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“What are you up to?”

So, I brought Tao King back to Jinrang Valley. Once we got there and I introduced her to Mangnyang, he stared at her for a bit and asked, “What’s your game here?”

Tao King, with a poker face, replied, “Looks fun.”

“I see,” Mangnyang nodded appreciatively and led her to a place where she could stay. Then he turned back to me, fluttering the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line, and said, “Baek Woong, let’s chat for a bit.”

I followed Mangnyang to a secluded patch of grass. He plopped down on a rock and asked, “What’s your next move?”

“Next… I’m thinking of going to Extreme Tiger and researching the Soul Removal Technique.”

……

Mangnyang let out a short sigh and said, “That’s all good and well, but I’ve discovered something significant, and I think I need to tell you about it. You must know all of this before deciding what to do next.”

“Hmm.”

“Also, I suspect that Heavenly Tiger is eavesdropping on us. It would be great if he just came out and spoke with us.”

Next thing I knew, Miho suddenly appeared using a transformation technique. She had been sneaking around disguised as an inanimate object. I was so surprised I hadn’t noticed her presence, but Miho had the same shocked expression as she looked at Mangnyang.

“How did you know? Has your skill level gotten that good?”

“Not really. I just figured if I was Heavenly Tiger, I’d want to listen in too.”

“Hmph, a clever mind for no good reason,” Mangnyang waved his arm dismissively.

“Anyway, if Heavenly Tiger is going to protect Baek Woong, it’d be better for him to know this too. Please, have a seat and listen along.”

“Alright, let’s hear how interesting this story is,” Miho grabbed a nearby log to sit on. As our gazes focused on Mangnyang, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Right now, Jinrang Valley and the Bancheon Alliance have grown quite strong. We’ve taken our time nourishing talents with Spiritual Pills and building organization. I’m quite confident we possess the power of a decent Great Sect. But we’re still not ready to act decisively, so we’re gathering information in secrecy. We even succeeded in rescuing General Hwang Yeon’s family.”

“Got it.”

“Separately, I received two assignments from you, Baek Woong.”

“Two?” Mangnyang nodded.

“One was regarding the Method to Unseal Moya and its location… and the other concerns Jeon Wook’s statue and Oracle Bone Script at the ruins of Xuyou.”

“That’s right.” I clearly recalled that. I’d been pestering Mangnyang for information on the first but didn’t get much because, well, I died too soon. The second had just been a new mystery I found out during this rebirth. When I looked at Mangnyang, he continued.

“First, I had this question. Why is Moya sealed differently from the other Seven Luminaries? Why doesn’t the Guardian exist in the seal? I thought that perhaps Jeon Wook’s statue might hold the answer.”

“The statue of the Three Sovereigns Jeon Wook…”

“So, before deciphering the riddle-like inscription that symbolizes Moya’s seal, I started with Jeon Wook’s Oracle Bone Script. It would have taken ages if I were on my own, but thanks to the organizational strength of the Bancheon Alliance, I could crack Jeon Wook’s Oracle Bone Script in just six months.”

After saying that, Mangnyang took a breath and continued.

“The Oracle Bone Script of Jeon Wook is as follows: [Ah, the passage between Heaven and Earth in the North has collapsed. The divine child, Ko Yang, answers the Emperor’s call to return. Left behind is the method of controlling water as a plea from humans to save the world. Thus, Moya will be left as a sign.]”

“The passage in the North…?”

“It signifies Jeon Wook’s mistake as noted in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. In the distant past, there was a connection between the Celestial Realm and the Mortal Realm, allowing humans to ascend to the Celestial Realm without any rigorous testing. But due to Jeon Wook’s blunder, that passage collapsed, giving rise to the process of ascension.”

Mangnyang glanced toward Miho as he explained.

“Since Heavenly Tiger was in the Celestial Realm, you might know this very well…”

……

Miho seemed deep in thought, her expression revealing confusion. Finally, she spoke. “I don’t know much. But it’s true there exists a secret passage connecting the Celestial and Mortal Realms somewhere in the world. I, too, was banished to this realm through one of those passages.”

That was an unexpected revelation.

Mangnyang opened the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line and queried, “Then why haven’t you returned to the Celestial Realm through that passage?”

“I don’t know where any other passage apart from the one I came out from is. You could say it’s a backdoor. If I were to enter the Celestial Realm through there, I’d be attacked by the Dao King and would be obliterated.”

“I see.”

After a brief pause, Mangnyang turned to me again.

“Regardless, what’s crucial is that about the method of controlling water.”

“Controlling water?”

“There was a significant Great Flood in ancient times. This monumental flood submerged the earth, threatening the extinction of all living beings. It was the Three Sovereigns and the progenitor goddess, Nüwa, who stopped the flood, filling the hole in the sky with five-colored stones and propping up the heavens with the four legs of a giant turtle from the sea.”

