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“The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors!”

I, together with Miho, utilized the Golden Lamp technique to head back to the Unfinished House.

Pa-at!

As soon as Miho arrived at the Unfinished House, she started looking around curiously. I decided to ask her just in case.

“Does your head hurt or anything?”

“Are you talking about that illusion I just saw?”

“Yeah…”

Miho chuckled softly. “I was a little surprised, but it was just that. It felt like someone suddenly poked me in the back with a finger. This Maiden isn’t easily shocked.”

“Hmm…”

I could definitely tell that there was a difference in reactions between humans and monsters when facing [Otherworldly Race] and [Dark Heaven Village]. Even though Mangnyang had remarkable mental strength, he experienced significant dizziness and chaos in his mental state while moving with the Golden Lamp. But for Miho, it was simply a novel sight.

‘Looks like monsters have some solid resistance to magic.’

While I pondered over this, Miho spoke up.

“Baek Woong. What’s your goal right now?”

“Huh?”

I responded to Miho’s unexpected question.

“Well, it’s to defeat the Demon Subduing Hall.”

“Hmm… then there’s something odd about that.”

“What’s that?”

“Your first rebirth.”

Miho was currently disguised as an absolutely stunning beauty. Perhaps because of that, some servants cleaning the fallen leaves at a distance couldn’t help but steal glances at her. Miho picked up a leaf, twirled it around, and continued her speech.

“Didn’t you live pretty normally without any major disasters until you reached your fifties or sixties? The Nine Lotus Sect may have become a problem, but that had nothing to do with you, who was just an ordinary escort.”

“Well, that’s…”

“Have you ever thought that if you left the Demon Subduing Hall alone, nothing unusual would happen in the world?”

“……”

Miho’s words hit the nail on the head. And I often reflected on similar feelings whenever difficulties arose during my reincarnations.

That’s right.

What would happen if I “did nothing”?

Knowing that my life as an ordinary escort proceeded without much incident already, Miho was suggesting that I was recklessly poking a hornet’s nest, resulting in meaningless deaths time and again. I pondered for a moment before replying.

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Why not?”

“The [Human Sacrifice] I stumbled upon in Taekyung Village was undoubtedly a real event, and the fact that General Hwang Yeon was trapped in the Great Thunder Valley is also a confirmed fact. If I hadn’t helped them, they definitely would have faced doom. And the forces of the Demon Subduing Hall would have gained power as they wished.”

“So you think that if you left it alone, the Demon Subduing Hall would rule the world in the shadows?”

“I believe that’s likely.”

“Well, that’s an uncertain matter.” Miho giggled and said.

“In the end, since you’re in the position of an [Observer], that can never be truly objective. Isn’t it possible that even the smallest of your actions could impact the future?”

“Maybe, but isn’t it a bit pointless to think about that too?”

“Why?”

“If I could think that far, I’d be a god.”

I shook my head.

“Anyway, I have people I can save, and if I have that ability, there’s no need to turn a blind eye. If I keep doing what I can, a path will surely open.”

Miho’s expression changed, intrigued.

“Interesting. You don’t seem like a just person, but your conviction to defeat the Demon Subduing Hall remains unwavering?”

“……”

“That seems like a different emotion from a sense of justice.”

I fell silent at Miho’s words. Indeed, as she said, my actions to stop the Demon Subduing Hall weren’t under the pretense of upholding Jianghu justice. There were more personal reasons, but it was too embarrassing to disclose them now, as I found it hard to fully trust the current Miho.

“Anyway, let’s focus on our task. That guy over there.”

I pointed with my finger, indicating a person ambling about fifty paces away, the temple guardian of the Unfinished House.

“Hmm…”

Miho grinned and slowly walked toward the guardian. The guardian’s expression turned dazed upon seeing Miho, the stunning beauty, and seemed captivated by her ample bosom. After exchanging some light-hearted banter, the guardian appeared completely entranced and laughed foolishly while trying to please Miho.

