전생검신 85권 1화

Wait, are we talking about the possibility of killing the Master of the White Lotus Sect?!

I was completely thrown off by Zhuge Sa’s words and exclaimed, “What the heck! Why would comrades kill each other?”

“It’s not that rare in troubled times.”

“Damn… quit dodging the issue and just say it. What are you thinking right now!”

As I growled, Zhuge Sa chuckled and replied, “Does it really seem like good intentions to spy on my actions with the eyes of my subordinates using dark arts? If the Master of the White Lotus called me, it’s definitely a trap. And if it’s a trap, there’s bound to be a mechanism to seal or kill me.”

“……!!”

“I’m stepping right into the tiger’s den. Are you gonna scold me for killing the Master of the White Lotus to save my own life?”

For a moment, I was speechless by Zhuge Sa’s words. To be honest, the moment I saw the Master of the White Lotus appear before Zhuge Sa, I had a hunch it was a trap. I awkwardly said, “But… nothing has been resolved about the calamity spreading across the world yet. In a situation like this, if comrades start killing each other, we’re all doomed anyway.”

“Ha ha ha. What’s the point in saying that to the comrade of a Reborn Person? You’ve been through countless situations where if you die, the world crumbles, so why would you fear that now? I might as well take the kill first.”

“…….”

“Well, the Master of the White Lotus might not betray me. But he’s the kind of guy, Dokgo Uncheon, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill or seal me, whether he thinks of it as betrayal or not. He’s the type who will do anything as long as there’s a justification of righteousness… you understand that much, right?”

“……I get it.”

My mind began to swirl.

What should I do if the Master of the White Lotus and Zhuge Sa really engage in a deadly fight? No, it’s not a matter of what to do; is there even anything I can do in this messed-up situation?

Zhuge Sa said, “Normally, if I picked up on the hostile intentions of the Master of the White Lotus, I would have canceled going to Luoyang. My entering Luoyang is entirely for your sake.”

“For me? What do you mean?”

“You’re in a state where you could fall asleep again at any moment. You need to gather as much info and generate some results as quickly as possible. Only then can you gain the law of cause and effect in this world and fully descend.”

“……!!”

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll guarantee that you’ll have a foundation to act from.”

After pondering Zhuge Sa’s words for a while, I said, “……Zhuge Sa. So, is it a lie that the Master of the White Lotus found a way to prevent the descent of the golden deity Kotoamatsukami?”

“I wouldn’t know. We’ll find out when we get there. But there’s no way someone like the Master of the White Lotus would set a trap just with nonsense.”

“Hmph.”

“Let’s hope for luck.”

For the first time, Zhuge Sa had a worried expression.

“I hope Cheon Woo-jin is in Luoyang right now.”

“……?”

Why Cheon Woo-jin?

Just as I was about to ask, a loud voice boomed.

“It’s the arrival of the Gaebong Lord! Open the city gates!!”

I heard the massive doors of the outer city of Luoyang creak open. It seemed like the heavy iron men driving the carriage were talking about passage and had just passed through. Gradually, the railway began to extend across the city of Luoyang, and I was shocked by the scenery visible through the carriage window.

‘The architectural style of the Central Plains still remains, but here… there are so many steam pipes everywhere.’

Like in Gaebong, the city’s entire supply seemed to depend on steam engines. Looking at the steam pipes sprawling out like the city’s blood vessels, I felt a deeply unfamiliar sensation.

On the roadside, there were still many people dressed in Ming Dynasty clothes, but quite a few wore exotic outfits from the western regions or desert areas too. Plus, there were many steel men mixed in, making me question if this was truly the Central Plains I knew.

Clatter… clatter…

Screech!

The loud noises of steam started to rise. Hearing that, Zhuge Sa muttered, “We’re about to stop.”

With a final jolt, the carriage came to a halt, and Zhuge Sa slowly stepped out. Waiting for him outside was a well-dressed man from the noble Kyungap faction, flanked by numerous soldiers. The man, appearing to be in his early to mid-thirties, respectfully bowed to Zhuge Sa.

“I greet the Gaebong Lord.”

Zhuge Sa, glancing at the man carrying a massive bow on his back, grinned widely.

“Bow King Yeon Jong-hwi, it’s been a while.”

Yeon Jong-hwi!

Upon hearing that, I scrutinized his face again and quickly realized that it resembled a slightly older version of the young Yeon Jong-hwi from back in the day. He had aged a little over the past twenty years, but not by much.

