatively for perhaps the first time.

“Good. Let’s have a drink after this.”

Knowing he had a habit of drinking when showing kindness, I realized I had made a favorable impression and responded cheerfully.

“Yes.”

We then headed toward the location where General Hwang’s family was detained. Mangnyang had already figured out their location. Initially, General Hwang’s family lived in a magnificent mansion in the capital but had been confined to this rural area by the Golden Eagle Guards. When we arrived at the entrance to Bogu Village, Lee Kwang inquired,

“Didn’t General Hwang mention ‘Loyalty to the Country’?”

‘Loyalty to the Country?’

I racked my brain but couldn’t recall anything, shaking my head.

“He didn’t say that.”

“I see… His mind is set.”

Lee Kwang muttered bitterly and remarked,

“Then I, too, must prepare myself.”

What kind of preparation was he talking about? Before I could ask, Lee Kwang dashed forward like a beam of light. Jin So-cheong followed and said to me,

“I’ll leave the rear to you. Please join us in a meal in a while.”

“Understood.”

I was well aware of how formidable their skills were. Even gathered together, even ten groups of the Golden Eagle Guards might not be able to stop them. Following Jin So-cheong’s instructions, I stood by quietly, when suddenly ominous sounds of explosions and screams echoed throughout the village.

When I stepped into Bogu Village as Jin So-cheong suggested, there were corpses of Golden Eagle Guards and warriors scattered everywhere. Some had even been crushed beyond recognition. Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong walked out of buildings leading people away, seemingly confident they had taken care of all enemies.

‘Guess they really can handle everything.’

It seemed Mangnyang intended for Lee Kwang to rescue the General’s family from the start. By calling upon the General, he could easily win over Lee Kwang to our side without using up the forces of the Bancheon Alliance.

Lee Kwang approached me.

“Baek Woong. The operation is complete. How do you plan to take the General’s family?”

Both Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong turned their attention to me at once. They had evidently not concerned themselves with the task of wiping out the Golden Eagle Guards but were pondering how to safely escort the family away. This assumption was natural, given I had brushed off their inquiry earlier.

I gathered the people in silence and explained,

“I’m going to move you now. Please cooperate without fear.”

Then I slid my arm into the wooden armor and pulled it back out.

“Oooo?!”

“As you can see, it’s safe and harmless inside. If you wait a moment, you can be taken to safety.”

“Understood.”

Swish

Once I had gathered the last of the family members into the wooden armor, Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong watched in disbelief. Jin So-cheong trembled in excitement and shouted,

“This is amazing!!”

“What in the world is that?”

I shrugged.

“A very good item.”

“…….”

“Will you go in too, Lee Kwang?”

“I must decline. A martial artist shouldn’t recklessly leave their life in the hands of others.”

“Yes, understood.”

I nodded respectfully and said,

“Please come to Jinrang Valley by tomorrow. I will go ahead.”

“Without moving together?”

“I’m afraid the situation is urgent.”

“Understood.”

Once I had distanced myself from Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong, I immediately used my technique to teleport back to Jinrang Valley. When I released the family members from the wooden armor, General Hwang Yeon was visibly taken aback as he recognized them. Surely he hadn’t expected to save them this quickly.

“Impressive.”

Mangnyang pressed onward,

“General Hwang, you must make a decision now.”

“… Very well.”

General Hwang Yeon took a deep breath and continued,

“Let’s mobilize the army.”

“Have you spoken with the others detained in Thunder Valley?”

“Of course. They’ve all pledged their support.”

Those trapped in Thunder Valley were primarily high-ranking officials or members of noble houses, labeled as “dangerous elements” by the Golden Eagle Guards. If they decided to help, the situation would become much easier.

Soon, the rallying edict confirmed by General Hwang flew across China. I was tasked with the role of delivering it, secretly passing the summon to the military commanders across the cities.

It took exactly three days to distribute the edict to nine cities. While teleporting was quick, secretly delivering it was quite complex. When I returned to Jinrang Valley using my teleportation, Mangnyang looked distressed and said,

“Baek Woong… she’s come looking for you.”

“Huh?”

Then I heard a shrill, venomous voice.

“Who the hell do you think you are, you brat?!”

There stood a familiar face—a stunningly beautiful woman with a puffy face glaring at me. I was startled and exclaimed,

“Miho?!”

“Don’t act all friendly with me, you jerk!!”

Miho, yelling, angrily pounded her fists against her chest. After catching her breath, she said,

“Ugh… I’ve been continuously tracking your location with my detection techniques and spirit puppets, but you keep darting all over the place! If you weren’t the person chosen by the Queen Mother, I would’ve killed you by now!”

Seeing Miho after so long made me happy, but it also struck me that I had been moving too quickly. To Miho, tracking me darting around the Central Plains would feel like chasing stars. I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and said,

“Sorry, sorry. But thanks for coming, Miho.”

“Ugh… stop pretending to be familiar. How do you know this maiden?”

It seemed Mangnyang explained to her the situation, trying to prevent her from being enchanted. I told Miho,

“I’m not sure if Mangnyang told you, but I’m a reborn person.”

“……?!”

I elaborated on everything that had happened so far. Miho sat inside the hut for a long time, listening to my story. When I finished explaining recent events, she looked incredulous.

“Are you writing a novel? You expect this maiden to believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not, that’s the only explanation.”

“…….”

Miho looked at me suspiciously. Then she said,

“Whatever. I came to protect you; that’s all.”

“Thanks!”

When I hugged Miho tightly, her face turned red, and she squirmed.

“Ugh, gross! Let go, you fool!”

I had sensed it before, but Miho seemed weak to hugs. The overwhelming Great Demon in the universe had such a weakness—only I seemingly knew this. After that, Miho grumbled for a while but promised to lend me her power.

Miho remarked,

“Anyway, it’s exciting to have something fun happen as soon as I arrive in the Central Plains! Just the kind of situation I enjoy!”

“Fun? With how dangerous things are, how can you call this fun?”

When I criticized, Miho laughed.

“Ahaha! You don’t realize what it means that that human, Hwang Yeon, is moving the army and gathering the military commanders, do you? Apparently, Mangnyang didn’t take the time to explain the significance to you, huh?”

“What does that mean?”

At Miho’s next words, my eyes widened.

“It means a rebellion is imminent. Soon, a massive army led by Hwang Yeon will advance towards Luoyang and engage in battle with the imperial guards protecting the capital. The victor of that battle will become the ruler of the world.”

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