1303——————==

Soul of the Evil God

The supreme card?

I was so bewildered by those words that I turned to Mangnyang, who casually snapped his fan shut and said,

“…This is not the best place to spill our inner thoughts. How about we first discuss our future plans and then call it a day?”

[Agreed.]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect said this while shooting a glance at the two Dharma Protectors.

[Dharma Protectors, return to the sect immediately.]

[Your Honor!]

“……”

[Han Baek-ryeong, you look a bit displeased.]

As said, the Dharma Protector Dokgo Jun immediately knelt down to follow orders, but Han Baek-ryeong, sword in hand, didn’t budge and stared at the Master of the White Lotus Sect. After a moment, she spoke.

“Master, at the very least, I should hear where the White Lotus Sect is heading.”

[Hey!]

Dokgo Jun exuded killing intent and stood up, but Han Baek-ryeong continued undeterred.

“It’s only natural not to understand a situation you know nothing about. However, I doubt that the Master has fallen under the tricks or curses of that village chief.”

[That’s a plausible suspicion, but I won’t dignify such trivial doubts with a response.]

The Master of the White Lotus Sect spoke slowly.

[From today, the White Lotus Sect and Soeul Village will be a shared fate and blood alliance. For now, that’s what we’ll make certain of. Any further questions will be dealt with at the sect.]

“……”

[You may leave now.]

“Your Honor.”

Pa-at!

Dokgo Jun and Han Baek-ryeong simultaneously shifted forms and vanished from the hall. Mangnyang, shrugging his shoulders, commented,

“Things are getting complicated. Even if they don’t realize it now, they’ll soon understand what your words mean, seeing as I’ve fully informed them of the reborn person.”

[That doesn’t matter. After all, they were originally Baek Woong’s past companions.]

“Really? A past connection…”

Mangnyang muttered for a moment before glancing at me and said,

“Baek Woong, since it’s come to this, just hand over the obsidian to your companions.”

“……!!”

“Let’s just stick with what we were doing.”

Taken aback by the sudden proposal, I stammered.

“N-no, that’s…”

“Well, your simple life is out the window now that you’ve brought in Asura, the Celestial Sage, Yeodong-bin, and the Master of the White Lotus Sect. So, it’s time to accept reality and swing your power around comfortably; it’s a hundred times easier that way. You might just end up with a bigger headache if you try to hold back.”

“……”

“And if you don’t give it, greater troubles will follow. I can guarantee that.”

“Troubles?”

“There’s no time to waste.”

Mangnyang spoke with a somewhat cold expression.

“I’ve been nice up until now, but the truth is your situation isn’t great. Actually, to be honest, not a single issue has been resolved.”

“Gak.”

Mangnyang raised a finger and began counting slowly.

“First, you’ve gathered no information or made any preparations for the great flood that’s going to sweep the world. Second, you haven’t even had a chance to look for the real Master of the White Lotus Sect, Ho-wol. Third, you’re barely maintaining a shaky peace while employing stopgap measures, but you have no plans for true peace. So are you just going to keep punching when any villain shows up as if that’s your only strategy? Even if you wipe out all the Eight Divine Protectors, that alone won’t bring peace to this world.”

“……”

“The important thing is not just to smack the bad guys around. It’s about maintaining order with such absolute power that any mob wouldn’t even dare show their head! That’s the direction we need to take.”

I cautiously said in response,

“Y-you mean I should become the Emperor of the Great Bear Empire again like in my 28th life? But if I do that, all sorts of nuisances will just create chaos…”

“You don’t need to do that. You’ve already caught a mouse while retreating.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that this Soeul Village itself is a great vessel.”

Mangnyang chuckled lightly and continued.

“From now on, let’s be clear. Your desire to maintain peace isn’t just out of chivalry, but also a pursuit of efficiency.”

“Can’t I pursue both?”

“From a larger perspective, you’ve been pursuing both all along. Which is the cultivation of martial artists.”

Swish!