Yeon Jong-hwi, with an embarrassed expression, said, “Bow King? You’re still making jokes… right now, I’m just the chief of the Chugma Army in Luoyang.”

“That’s not a joke. If the Jianghu Martial World were still intact, you’d surely deserve the title of Bow King.”

“Now that’s all meaningless. The world has changed far too much…”

Yeon Jong-hwi paused for a moment, reflecting on the past, then continued speaking.

“The Master of Luoyang has requested for the Gaebong Lord to come. Please follow me.”

“I’ll follow. But why are your subordinates trying to inspect our vehicle?”

Zhuge Sa shot a glare at Yeon Jong-hwi’s approaching subordinates, causing all of them to flinch and freeze up, overwhelmed by the killing intent radiating from Zhuge Sa. Yeon Jong-hwi looked embarrassed.

“Actually, we’ve lost contact with the 12th Chugma Army. We have a device to detect survival due to the threat of demon beasts, but all life signs have suddenly ceased.”

“Hmph.”

“That’s not just ‘hmph’.”

Zing!

Unbeknownst to me, Yeon Jong-hwi had drawn his bow. It was unstrung and had no arrows. He glared at Zhuge Sa, emanating a chilling aura.

“Please come along quietly. I’d love to kill you right now for wiping out my Chugma Army, but the Master’s order takes precedence.”

“Oh, so you already expect a bunch of Chugma corpses in the vehicle?”

“Who among the comrades from the old Soeul Village wouldn’t know about you? You’re the top dog of heretical sects and an evil sorcerer after all…”

Zhuge Sa chuckled at Yeon Jong-hwi’s words and replied, “You’ve grown quite a bit. Ha ha…”

“…….”

“Alright. Just come along quietly… but first, let me ask you something.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you see this ugly guy beside me?”

“……? What do you mean?”

“If you don’t see him, that’s great. Let’s go.”

Zhuge Sa began to walk alongside Yeon Jong-hwi, and I followed behind, muttering.

“Zhuge Sa. Everything is fine, but why the need to mention that he’s ugly?”

“Baek Woong had plastic surgery.”

When Yeon Jong-hwi shot a quick glance at Zhuge Sa’s sudden remark, he added with a smirk, “Using the power of lightning to transform into a peerless handsome fellow, which is why he suddenly looks good this life. Isn’t that right?”

“……That was indeed the case.”

“So, I’ve always wondered, if Baek Woong were to come back to this world, wouldn’t it be that more people might recognize him if he returned in an ugly form rather than a handsome one?”

Hearing that made Yeon Jong-hwi chuckle.

“Baek Woong of Soeul Village is such a remarkable figure that there would be many who could recognize him without needing to rely on his looks. Of course… that is, if he were to return.”

“How about you, Yeon Jong-hwi? You’re currently following the Master of the White Lotus, but what if Baek Woong returns? Would you follow him instead?”

“…….”

Yeon Jong-hwi hesitated at that unexpected question. After a moment, he answered without turning his head.

“It doesn’t matter which. If it’s someone who can save humanity, I’ll use all my strength to support him. I believe others would too.”

“That’s kind of vague. Hehe…”

With a hint of expectation in his voice, Yeon Jong-hwi continued, “Zhuge Sa, is it possible that Lord Baek Woong might return?”

“Maybe. So, keep your mind open at all times.”

“If you hadn’t wiped out our Chugma Army, I would’ve been touched by that statement just now.”

“Don’t worry. I only petrified them; I didn’t kill them.”

“You keep spouting nonsense. You have to undo the curse!”

“Unless the Master of the White Lotus stops with the useless things.”

Zhuge Sa let out an evil laugh, while Yeon Jong-hwi frowned.

“You’ve taken hostages, haven’t you? But the Master is above some hostage ploy.”

“Ha ha! Do you think I don’t know that? It’s someone else who can control with hostages.”

As Zhuge Sa spoke, his gaze was directed toward Yeon Jong-hwi.

“…….”

Yeon Jong-hwi remained silent.

“Ha ha.”

As their conversation continued, we eventually made it deep into the outer city, where splendid streets sprawled around us. Yeon Jong-hwi looked up at the inner city floating in the air and raised a plaque, moments later, Zhuge Sa disappeared in a pillar of light with Yeon Jong-hwi.

Swoosh

“……?”

Wait, why am I not going up?

Despite standing in the light, I didn’t experience any spatial movement and remained on the ground of the outer city.