“Ah, that’s what it was about.” I had read about the myth long ago, but it was hazy in my memory until Mangnyang’s explanation jogged it back.

“And, separately, the legend states that the two key representatives of humanity, Gun and Yu, were tasked with controlling the waters.”

“Hmm.”

“I believe there might have been two Great Floods. One was stopped by the authorities of the Three Sovereigns, while the other was managed by Gun and King Yu alongside the human populace, preventing the flood in the Central Plains.”

As Mangnyang reached this point, his eyes gleamed.

“I theorized: Perhaps Gun and Yu, as representatives of humanity, succeeded in controlling the floods by gaining the method of water management from Jeon Wook.”

“……!!”

“And Jeon Wook might have left behind the symbol of the pledge of water management in the ruins of Xuyou while separating the Celestial Realm from the Mortal Realm. Otherwise, the Oracle Bone Script found with Jeon Wook and Moya may have connected.”

A pledge of water management.

I thought of the vast amounts of ritual within Moya.

Wasn’t it perhaps a remnant of that Great Flood from ancient times?

“Then…” I pondered aloud. “Why did Jeon Wook separate the Celestial Realm and Mortal Realm and leave? He could simply have ruled over the world as a Sovereign…”

The first line lamented, stating, “The passage between Heaven and Earth in the North has collapsed.” It had to be a critical situation that we simply can’t understand, prompting him to sever all connections and only leave Moya behind.

“Just because one passage…?”

“Ah, that’s unknowable. It’s too ancient, and there are no records left.” Mangnyang sighed briefly, continuing.

“Also, I formulated another hypothesis.”

“What hypothesis?”

“Moya possesses the ability to control water, and that power might be too strong for humans to wield. So, instead of casually placing an [Ancient Being] there, it might be a test for anyone wanting to become the master of Moya at the pivotal location for controlling water.”

“Is there really a need for that?” I scratched my head.

“The Guardian of the Moon Sovereign, Izanagi no Mikoto, could obliterate a nation in just seven days if left alone. Just defeating him should be enough proof…”

“There must be a difference among the Seven Luminaries,” Mangnyang remarked, gazing into the distance.

“I don’t know what powers the Moon Sovereign commands, but if a mythic-level Great Flood occurred, what do you think would happen? I suspect around 80% of the humans in the Central Plains would perish, and civilization would regress by at least 500 years. It wouldn’t just be Central Plains—it’d be similar for other countries as well. Moya might just be the key to triggering a catastrophic disaster that could unbalance Heaven and Earth all at once.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m certain of it. The Xuyou Moya is among the higher ranks of the Seven Luminaries. The day you unseal Moya, you won’t have many formidable opponents across the world.”

“Oh…!!”

I was ecstatic at Mangnyang’s words. If that were true, I needed to prioritize finding the method to unseal Moya above all else. While I couldn’t exploit the ability to cause a flood directly, if I could access Moya’s other supernatural abilities, my goals would become much easier to achieve. Perhaps I may even gain the power to stand against the Old Ruler.

Just then, Miho, who had been quietly listening, piped up. “So, where’s the actual place that truly protects Moya’s seal? It must be quite a troublesome spot, considering the caution you’ve advised.”

……

Mangnyang wore an awkward expression. Miho had quickly caught on to the situation. I looked back and forth between their faces, and Mangnyang cautiously addressed me.

“Baek Woong… I should tell you something.”

“What is it?”

With the next words, I widened my eyes.

“The world is a spherical shape.”

I shook my head firmly.

“That’s impossible! It definitely has to be flat, and there must be an end to it.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Well, if it’s a round shape, wouldn’t we fall off the bottom?”

……

After a brief hesitation, Mangnyang responded.

“In Lee Sun’s <Wun Book> from the Tang Dynasty, there’s a commentary mentioning this: The earth moves in four directions. During winter solstice, it moves upward and travels northwest for thirty thousand miles. During summer solstice, it moves downward to the southeast for thirty thousand miles. The vernal and autumnal equinoxes are in between that. The earth is always in motion, though people do not notice it, just like how one might not notice the movement of a ship when inside it (河圖曰：地有四游，冬至地上行，北而西三萬里；夏至地下行，南而東三萬里。春秋二分，是其中矣。地常動不止而人不知，譬如閉舟而行，不覺舟之運也).”

“……?”

“The sky isn’t moving; it’s the earth that does. Umm, how should I put this…” Mangnyang pulled out a round crystal ball from his pocket. He then addressed me.

“Imagine walking on this crystal ball. Would you think you would just slip off if you kept walking? But in the inner structure of this crystal ball, there exists a powerful gravitational force that holds everything on it.”

