전생검신 83권 15화

Hearing the words of the Wheel King brought one thought to mind.

‘The Buddha… actually existed.’

Not so much as a living deity, but more like a cosmic idea and principle! I just learned that such a being exists. Fascinated, I asked the Wheel King,

“Then… if you believe in the Buddha, does that mean you get power to fight evil like when you believed in the [Old Ruler]?”

With a hint of expectation in my question, the Wheel King smirked.

“That being is not a personal god. It’s simply a principle. So just because people in later generations worship the Buddha as a form of Buddhism, it won’t grant them power.”

“But even if it’s not a personal god, it has that kind of power, so why…?”

“Let me simplify it for you. If scientists, who are called scientists, worship the laws of physics as gods, do the laws of physics grant them power?”

“……”

Uh, that’s not quite right…

At a loss for words, the Wheel King continued.

“Believing in the Buddha means believing in the principles and truths themselves. It’s merely acknowledging your existence as one who conforms to the flow of events and strives to live within that greater current.”

“But the high monks (고승) do have their own forms of power and have driven away monsters.”

In response to my comment, the Wheel King answered firmly.

“The power they gained is similar to the strength Subori obtained.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that…?”

“Through long mental training, they perceive the flow of the [Great Cycle] and harness the minuscule energy that seeps from it with human intent. If they refine that energy to a deep level, like Subori, they’d be able to make a contract with the [Great Cycle] itself. It’s a power that could be described as truly colorless, neither chaos nor order.”

“Hmm…!! So, is Subori really the pinnacle of that power?”

I expected an affirmative answer. I thought there’d be no greater instance than someone who dedicated themselves to the [Great Cycle] and moved the name of the [Mask] toward the Buddha. However, surprisingly, the Wheel King shook his head.

“Absolutely not.”

“Not at all?”

“Subori was talented, but due to the essence of the [Mask], there were limitations to getting close to that principle. He likely recognizes that fact himself.”

“……”

“If there exists someone who genuinely approaches the principle of the Buddha and sublimates emptiness into a singular entirety, that being will achieve a much greater status. They might even shift the balance of the universe.”

The Wheel King continued.

“In conclusion, to believe in the Buddha is to believe in oneself, thus the other shore (彼岸) resides within one’s very own microcosm.”

That was quite profound…

As I pondered on those words, I suddenly snapped out of my thoughts and said to the Wheel King,

“Oh, so you’re saying the Wheel King has become kinder due to the influence of the Buddha.”

“Putting it simply, yes.”

“But isn’t that a bit strange? If the principle itself is the [Great Cycle], which has no notions of good and evil, then there should be no reason to encourage good deeds. So why would it make someone benevolent…?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, the Wheel King replied,

“Baek Woong, have you forgotten that the powerful evil gods ruling this universe are mostly wicked and inclined toward chaos? If the balance tilts to one side, it’s only natural that those pursuing balance would empower the opposite side.”

“Oh…!!”

“If, on the other hand, the forces of order were incredibly strong, the principle of the Buddha might have actually favored chaos. There are indeed suspicious events that suggest this.”

“Wait, what?”

“……”

It seemed like the Wheel King hesitated to speak, but then he opened his mouth.

“Except for a very brief period during the universe’s infancy when the principle interfered directly, the task of pursuing the balance the Buddha desired has been passed on to me, the Wheel King. And I felt the celestial beings descending on this planet, so I created the Underworld. I aimed to provide mortals a space to breathe among the deities and simultaneously maintain the balance between chaos and order.”

“Really…?”

“Then, Baek Woong, what do you think is the easiest way for me to maintain the balance between chaos and order?”

Huh?

Caught off guard by the sudden question, I couldn’t think of a good answer. So, after racking my brain, I voiced my thoughts.

“Um… I suppose it would be to mediate nearby so that powerful beings like the Emperor and Fuxi don’t fight recklessly?”

“No.”

“Huh? Then…?”

Swish!

With an impressive sound, the Wheel King slowly drew his sword, his eyes shining.

“The authority of isolation would wipe them all out! All the divine beings on this earth, chaos or order, would be eliminated…”

“……?!”

“By doing so, not only can balance be easily pursued, but it would also rescue mortals who are tortured by the gods. I assume the Four Divine Beasts Phoenix would probably think along similar lines.”

What an unexpected solution!

But it was so extreme and violent that I momentarily couldn’t speak, dumbfounded. After a while, I responded in a flustered manner.

“If you do that, you’ll become the public enemy and get attacked! No matter how strong the Wheel King is…”

“Exactly. That’s the problem.”