“What the heck is this?”

Wasn’t I supposed to go up after Zhuge Sa?

Could it be that the magic doesn’t work on me?

‘Oh no, this is bad.’

Right now, I couldn’t use internal power, magical arts, divine strength, or even my intent. I was as ordinary as any human. Climbing into a floating city with nothing but my bare hands was impossible.

What if Zhuge Sa doesn’t come down soon?

“Hmm…?”

Just as I was left waiting, I spotted a steel man sprawled out in an alley. Curiosity piqued, I approached and saw that the steel man’s eyes were dark and the red gemstone in his chest was shattered.

‘Was he abandoned?’

They said the steel man was a being whose human persona was embedded in a steel body, so was this guy practically dead at this point?

Thinking this way made my heart twist. The personality controlling the steel man could have belonged to a living human from the past, unable to escape the machine’s body, and perishing. The loneliness and agony of that existence struck me.

“Sigh. Zhuge Sa told me not to feel guilty, but… seeing the world in this state makes me feel like I messed up somehow.”

While I muttered this, I placed my hand atop the steel man’s head.

“I don’t know who you are, but goodbye. I, Baek Woong, will pray for your soul.”

It was then that something happened.

Swish…!!

“……?!”

It felt like something was sticking to my palm, and I jerked my hand away in shock. Moments later, something emerged from the steel man’s crown, dangling from my palm!

The ‘thing’ that came out was surprisingly startled and yelled.

[Ahhhhh!! What the heck… I was dead for sure! What’s happening?!]

“……!! No, what is this…?”

The being bellowed loudly.

[Who are you?! What’s going on?!]

“I don’t even know! What in the world is happening?!”

We stood there, bewildered and staring at each other.

Despite the panic, I recognized that the being had taken on an ethereal form resembling a human so I asked, “Wait, are you… the soul that was inside that steel man?”

[Huh? Uh… yeah. That’s right. I was resurrected in a steel body and barely making it day by day, but I got caught up in a martial artist’s quarrel, and my chest gemstone shattered… ugh… so I died.]

Seemingly recalling his death, the soul seemed to wince in pain. I watched him for a moment and then noticed what was dangling from my palm.

‘This soul is sticking to my palm due to absorption… does this mean…?’

Boom!

I suddenly recalled the essence of the Nine Chambers of Thunder Technique and activated the Soul Exchange Technique. Instantly, the soul dropped from my palm and collapsed to the ground. The soul looked up at me with terrified eyes, and I continued to silently watch my palm.

What does this action mean?

Wait… there’s no need to think. I can confirm one solid fact.

‘The Soul Exchange Technique… I can use it freely!’

Despite not knowing how, it appeared that my recent pulling out of this soul had triggered the Soul Exchange Technique automatically. It was the fundamental ability to extract another’s soul. Realizing this, I addressed the soul.

“Hey. My name is Baek Woong. What’s yours?”

[I… I’m… Lee Chong, from Hwa Seo Hyun.]

No clue where Hwa Seo Hyun is, and I’ve never heard the name Lee Chong before.

He’s probably just an ordinary dude.

‘Good.’

Regardless of his identity, I had a bright idea.

I suggested to Lee Chong, “Lee Chong, I promise to help you out. Will you give me your name?”

[Uh… my name? What do you mean?]

“There’s something like that. In return, I’ll use that weird body of yours. What do you think?”

[…….]

After a moment of contemplation, Lee Chong nodded.

[Alright. I will give you my name. But please make sure to save me later.]

“Of course. The contract is established.”

And then it happened.

Boom – !!

[Ahhhhh.]

Lee Chong’s spirit surged into my arm with immense force. Transforming into a wisp of smoke, he was absorbed into my arm and shortly thereafter, his presence faded away, leaving me staring at my own arm.

‘There.’

Among the many names inscribed on my arm, Lee Chong’s name had been added!

Then I stepped forward and merged my body with the sprawled steel man.

Swish…

In an instant, I felt as though my consciousness had flown away, but eventually, I woke up with a sense of reality now that I had a body. Slowly, I raised myself.

Creeeak…. Boom.

I felt the weight of the massive steel body grounding itself as it made contact with the earth. I took a moment to appreciate this sensation and tested my voice.

[Ah. Aah. Is this my voice?]

Raspy and unrefined machine noises. It was no different from the voices of those iron men that drove Zhuge Sa’s carriage.

“`

 

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