전생검신 97권 17화

I gathered Mangnyang and his crew to explore the inside of the ship. After a few days of searching, Mangnyang shared his findings with me.

“That floating navigation machine over there seems to be called a [Navigator] in the future.”

“A Navigator, huh.”

“And by figuring out how to communicate with the Navigator, I managed to uncover a few additional facts.”

As he said this, Mangnyang held a sturdy, flat machine and a strange stylus in his hands. Curious, I asked, “What are those?”

“This is called a smart tablet, or a tablet computer. And this is a tablet pen. I found them in the command room of the Yi Seong-gye ship.”

“Um… Now that you mention it, I think I’ve seen something like that in the knowledge of the Great Bear Empire… but it still feels a bit different.”

“Good thing if you already have a rough idea about tablet computers. No need for a detailed explanation.”

“Though I don’t really understand it well…”

Vague memories of smartphones and tablets flickered in my mind. Yet they were such alien future artifacts that even during my training with Professor Sima Ling, I struggled to grasp them.

‘But how does Mangnyang understand computers better than me, who received direct education about the future five hundred years later?’

As I fought against the headache of trying to recall, Mangnyang continued speaking.

“In the future, people store countless pieces of knowledge in these little tablet computers. They can save as many e-books as there are millions of books. So, I read a lot of e-books with the help of the Navigator and simultaneously accessed a lot of confidential information.”

“Wait, Mangnyang. Even though they are from the future, isn’t this Yi Seong-gye something from a different country than the Central Plains? The language is completely different, so how did you achieve such feats in such a short time…?”

“There’s a writing system called Hangul. Once you get used to it, this language becomes quite simple and efficient to read and analyze. It’s so scientific that it might be the reason… Anyway, you could read advanced books and papers in half a day without any problem.”

“…”

I didn’t know if Mangnyang’s ability to grasp an alien writing system in half a day was impressive or if the efficiency of that writing system was exceptional…

While I was dumbfounded, Mangnyang said, “The best place I’ve found so far is the recovery room. I have a feeling it’s going to be used quite often.”

“Recovery room? That exists?”

“Follow me.”

I followed Mangnyang deep into the ship. Suddenly, I saw a foul-smelling corridor blocked by debris, and I frowned at the stench.

“What is this? I’ve never been this far before…”

“As you know, the Yi Seong-gye ship is very large, plus there are hidden spaces.”

“Huh? Hidden space?”

“It seems that while you wandered around visibly, this ship has subspace available for emergencies. So, it’s actually three times larger than the space you know.”

Tap tap tap

Mangnyang, who responded in this way, pointed the tablet computer toward the debris and tapped something on the screen multiple times. Then, machinery sounds echoed from everywhere.

[User authentication complete… Opening dimensional subspace.]

Wheeeing!

In the next moment, the stinking corridor vanished, revealing a wide corridor and new interior space of the ship I had never seen before. Shocked, I turned to Mangnyang.

“Huh! What just happened? Was what I saw an illusion?”

“If it were just an illusion, your abilities would have seen through it quickly. What you witnessed was simply a façade created for camouflage, while in reality, the space was layered on top of another.”

“Layered on top of each other?”

“Yes. Let’s say what we just saw as ‘A’; underneath it is the actual ‘B’ space that was hidden. Once you know how to authenticate the user, you can unravel the layered space and reveal the true area.”

“…!”

In this world! I didn’t even know hidden spaces existed in the Yi Seong-gye!

As I stood dazed, Mangnyang stepped inside and said, “This is the recovery room.”

Zing…

Inside was a room filled with several remarkably clean beds. This facility, reminiscent of a future world’s hospital, seemed quite spacious, with room for at least dozens of people lying in beds. And strangely enough, it felt eerie because of how immaculate it was.

“Hm. Is this a treatment place? But if it’s just a resting area, it doesn’t quite seem to warrant such praise…”

As I looked around the recovery room, Mangnyang grinned.

“Just for a test, why don’t you try eating this poison and then lying down?”

The small box Mangnyang handed me contained some sort of poisoned pill. I was shocked and asked him, “Why the sudden request to eat poison? What kind of poison is this?”

“That’s the Absolute Poison made by Tang San. It’s called the Ten Thousand Severing Heart Poison, and even a peak expert can’t survive more than half a day after ingesting it.”

“…Even though I’m immune to all poisons, why would you ask me to eat this…?”

“Just once. Trust me.”

“Ugh, fine.”

I swallowed the Ten Thousand Severing Heart Poison and lay down on a bed in the recovery room. Suddenly, dazzling translucent panels floated before my eyes and a mechanical voice began to sound.

[Detecting aerobic poison with the pattern AJ-745-O283-@99 in the patient’s body.]

[Measuring the poison’s tier. Classified as Type Red, C-Rank poison. An extremely lethal poison that can cause immediate death for any ability user.]