After about a meal’s time of conversation, the guardian of the Unfinished House headed off with Miho toward some building. Miho sent a mental message to me from a distance.

[I’ve charmed him. Just don’t get caught when you come to the third floor of the Wuhou Pavilion.]

I decided to follow Miho’s words and made my way to the Wuhou Pavilion. It was a large building I had visited the last time I was at the Unfinished House. Upon entering the Wuhou Pavilion, there were no guards, and some disciples roamed, allowing me to employ the Invisibility Technique as instructed by Miho and ascend to the third floor.

[This way.]

Opening the innermost door as instructed by Miho, I found the guardian of the Unfinished House sitting there with a blank expression on his face. And in front of him, Miho was munching on an apple.

“Feel free to ask anything.” I was intrigued and asked Miho.

“I’ve been curious; at what point were you charmed? From the outside, it looked like you were just chatting.”

“Hehe, that’s a secret.” Miho only offered a mysterious smile. It seemed she intended to keep her secrets hidden, aware that I was a reincarnator. Feeling the need to satisfy my curiosity, I redirected my questions to the guardian.

“Do you know what kind of gamble Dongbang Mu-gyeol and Tao King engaged in?”

“I know…”

“Share the details.”

“Dongbang Mu-gyeol… played Mahjong with Tao King…”

Mahjong!

It was a type of game known as Kanho or Tupae. Unlike Go, you stack tiles to accumulate points through forming sets or pairs. Though it relies heavily on luck, it also requires strategic thinking, so professional players existed.

Of course, this was ultimately gambling. While it could be played without betting money, it’s common for people to wager money or possessions. Given that the famed “Gamble King” was involved, I doubt they played without a stake.

I became curious and asked, “Why did they choose to play Mahjong in the Unfinished House rather than at a gambling den?”

“I don’t know…”

“Don’t you have any guesses?”

As I pressed with more questions, the guardian paused for a moment before responding.

“… There were two phantoms accompanying them… They played Mahjong as a group of four, and reports suggest there may have been some secret agreement among them…”

“Heard? You didn’t see their game?”

“No… Dongbang Mu-gyeol spread Sleep Inducing Powder all over the Unfinished House… A few of the experts from the Six Harmonies Gate who barely woke from the sleep powder managed to see their game… But they weren’t able to stop it due to their weakened states…”

“Hmm!!”

I sensed something odd.

‘The Unfinished House is quite large. Did they really have a Sleep Inducing Powder strong enough to paralyze everyone at once?’

The guardian seemed genuinely unaware of the details surrounding the Mahjong game.

After deep thought, I asked, “So what was the outcome?”

“The Tao King swept the board and came in first… Dongbang Mu-gyeol and the two phantoms were all cleaned out… They left after clearing the Mahjong table…”

“Where did they go?”

“I don’t know…”

“What about the phantoms’ attire or gender?”

“Don’t know… They wore black clothes and monkey masks…”

Monkey mask. I made sure to remember that term carefully and asked again.

“Is the Gamble King impressive in martial arts?”

“Yeah… He’s among the top five experts in Sichuan…”

“What does he look like?”

The guardian sketched the Gamble King’s face and features with writing brush, ink, and paper. His drawing skills might not have been top-notch, but he captured the distinguishing features well.

I imagined the picture drawn, and the result was confirmed by Miho, who was peering at the sketch beside me.

“A handsome guy, huh?”

“……”

What’s going on? Why is it that every major character I meet since entering Jianghu has been handsome or extraordinarily good-looking? Knowing I’d eventually become an ugly duckling didn’t help my feelings on the matter. Getting slightly miffed, I quickly brushed it off and pressed for more juicy details.

After extracting all the information, Miho erased the guardian’s memory. Then we used the Golden Lamp technique to exit the Unfinished House and ended up in a deserted valley in the mountains. I needed to discuss things with Miho to gather my thoughts.

I said, “I think we should head to the Four Talents Sect.”

“Of course, the Sleep Inducing Powder is likely related to those guys.”