Mangnyang aimed his fan at the air and said,

“From what I’ve seen of your actions, while you searched for all sorts of mythical clues, you also needed to work on self-cultivation and give your companions time to grow. However, since you often faced premature deaths and most importantly, you haven’t survived for more than a decade, even with all the geniuses and heroes you brought in as companions, they had little chance to truly excel. You barely succeeded once during the Great Bear Empire, but that was because you weren’t there to utilize the companions who’d grown stronger.”

“Uh, that’s true….”

“This life, change your perspective. Your pursuit of peace in this world is to buy time for your companions to grow! By eliminating all sorts of random disasters and mobs, you’ll create a massive umbrella under which your companions can grow steadily in peace.”

“……!!”

“That’s efficiency. A strategy you couldn’t employ when you were weak but can now that you’ve greatly strengthened yourself. Instead of becoming a wall, you’re now a protective barrier while they grow.”

“Ah, I see…!!”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect, listening nearby, nodded.

[I think the same. Rather than rashly dismantling Soeul Village, we should operate it like this while increasing its scale.]

“Wait a second. If we increase the scale, it’ll just become a city, and if it gets bigger still, we’d be suspected of rebellion…”

[Baek Woong, what nonsense are you talking about?]

“Huh?”

[You don’t intend to just let Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu keep digging their own graves, do you? Once you toss the Eight Divine Protectors to the outer world, you can pull him into your ranks as a companion.]

“Ah….”

I hadn’t thought of that!

As I gasped, Mangnyang said,

“Now that we’ve decided on a direction, shall we slowly discuss what the strongest card is?”

[Hold on.]

“Huh?”

[Someone’s eavesdropping.]

Kiing!!

At that moment, the Master of the White Lotus Sect summoned the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance and unleashed a surge of Qi toward somewhere. The force was like a lion, traveling at blinding speed, so much so that even the topmost martial experts of Jianghu couldn’t withstand one strike without defense being pierced through.

Tu-woong!

And then, the Master’s force was deflected by someone’s spear strike. More precisely, it was Lan who used an inner rotation to negate some of the power and then skillfully redirected it outward. The individual who expertly redirected the Master’s surprise attack hesitated for a moment as if they were still trembling in their arms and then took a step back. It was an attempt to drain the remaining Qi.

From over thirty feet away, I was shocked to see the sudden appearance of that person and cried out,

“Jin So-cheong!!”

Indeed.

The one who suddenly revealed himself was Jin So-cheong!

Stabilizing his spear, Jin So-cheong compressed the distance between us in an instant. It seemed the Master of the White Lotus Sect was unwilling to just let him charge, and in a flash, he clashed with Jin So-cheong.

Heart of Heaven’s Abundance

Swish!

The realm created by the Master instantly enveloped Jin So-cheong, and just as time seemed to freeze, the Master’s Water Dragon Palm aimed straight at Jin So-cheong. It was an incredibly quick and precise strike that felt insurmountable for anyone at the peak level.

However—

Gugungpachuloi!

Heart-Controlling Spear.

Six Extremities Thunder.

Crackle!

Lightning burst from every inch of Jin So-cheong as his spear split into six. Each split spear exuded a thunderous charge, and soon, shaking with resonating thunder, Jin So-cheong rooted one leg like a mountain and began to spin.

Fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh!

As he spun, the six paths of the spear converged like an illusion in midair, narrowly brushing past the Master’s Water Dragon Palm as they attempted to stab the swelling of his throat. That close margin seemed intended, a meticulous counter designed to boost his power. I was so taken with the precision of that moment that I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

“Ah!”

Is there really such a perfect basic technique?!

Each of the six split spear techniques contained intent!

Whoosh!

Naturally, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, despite that, was much faster than Jin So-cheong, so he easily parried the counter with a burst of Qi, unleashing a series of layered palm strikes eighteen times in a row, blocking Jin So-cheong’s retreat. Watching Jin So-cheong struggle to keep up with the Master’s counter, I realized that while he might not have techniques, he was still lagging in terms of strength and speed.

Tydaht!

As Jin So-cheong stepped back and the exchange of techniques concluded, the Master’s eyes glowed with resolve.

[Jin So-cheong… are you challenging me?]