[Measured amount: 92mg. Receiving intensity of the poison waves reported as Alpha-31.]

[Searching healing mechanisms. Result: 8293 potential mechanisms found.]

[Found the optimal mechanism suited for the user’s constitution and compatibility. Healing process initiated.]

[Estimated recovery time: 3 seconds. Probability of side effects measured at 0.032 percent…]

Chiiiing!

A moment later, a misty spray enveloped my whole body, and I felt slight tingles as a wave of relief washed over me.

[Recovery completed.]

“…!”

Even though I was immune to all poisons, I hadn’t activated my special constitution or used my internal power, so I knew something extraordinary had just happened. The poison that had been spreading throughout my body was completely vanquished in an instant!

‘If it did that for me, it must have worked for ordinary humans too!’

As I realized this, Mangnyang remarked, “This recovery room seems capable of healing any injuries and poisoning as long as you’re still alive. According to the records, the recovery room incorporates Nailatop’s technology, reaching the medical science level of the 27th century. It can even heal chaos-induced pollution.”

“W-Wow!”

“However, it’s stated that reviving the dead is impossible. Please keep that in mind.”

Mangnyang looked genuinely pleased.

“Originally, you would need a Suspicious Fishhook to detoxify powerful poisons, but now you won’t have to worry about your comrades’ injuries and poisons.”

If that’s true, I would indeed be visiting this recovery room quite often in the future!

But I couldn’t shake the feeling of confusion.

“This recovery room is indeed useful, but why wasn’t this subspace opened just by operating the Ark?”

“The last person who set this Ark designed it to be energy-efficient to prevent waste. Because just keeping that extra subspace open consumes a lot of energy, it couldn’t be activated.”

“Ah, I see.”

“If you need to conserve energy, you can’t just open that subspace recklessly. However, now that you occasionally charge it, it’s beneficial to keep it open.”

“…”

I had a feeling Zhuge Sa in the 29th cycle would have also known about this space’s existence. But back then, they were likely too occupied with the crucial task of targeting the Three Sovereigns on the World Tree to freely explore or activate any additional spaces.

“There seem to be more additional spaces apart from the recovery room. Each one will be useful, so I’ll let you know as I figure out their functionalities.”

As Mangnyang continued, he said, “Oh, and Baek Woong, for the time being, I think you don’t have anything ‘you have to do’ right now. Although I can’t say for sure since I haven’t received your obsidian stone, I generally think so.”

“Um… It’s probably about time I head to the White Lotus Sect.”

“It’s better to postpone that a bit.”

“Why’s that?”

“According to you, the moment you contact the Master of the Sect, things will unfold rapidly in one way or another. The Celestial Realm and [Old Ruler] are two of the three major forces that have the most impact in the world; if they were to fall into the same hands, they would undoubtedly notice. If you’ve already acquired the Imperial Palace, you need to gain sufficient potential to deal with things accelerating should you take over the White Lotus Sect.”

“Seems like caution is the better approach.”

“Well, looking at your current power, you might not have to worry about that….”

“No. I feel like I have a few more things to do.”

I wanted to tread carefully just like Mangnyang suggested. Being cautious when heading into a risky situation is the safe route. At the very least, I needed the potential to deftly handle any interference from the Celestial Realm without having to exert my strength.

I said to Mangnyang, “Then I’ll take a little time to wander around.”

“Go ahead.”

Pa-at –

The next place I headed was Soeul Village. As soon as I stepped in, I marched over to Kim Manje and dealt him a blow.

Smack!

“Kugh! Cow dung, you…”

Nice! My control over my strength is perfect!

I realized I could adjust my power just right, so I didn’t either kill or incapacitate Kim Manje, and felt satisfied.

“Let’s just trade a few hits!”

Smack! Smack!

After a few slaps, Kim Manje’s face was swollen, and he fainted. I then went over to the village chief and treated him the same way.

Smack! Smack!

The chief was taken aback by the beating and knelt before me.

“C-Cow dung! What are you doing?!”

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t hit any of you since I was reincarnated.”

“Why are you hitting me?!”

“Why? It’s out of affection.”

“…?!”

“I’m just kidding.”

I chuckled and said to him, “From now on, if you keep messing with the villagers and living evilly, I’ll come back and chop your arms and legs off, throwing you to the pigs for food. Got it?!”

Thinking about it, the chief and his family were tyrants of the village, and many people suffered because of the chief’s abuse of power. Chastising the chief, though trivial, brought me some enjoyment, and it could be viewed as being moderately righteous.

“Ugh… Ugh. It looks like you’ve learned some martial arts, but can you handle it?!”

“Hm… Should I request some assassins with the money in the vault? Or should I try asking the Master of the Huashan Sect, although the chance of success is low?”

“…”

“It’s best not to. Just let today’s thrashing go.”