Clang!

As the Wheel King sheathed his sword, he continued.

“If I were to unleash my power entirely, I could negotiate with either the Emperor or Fuxi to form an alliance. I could pour all my strength into the authority of isolation and obliterate them together. However, if I take one down, the other will remain, thereby breaking the balance of chaos and order.”

“……!!”

As I listened to the Wheel King, I felt chills running down my spine.

‘You mean you could realistically wipe out one of the leaders of chaos and order if you wanted to…!!’

I had rarely encountered such a powerful deity in the future world. It became clear why all the divine beings in this era subconsciously feared the Wheel King. While I was still processing this, he said,

“And Baek Woong, do you know that the Emperor and Fuxi are unaware that I possess the authority of isolation?”

“……Huh?”

“It’s not just them. Apart from the King of Hell, no being in this universe knows about the authority of isolation and its existence. This is my trump card and a weapon to annihilate them in the worst case.”

“……”

Listening to this, I felt momentarily dazed. Then I panicked.

“Y-you’re telling me all this secret weapon stuff… is that really okay?”

What the Wheel King was suggesting was loaded with meaning. The fact that the authority of isolation itself was a secret implied that exposing it would significantly diminish his influence! As those who feared the Wheel King increased, making this secret known could allow enemies to devise counter-strategies, ultimately backfiring.

The Wheel King chuckled softly.

“Are you going to run out and spill the beans to Fuxi?”

“Absolutely not…”

“Why not? Don’t you consider Fuxi your ally?”

“That’s…”

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

‘What do I really think of Fuxi?’

Fuxi had never acted hostile or unfairly towards me. Yet, I was clearly hesitating to divulge the Wheel King’s secret to him. As I pondered, the Wheel King stated,

“I reveal the secret of isolation to you because of exactly that point.”

“That point?”

“Your state of contemplation.”

“……”

“A person who thinks through good and evil and is capable of constantly shifting their standards. Such a person is necessary to pursue balance. Someone too malevolent, living solely by selfish criteria, or too focused on personal goodness, intolerant of others, does not fit the concept of balance.”

I helplessly retorted to the Wheel King’s words.

“That’s really not special about me… I’m just an ordinary human. Most humans are like that.”

“I know.”

“Then why…?”

“The indistinct boundary between good and evil… the contradiction of appearing selfish yet occasionally heeding inner goodness… That very trait of humanity is why you were chosen by [Father]…”

“……”

As I fell silent, the Wheel King continued.

“However, you must understand this: the path of balance is far more arduous than any path of good and evil… I know your journey ahead will be incredibly painful, and I merely wish to assist you on that path, for you must overcome all interference from both good and evil.”

The Wheel King’s words jolted my thoughts back into focus.

“…That means… to gain the authority of isolation, I must…”

“Correct.”

The Wheel King looked at me with a stern gaze and continued speaking.

“Swear here that if you seek a method to oppose the authority of isolation, you will vow to eliminate all the chaos and order deities! This is a vow tied to your name, and you cannot break it!”

“…!!”

“Without that kind of resolve, I cannot teach you.”

“You mean to say I should eliminate both the Emperor and Fuxi?”

I asked in disbelief, the possibility seeming far-fetched, to which the Wheel King replied with an expression as if asking me what I was hinting at.

“That is precisely it.”

“……”

“Eliminating Fuxi’s mission can automatically handle the other too. Just taking one of the two will suffice.”

This, this is absurd…

‘To gain defensive techniques against that Hat Warrior’s attack, I’d have to wipe out the Emperor or Fuxi?!’

What a daunting proposition!

If I accepted, I would be obligated to attack the Emperor and Fuxi due to the vow—which, honestly, even if I used all my divine energy to the max, I could hardly take either of them on! To be honest, it might be easier to fight the Wheel King one-on-one in this case.

But no matter how I thought about it, the only one who could teach me a method to withstand the authority of isolation seemed to be the Wheel King. If I let this opportunity slip, I might never return to the past of the [Great Cycle], and I may never have the chance to learn it again.

‘From the start, the Wheel King intended to propose this to me.’

I finally realized that the Wheel King wasn’t just a benign presence offering kindness; rather, he aimed to pull me, a Reborn Person, into his service to wipe out all chaos and order while practicing the concept of balance! Ultimately, if he could eliminate all the divine beings, he would achieve his goal.

I calmly responded.

“A-as you know, I’m not strong enough yet to defeat either the Emperor or Fuxi one-on-one. You know that…”

“Who mentioned a one-on-one fight?”

“Huh?”