“I don’t have the confidence to take even one of your arms yet. I apologize for charging in so suddenly.”

Jin So-cheong responded calmly as he turned his gaze toward me.

“Grand Master, forgive me for eavesdropping.”

“Jin So-cheong….”

I looked at him with a complex gaze.

‘So Jin So-cheong heard everything.’

I asked him,

“Why did you eavesdrop?”

Thud!

Jin So-cheong knelt right then and there.

“I’m sorry! If a chance arises to eliminate the Master of the White Lotus Sect, the enemy of my sect, I followed secretly to help the Grand Master.”

“How did you hide your presence?”

“I applied the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique you taught me.”

“What?”

How does one hide with the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique?

“In this way….”

Crackle crackle crackle….

“……!!”

It was astonishing. Jin So-cheong, kneeling there, suddenly flickered with lightning, and while half of his body remained in reality, the other half transformed into blue lightning and started to disperse like powdered thunder. Once it completely vanished, the spot left behind was as clear as air—there was nothing there, not even a hint of Qi.

Flash!

Next moment, a spark flashed again and Jin So-cheong’s body reappeared in that same spot. Realizing how incredible that stealth technique was, I gasped in disbelief.

“W-what is that….”

“If one interferes with a barely felt boundary using thunder, one can momentarily slip out of this world’s space. I apologize for showing such tricks.”

Hearing that made someone spring to mind.

‘Miyamoto Musashi!!’

Didn’t he also use a method of slicing space to conceal himself like Jin So-cheong? A hunch told me that the principle behind Jin So-cheong’s method shared similarities with Musashi’s, except Musashi sliced through space while Jin So-cheong utilized thunder.

‘I was too caught up in conversation to realize earlier. The Master of the White Lotus Sect was sharper than I thought, thus he caught on to Jin So-cheong’s presence.’

The potential for such an application with the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique is amazing!

What had Jin So-cheong figured out alone in such a short time?

While I began to grasp the situation, a complicated feeling lingered in my mind. I knew Jin So-cheong was a once-in-a-lifetime genius, so I felt no jealousy over this, but what really concerned me was that he had heard all our dialogue.

I looked at Jin So-cheong with a complicated expression and spoke.

“Why did you suddenly attack the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”

“With a great enemy at hand, I thought the ancestors of the Thunder God lineage who fell to the Master would mourn if I didn’t even throw a spear. If I lacked power, that would be one thing, but at least I could match him for dozens of exchanges.”

“…….”

“Even if that person has become an ally of the Grand Master.”

It seemed he indeed heard everything.

I sighed and said,

“Phew. Jin So-cheong… everything you heard is true. It’s no lie that I’m the Grand Master; I am actually a human reliving my 30th life.”

“……”

“I’m sorry for deceiving you.”

Jin So-cheong lifted his head with an expressionless face. His eyes displayed a remarkable calmness without even a hint of agitation. Moments later, he spoke.

“Why do you feel sorry? Thanks to the Grand Master, I have learned techniques like the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique despite a life devoid of any paths for revenge, so I owe you a great debt.”

“I’ve already said that I’m not a disciple of Lee Gang-ryong. Yet you still call me Grand Master?”

“My admiration for you goes beyond lineage; I see you as a martial artist worthy of that respect. You’re someone I’ve always wanted to surpass.”

“Hmm…”

“But.”

Jin So-cheong stood up slowly and continued.

“I want to hear from the Grand Master himself. What’s this great righteousness you must pursue that involves having a close relationship with the enemy of your sect?”

From his perspective, that was a fair question. The Master of the White Lotus Sect had killed Lee Cheong-un, the ancestral leader of the Thunder God lineage, and had either exiled or eliminated the rest. The worst enemy imaginable was the Master, yet here I was, supposedly the greatest expert of the Thunder God lineage, standing as a companion to that very foe—this was totally irrational.

“That’s if you take this obsidian…”

I was about to offer him the obsidian, but at that moment, Mangnyang firmly stated,

“Don’t do it!”

“……?!”

“Now isn’t the time to give him memories. Just persuade him with words.”

“W-what do you mean…?”