A powder powerful enough to incapacitate the entire Unfinished House isn’t common. Considering the experts from the Six Harmonies Gate who protect the Unfinished House aren’t to be trifled with, it’s not hard to believe that Dongbang Mu-gyeol orchestrated something. It’s very likely they’d have acquired the Sleep Inducing Powder ahead of time from the Four Talents Sect.

I pondered, “The guardian definitely had some weaknesses, but the Four Talents Sect is a renowned martial arts sect in Sichuan. If I approach like before, it might be dangerous.”

“Hehe… Looks like you’re stirring up my competitive spirit.” Miho teased.

“If it gets tough, just let me know. Kidnapping is an option too.” I joked.

Miho laughed heartily, “Aha, are you looking down on me? If I set my mind to it, I can charm anyone. The problem lies elsewhere.”

“What problem?”

“It’s very likely that Dongbang Mu-gyeol is using a Human Skin mask.”

“Hmm…”

I sighed. It was true that many people, including the guardian, had reportedly seen Dongbang Mu-gyeol, but most didn’t seem to believe what appeared to be his true appearance. He must have either learned some special illusion technique or been sporting a Human Skin mask. If that were the case, there was a chance I wouldn’t recognize Dongbang Mu-gyeol even if he walked right past me.

As Miho toyed with her tail, she said, “In any case, we need to get to the Four Talents Sect, but I think I should approach from another direction.”

“How’s that?”

“Who would likely have the best intel on Dongbang Mu-gyeol’s activities?”

“Ah…!!” I finally understood what Miho meant. She covered her mouth to hold back her laughter.

“The Gamble King seems to have a deep connection with Dongbang Mu-gyeol. Rather than aimlessly chasing after Dongbang Mu-gyeol, we should extract all the information through the Four Talents Sect and the Gamble King.”

“That makes sense!”

“I’ll leave the negotiations to you, Baek Woong.”

“Leave it to me.”

Immediately, Miho and I headed back toward the provincial capital. Following the directions I had learned through the opening, we headed toward the Four Talents Sect. The Four Talents Sect was located to the west of the provincial capital and seemed to be nestled between the canyons outside the city, living in seclusion.

When I arrived in front of the Four Talents Sect, the sect’s experts guarding its perimeter blocked my path. They were all wearing special gloves, likely to protect themselves against their dangerous poisons or evil qi.

As I stood still without responding, I felt a chill as I faced these experts guarding the sect. Though I sensed no magical traps or spells at work, there was an immense sense of danger looming. It was evident that these martial artists trained rigorously.

With an intense gaze, one of the guards asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Baek Woong. I has come to visit the highly esteemed Four Talents Sect in Sichuan.”

“You know some manners. Cut the tricks and tell me what your purpose is.”

The blunt response made me smirk.

“You’re not mere gatekeepers; you’re elite experts from the sect?”

Bound to be too skilled to just be gatekeepers, their skill levels were too high. They were all elite-level experts, and they seemed to be in their forties at least.

“I have no reason to answer that.”

“Likewise, I imagine you have no authority to negotiate with me.”

Suddenly, the three sect members drew their swords simultaneously. They may have viewed their poisons as lifelines, which meant there could be martial arts techniques tied to those blades, or the act of brandishing them might simply be their trap. Either way, poisons and evil qi were fearsome factors, so I calmly responded.

“Calm down. I didn’t come to fight. I merely seek to purchase information from the sect.”

“Do you really think the Four Talents Sect would sell information so casually to outsiders? Do you think this is a marketplace?”

“As I mentioned, the decision to sell lies with you. So make sure you convey my words inside.”

After staring at me for a moment, he spoke.

“If we refuse?”

“Then I’ll have no choice but to employ all my strength against you according to your wishes.”

“……”

While it felt like an unofficial threat, they seemed to ponder it over. Finally, they said, “Go inside and report it to the higher-ups.”

“Yes.”

One of the sect members, referred to as “Bang,” quickly dashed inside.

 

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