“Of course, I’ll assist! Together, we’ll double team either the Emperor or Fuxi!”

“……!! B-but would there ever be a situation where they are alone? The Emperor always has the other priests protecting him and rarely emerges from the Divine Temple, and Fuxi can banish anyone whenever he wants using his divine arts and unique abilities…”

“Well, I have a way for that. I have a secret plan that I haven’t told you about.”

“…”

I instinctively sensed that the Wheel King’s words were not mere bragging. The presence before me was certainly not someone who would feign such a thing.

“Now, what will you do?”

I blankly stared at the Wheel King. Suddenly, it felt as if I had just been struck hard in the back of my head.

‘The Wheel King knows… that I’d chance death just to grasp a ‘chance’!’

Knowing I would rather risk my life and grasp the opportunity than let it slip away, he had the audacity to make such a bold proposal. Given my experiences of living as a Reborn Person, he had easily discerned my disposition. And indeed, I found it hard to reject the Wheel King’s proposal.

The only way to acquire the technique that only the Wheel King could teach!

A once-in-a-lifetime chance!

How could I refuse?

I paused for a moment, grappling with words, finally coming to my senses and replied.

“You once said to listen to others before making a decision, so why have you changed your tune? Forcing me like this is different from what you said before.”

“That was originally my intention. I was confident you would accept when I proposed it later. But seeing you thoughtlessly endangering yourself left me worried that you might get caught and die before I could even make this proposal, which would be worse.”

“……”

“If you were sealed by the Emperor, I would be able to do nothing.”

The Wheel King crossed his arms and stated.

“My unease comes from your reckless behavior. This pressure is a consequence of your actions.”

W-wait, was I in the wrong… Should I have not fought U-mang?

I regretted it once again, but quickly shook my head. I felt the situation was too urgent to continually lament what happened back then. Desperately racking my brain, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“That’s not fair!”

The Wheel King flinched at my words. He then asked,

“Not fair, you say?”

“Regardless, making decisions without first hearing what the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is thinking takes away my opportunity to choose balance! That’s unfair, is it not? Doesn’t it contradict your sense of justice, Wheel King?”

“……”

“Please allow me to wait until I attend the Emperor’s banquet and hear his thoughts.”

The Wheel King went silent for a moment and then replied.

“You see him as an absolute enemy and consider that one day you must defeat him? Do you truly sympathize with the goals of the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen who destroyed the Great Bear Empire?”

Here it came!

Realizing my chance to turn the tides, I confidently responded.

“Yes!! That’s exactly balance, isn’t it?”

“……!!”

“All 28 of my companions entrusted me with their will. And if I truly follow the great cause, I am willing to listen to the words of the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen, no matter how much of a scumbag he is!”

“Are you saying this just to get out of this situation with lies?”

I felt a twinge of guilt but instead stood my ground.

“If you demand that, does that make you truly capable of calling it balance, Wheel King?”

“……”

An extended silence hung in the air.

Finally, the Wheel King eased his crossed arms and said.

“I’ve seen it in memory, but experiencing it directly is quite impressive. The three inches of a Reborn Person’s tongue is more cunning than any wise man’s arguments.”

Hey, why do I have to hear this?

As I internally protested, the Wheel King spoke again.

“Fine. As you wish, go and listen to what the Emperor has to say. However, after you do, you must swear to respond to the choice I present!”

I didn’t want to swear, but considering the permeating atmosphere, it was evident that without a vow, the Wheel King could easily subdue me by force. I had no choice but to nod in resignation.

“…I swear. But I also want to hear what Fuxi has to say.”

“Go ahead. Listen as much as you want.”

The Wheel King muttered with a hint of exasperation.

“It seems you’re destined to walk this path while being a troublemaker…”

*

Crack!!

The next moment, I suddenly realized that the place I found myself in had changed.

‘Where is this?’

It looked like a beautiful landscape straight out of another world.

Feeling strangely familiar and tilting my head in confusion, it struck me suddenly.

“The Queen Mother of the West’s palace…”

Just as I muttered this, a booming divine voice echoed in the air.

[You are a fearless one.]

I turned my head toward the source of the voice. There stood five beings before a massive palace.

Ku-wu-wu

And I realized that the divine energy emanating from each of them was on par with mine.

“……!!”

This was no doubt true.

They might appear as avatars, but those authors…!!

Soon, the avatar of Jeon Wook, whom I had seen recently, chuckled with interest and spoke.

[Didn’t expect to see you here before the banquet even begins.]

“……”

Before me were indeed the avatars of the Five Emperors.