“It’s perfectly reasonable to say.”

Mangnyang’s unexpected insistence felt a bit outrageous, but I knew it was right to follow his intention. So, I said to Jin So-cheong,

“…If you receive memories through the obsidian’s technique, you could know everything right away, but I’ve clashed and competed with the Master of the White Lotus Sect several times over many past lives. Through it all, I discovered that the true enemy isn’t the Master of the White Lotus Sect, but the primordial ultimate evil, the so-called [Old Ruler], who plays with this world. They can obliterate the continent, no the entire world, with a single incantation; cosmic overlords.”

“……”

“I keep reliving my lives to someday eradicate these deities and usher in rest for this world.”

Jin So-cheong listened in a daze before saying,

“Mhm… that sounds terribly unrealistic, Grand Master. You talked about the True Martial Home earlier; were you truly being sincere about that?”

“Indeed, I am sincere.”

“How can that be….”

“I also think it’s a bit ridiculous sometimes.”

I looked up at the sky with a bitter smile.

“I feel like whenever I tell my experiences, everyone thinks I’m just boasting… especially this time around.”

“Uh…”

“As I said, if you receive the obsidian, you’ll be able to understand everything. But since Mangnyang opposes it, let’s settle for your understanding as it is for now.”

“Someone who could accept such airy-fairy talk would truly have to be mad.”

“…….”

That could be true.

“Yet I don’t think your words are false, so this Jin So-cheong will continue to follow Grand Master Baek Woong in the future!”

Seeing Jin So-cheong kneel once more with respect, I couldn’t help but think that of course, he was still Jin So-cheong.

‘Jin So-cheong has the intuition to grasp what the truth is.’

Thus, though his chosen path may seem reckless, it usually leads to the right outcome. I considered that to be his talent, which made my mouth twist in envy as I felt both a bitter and impressive feeling.

When the situation began to settle somewhat, Mangnyang sighed.

“Phew. This is exhausting. So can I continue our discussion now?”

“No wait…. Why did you tell Jin So-cheong not to give him the obsidian?”

“It blocks potential for growth. Now that it’s come to this, there’s no need to give it to him until he reaches a higher level. I’m saying this because I’ve seen the obsidian’s drawback through the memories.”

“Uh?”

“It’s not an important topic right now…. First, let’s discuss what the strongest card is.”

Mangnyang, hesitant to mention it, snapped open his fan and shouted.

“That would be the Celestial Realm! If we play our cards right, we can manipulate the Celestial Realm as we wish this lifetime.”

“The Celestial Realm? Why are we suddenly talking about the Celestial Realm…?”

“It’s not sudden. Don’t you realize yet?”

“Huh?”

“The egg of the Golden Crow Island that you retrieved. If you offer it to Fuxi, there won’t be a need for any troublesome matters this lifetime.”

Mangnyang spoke decisively.

“Because soon, the resurrected Fuxi, overcoming the side effects of the mask, will grant you the Celestial Realm!”

“Ah!”

That makes sense!

Once Fuxi regains his strength, amid the current situation where Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is sealed, he’ll undoubtedly be an overwhelming ally! And if I present him with the egg from Golden Crow Island, a source of immense power, maybe he could even recover his strength!

Hearing Mangnyang’s words, the Master of the White Lotus Sect stated,

[That’s a plausible plan, but the current Fuxi is a Divine Dragon; the moment we summon him, he’d be killed. Even if we try to offer it directly, Fuxi’s sister, Nüwa, is watching us closely with eyes ablaze, so there’s no way to properly hand it over. Queen Mother of the West is also suspicious, and she’s unlikely to trust us at all. How do you intend to solve this?]

“Ha.”

Mangnyang grinned.

“Baek Woong has limitless strategies, so you won’t need to convince them.”

Saying that, he looked at me and added,

“Now, don’t get lost in confusion anymore. Whatever strategy or power you lack, help will come from your surroundings, so focus all your efforts on martial arts.”

“Is that really okay?”

“Of course.”

Mangnyang looked up at the sky and continued.

“I can feel it…. This lifetime is likely going to be my greatest peak!”