전생검신 85권 12화

The moment I laid eyes on Miho, an indescribable wave of emotions crashed over me.

‘Ah…!! Miho!’

During my past lives, I had given up so many times, dreaming of a happy life with Miho. Every time I faced grueling training or overwhelming foes, that thought would flood my mind. But I realized that escaping into such fantasies while leaving the cosmic conspiracies and abyss unresolved would ultimately lead to Miho’s unhappiness, so I tried to suppress my feelings for her until the very end.

‘… Miho…’

Normally, I had so much on my plate in this reincarnation that I pushed those feelings deep into my unconsciousness, but now, facing Miho, those emotions surged again.

What on earth am I doing right now?

What did I hope to achieve by becoming a mechanical being and arriving in this chaotic world?

As my emotions spiraled, Miho shot a piercing glance at Yu-jeong and said, “I asked you to make the Killing Bead sooner, didn’t I? Why is it taking so long?”

Killing Bead?

Not knowing what she meant, both the sword demon and I exchanged looks of confusion. Yu-jeong clasped her hands together and responded, “It’s not easy to craft a sacred item that can seal the tail of the practitioner. We’re already receiving help from many Immortals and Warrior Monks, so please be patient.”

“Another excuse, huh? Is this all for my benefit?”

For some reason, Miho was getting worked up, clenching her fists and wearing a furious expression. It had been ages since I had seen that face.

‘Wait, is that Killing Bead hanging from her tails?’

Looking closely, I noticed each of Miho’s eight tails had a round bead tightly linked to its tip.

Then, Yu-jeong began to chant, “Amitabha… I know your kind heart is worried it will unleash its power upon everyone, but this is likely a limitation of our human and immortal capabilities… We need a being of equivalent status to assist.”

“Who doesn’t know that? That old hag, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, said she couldn’t help me, and the rest of them are no good either… It’s infuriating!”

Just as Miho was venting in frustration, she suddenly turned to me with curiosity written on her face.

“By the way, what’s that tin can over there? Why did you bring it all the way here?”

[……]

Miho, it’s me, Baek Woong.

In that moment, I wanted to reveal my identity to Miho, but the sword demon stepped in front of me. Realizing that this was his signal, I instantly closed my mouth, and he spoke on my behalf.

“This is a guest I’ve brought. I thought it might help the Sect Leader, so I brought him to speak with you for a moment.”

“You brought a tin man? What for?”

“Sorry, but I can’t share that right now, Miho.”

“……”

Miho glanced at me, seeming to care less, and turned away with a swirl.

“Alright then. I’m off to train, so don’t raise your voice with the Sect Leader for no reason.”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Hmph…”

Boom!

In an instant, Miho tore through space and vanished. When she disappeared, our group started moving forward again, and I shot a suspicious look at the sword demon.

Why did he stop me from revealing who I am?

Then, I heard the sword demon’s secret transmission.

[Baek Woong. To be honest, even I found it hard to believe you are the real deal. Given Miho’s naturally suspicious nature, who knows what kind of chaos might break out here? We should avoid any stir until we meet with the Sect Leader.]

So that’s what it meant.

But internally, I felt disappointed.

‘If it were Miho, she might have believed me…’

After a moment, we arrived at the colossal and magnificent Secret Palace.

It was immeasurably large and spacious! Standing before it, I couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of panic at its sheer size—an overwhelming presence that couldn’t possibly fit within what I’d seen from the outside.

[What the heck? It was impossible for such a huge palace to be hidden inside… Are we supposed to believe this?]

“With the power of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, this inner city is practically another dimension. The expanse is so vast that it rivals the outer city’s size.”

[Why create such a massive inner city instead of applying that power to the outer city?]

“They said it’s due to a lack of cause and effect. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s original capabilities are much more extensive, but so far, she hasn’t managed to attain enough cause and effect in this world, thus limiting her powers. That’s why only enough space to fit an inner city can be arranged as a second dimension.”

[Hmm…]

Listening to this, I couldn’t help but think this place was somewhat similar to the Jade Realm that Subori had mentioned before. He too had crafted his own dimension and built a jade palace within it while absorbing its powers. The Heavenly Mysterious Woman certainly wouldn’t fall behind him.

Clomp, clomp.

We began to walk through the magnificent interior corridors of the grand palace. While walking, I decided to ask about something that was on my mind.

[What do you mean by creating a Killing Bead for Miho?]

Yu-jeong shot a glance at the sword demon as if asking for permission, and he nodded. Finally, she began to speak slowly.

“As you might have guessed, the Killing Bead is a special sacred item meant to seal Miho’s powers. One bead is tied to each tail, meaning a total of eight Killing Beads were created. However, even with those beads, we can’t stop her strength from growing, and she has now ordered a ninth bead from our Warrior Monks.”

[The reason for intentionally suppressing her growing power is due to the fear of her going berserk, right?]