“That sounds absurd! What nonsense are you spouting?”

Mangnyang insisted more forcefully.

“This isn’t nonsense! Astronomers realized they couldn’t explain the positions of stars without considering this premise. Therefore, our Zhuge family, having been astronomers for hundreds of years, accepted the world as spherical and concluded that the world’s end doesn’t exist. Not just us, but the great sages of the Great Ming Empire also roughly knew this but never spoke of it openly.”

“……”

My jaw dropped. The world is round!? Is Mangnyang playing a prank on me? Is he trying to fool me?

My trust in Mangnyang was absolute, yet this was a shock that made even that waver. The idea that this world is a round sphere and we are stuck living on this surface was mind-boggling! I felt dizzy and scratched my head as I asked.

“Wait! Then what about the sun, the stars, and the moon?”

“Those are celestial bodies existing in a very distant place. They may look small, but they’re probably much bigger than the land we live on.”

“……?!?!”

As I gasped in disbelief, Miho chimed in from the side, “It’s probably true, Baek Woong.”

“Miho…”

“I’ve been in the Celestial Realm since my birth, and no celestial being ever mentioned or discussed the end of the world. The lack of an end simply means celestial beings never spoke of it.”

“Uh… uh-huh…”

As I muddled in confusion, Mangnyang chuckled awkwardly.

“It might be hard to believe right away. For now, let’s proceed with this assumption that the world is round.”

“… Understood.”

“Now, look at this crystal ball. If we apply pressure at the very edge like this…”

Thump

Mangnyang shoved a large iron rod into the crystal ball. Was the hole already there, or did it go in without resistance? He held the iron rod that pierced right through the center of the crystal ball and said, “There’s an axis. If we assume there are points at both ends of this axis, what kind of place would this be?”

“……”

I cleared my thoughts and seriously considered.

Then I replied, “It must be a very cold place…”

Though I couldn’t bring myself to believe that the world was round, should I humor the idea, it follows that the further north you go, the colder it gets. And the cold is probably due to receiving less sunlight. Therefore, inevitably, the poles on either end of the axis would likely be the coldest places in the world. Mangnyang grinned brightly and declared, “Exactly!”

“What do you mean exactly?”

“The inscription on the stele at the ruins of Xuyou reads as follows: [… the Song of Darkness… paired ones… footsteps of the wind… the cold white god of silence… the Primordial North… the one who reaches… there are no trials… but for those who wish to unseal… they must meet the god of silence… mark with blood… awaken to reach… what is offered to the altar… is the blood of the reacher…]”

What could the ‘Primordial North’ refer to? Isn’t that a perfect fit with Jeon Wook’s Oracle Bone Script we discussed earlier?

“……”

“The power of Moya has been passed down in the Dao as the Heavenly Ice Art. This sorcery could freeze everything in this world, capable of obliterating even a Great Immortal. Adding in this lore… that Primordial North could highly likely be, in another sense, the end of this world.”

I remained silent for a long while. I began to understand why Mangnyang had emphasized the importance of this information. After several moments of stuttering, I finally gathered my thoughts to affirm my understanding with Mangnyang. “So if that’s the case… I mean, we need to head further north than the North Sea Ice Palace… to some desolate location past the frozen sea where even the blue-eyed barbarians can’t survive, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Mangnyang replied firmly. “We need to journey to the northernmost land and find the altar of the [Ancient Being]. After offering your blood, the seal of Moya will be broken.”

This felt utterly surreal. My mind clouded, I found myself dazedly shaking my head. Although I knew this world is expansive, I never imagined I’d actually go to such places. I had been there once during my challenge against the Twelve Joules, but that place was a land ravaged by snowstorms year-round. Traveling further north from there leads to a snowfield where no one can survive.

Completing that journey through thousands of leagues of a freezing wasteland to reach the northernmost point? No way!

Even Miho seemed skeptical, challenging Mangnyang with a raised eyebrow. “It’s hard to believe. There are too many leaps in logic and a lack of evidence. Do you truly think it’s possible to reach the end of the world just based on the phrase ‘Primordial North’?”

“I think that too. But I need to relay my hypotheses to Baek Woong. Because…”

I understood Mangnyang’s intent and nodded.

“Got it, Mangnyang. Thanks.”

I lived a life where I could die at any moment. I had died too early in the past without even hearing Mangnyang’s findings and met my end in vain. Mangnyang, aware of this, wanted to share even his uncorroborated theories with me as best he could. It was his thoughtful consideration.

Mangnyang wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling relieved after getting over a significant hurdle.

“Um, and one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“I’d like to think of an undercover mission now.”

“What kind of mission…?”

Mangnyang grinned. “We can’t just sit back and watch the enemy grow. We need a heist!”

 

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