“That’s right. Right now, Miho is an unparalleled powerhouse among the Heavenly Tigers. Moreover, she has acquired some exceptionally potent essence from the Celestial Realm, which means if her powers continue to grow, she could match the Heavenly Mysterious Woman. But that level of power is akin to that of a god, and Miho’s physical and mental capacities wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

[……]

“If Jin So-cheong were here, it would be a different story, but if Miho goes berserk now, no one would be able to stop her. Thus, the most critical duty of Mr. Bin is to produce that Killing Bead.”

[Can’t the Heavenly Mysterious Woman step in to stop it?]

“Well…”

As Yu-jeong hesitated, the sword demon cut in gruffly.

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman is practically nonexistent. She left everything to Gum Cheon-jae and vanished without a trace.”

[Hmm.]

Hearing that, Yu-jeong was taken aback.

“No!! You shouldn’t say that…”

“This one can know. I guarantee it.”

With a confident tone, the sword demon continued, “The Heavenly Mysterious Woman hasn’t shown her divine form in ages, and the only one who knows the reason is that Gum Cheon-jae brat. But he’s been tight-lipped about it, so all the reincarnated companions here in Nanjing are left frustrated! Since he possesses the powers of the Pedigree of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, they couldn’t threaten him with force either.”

[……]

“It’s true that I brought you here with the hope you might help resolve this frustrating situation.”

So that’s how it is.

Understanding the circumstances, I nodded.

[Leave it to me.]

I’ve got to see what this village chief is really up to!

Before long, we ventured deep into the palace, where a dazzling landscape unfolded, resembling a vibrant celestial realm adorned with starry lights. It was clear that the powerful forces here ignored the constraints of space.

‘Peach Blossom Garden?’

Peach blossoms were in full bloom, creating stunning views of ponds and waterfalls. And soon, I caught a whiff of a scent that felt completely out of place in this space.

[Hmm… Is that… pork being grilled?]

It seemed the android technology was more advanced than I expected since the mechanical being could smell just like a human. The familiar scent of grilled pork lifted my spirits as I started piecing together what Gum Cheon-jae could be doing.

Sizzle, sizzle.

As I moved further inside, I spotted Gum Cheon-jae grilling pork on a big grill, surrounded by dozens of stunning women. Each of them was extraordinarily beautiful—definitely not the kind of looks you see just anywhere.

Chime, jingle.

“Hahaha!”

“Your Honor, that’s so funny…”

People were noisily clinking their glasses, and in the center was Gum Cheon-jae, holding a beauty under each arm while enjoying generous cups of liquor.

Not just gorgeous women, there were also highly attractive men and beautiful youths scattered around, seeming like they were brought in to create a festive atmosphere.

“Gulp.”

Gum Cheon-jae had flushed with alcohol, and it was clear from his appearance that he smelled like he had doused himself in liquor. Although he wore fine golden clothes, they were drenched in drink, saying all that needed to be said. Yet, his body was quite muscular, and he looked significantly younger than before.

The sword demon frowned and said, “Sect Leader. Didn’t I tell you to quit this drunken revelry some time ago?”

Upon noticing the sword demon, Gum Cheon-jae jumped up, grinning widely as he approached.

“Hahaha! What do you mean drunken revelry? This is just a village party!”

“A village party? A village party doesn’t have to have the finest beauties from Nanjing attending just to serve you!”

“Come now… Don’t say that… Look! Our great Lord of Shadowless Gate, the sword demon, has arrived!! Come now, don’t just stand there, sit and have a drink.”

Gum Cheon-jae was trying to show friendliness and urged the sword demon to join him, but the sword demon silently raised his palm and unleashed a wind blast.

Boom!!

In an instant, Gum Cheon-jae was flung away by the gust and slammed into a towering peach tree. As he stumbled back to his feet, the raucous atmosphere quickly fell silent, and the dozens of stunning maidens glanced around nervously.

The sword demon was uncharacteristically upset.

“Is this how you act as the master of this castle? Right now, the subjugation squad is risking their lives to take down the malicious Demon Kings threatening humanity! We can barely keep up as it is…!!”

As Gum Cheon-jae stood unsteadily, he grinned and replied, “Heh, what does that have to do with me?”

“What did you say?”

The sword demon appeared enraged by this, while Yu-jeong managed to quell her anger, whispering a brief prayer. Seeing Gum Cheon-jae let out another belch, the sword demon could no longer hold back and made his move.

Hand’s Control Sword Technique!

In an instant, the tiny gesture of the sword demon sent the Invincible Sword flying, coming to rest against Gum Cheon-jae’s throat. It seemed he wanted to convey that he could kill him right there. Yet, Gum Cheon-jae appeared unfazed, chuckling and uttering provocative words.

“The world might as well be in ruins; why bother me?”

“…You scoundrel…!!”

The sword demon’s eyebrows twitched in anger, while Gum Cheon-jae, with his reddened eyes, shot back biting remarks.

“Hey! What could I do without Baek Woong around? You all pretend to be reincarnated comrades, but without Baek Woong, you’re nothing!”

 

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