The chief stared at me, utterly bewildered, then spoke as if it were absurd, “If money isn’t the goal, then what are you thinking? I don’t understand you!”

“…”

The chief’s obliviously passing remark surprisingly struck a chord with me.

‘What am I thinking…?’

Now that I ponder it, why did I come here?

Is it really necessary for me to come back and reprimand the chief now that I’ve reincarnated?

This chief holds no meaning for me anymore, so why on earth did I choose to visit right after exiting the Shadowless Gate…?

As I delved deeper into my thoughts, I suddenly realized.

‘Ah!’

Freedom!

I came here because I wanted to feel free.

If the situation were to tangle even a little, I would inevitably resort to extreme efficiency and move tightly again, but subconsciously, I yearned to resist that tension and waste a bit of time in this leisurely and pointless place!

‘And there’s also the lingering regret from cycle 30 of not enjoying Soeul Village enough…’

But now, there’s no way to revert to the previous dynamic with the village chief. I recognize too well that this 31st cycle is fundamentally different from the 30th. It’s no longer a time to merely escape reality, and even though I’d come to Soeul Village, a part of me still felt regret from that period.

That’s right… now that I’ve reincarnated, why not enjoy a little?

Since I felt more and more that living tightly would drive me half-crazy during my time in Soeul Village, it was natural for me to want to do some nonsense like this every once in a while.

I savored the resonance of that realization for a moment and then suddenly asked the chief, “Chief, what’s your wish?”

“What?”

“I realized that while you bullied me like a dog, you did feed me, shelter me, and even provided money to go to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School in my childhood. If that’s a favor, then it only makes sense I should grant you a wish to restore balance.”

“…?!”

“Anything is fine; just tell me your wish. I’ll fulfill it within reason.”

“…”

The village chief stared at me in disbelief. It was no wonder, as I was now the previously missing child of the village who had come back out of nowhere, slapped his face, and was whimsically stating he wanted to grant a wish.

Yet, surprisingly, he seemed to adapt to the situation, and in a slightly sulky tone, replied, “As for my wish… it’s this. Make my son, Kim Manje, the direct disciple of the Master of Huashan Sect and let him learn the strongest martial arts of Huashan!”

Woo-oooh!

In that instant, the law of cause and effect shook, and it became clear that the wish of the Soeul Village chief, Kim Cheon-jae, had been officially accepted by me.

“…Hmm?”

“You can’t do that, can you? Just because you learned some martial arts doesn’t mean you’re hot stuff!”

“No, it’s not that… is that really your wish? I thought you’d be asking to become a billionaire or something…”

“What’s wrong with my wish! I have more than enough money, and it’s my wish as a father for my son to do well!”

“Hmmm.”

This was a surprise. I didn’t expect the chief to wish for such a thing…

I couldn’t help but feel fascinated. He was usually the type to exploit tenants mercilessly for profit, so I had assumed he’d be full of greed. Yet, here he was focused on the wish for his son.

‘A surprisingly deep paternal love…’

After a moment, I thought it was amusing and smiled.

“Alright. I’ll grant that wish.”

Suddenly,

“Uwaah.”

“What are you doing?”

I grabbed the collars of both the village chief, Kim Cheon-jae, and his son, Kim Manje, and declared, “Let’s head over to Huashan right now.”

“W-What?!”

Whew!

I encompassed both their bodies and flew through the sky, heading towards Huashan, the one I remembered. Kim Cheon-jae and Kim Manje were bewildered by the experience of flying.

“Waaah! Flying through the sky…!”

“This is madness!”

Zoom!

Then, soaring through the air, I landed atop Mt. Hua. There, Huashan Sect disciples were training in a broad area, practicing their sword formations. Upon seeing my descending figure, they were utterly astonished.

“Gasp! Skywalk!”

“No! Isn’t that the Heavenly Sovereign?!”

“You fools! No one can fly like that so quickly.”

The most distinguished-looking young expert from Huashan, dressed in a white hero’s attire, yelled at the others and hurried over to perform a bow.

“Salutations to the martial hero of Jianghu! I am the first disciple of Huashan Sect…”

I fixed my gaze on his face and recalled with a start, cutting him off.

“Are you Mo Jun-ki?”

“Eep?! Y-You know my name?”

“…”

I fell silent. Because the reason I recognized the name of the author and first disciple, Mo Jun-ki, was that I had encountered him after Huashan was destroyed by the Otherworldly Race in my previous life. Back then, Mo Jun-ki was reduced to tears, lamenting as he had to rely on the Han Clan once Huashan fell.

Recalling that ancient memory stirred a strange emotion within me, and I said respectfully to Mo Jun-ki, “I believe I’ve already shown my prowess enough. Please fetch Master of the Sect; I have something to discuss.”

“…The Master of our sect isn’t someone you can just summon.”

Oh, so even after witnessing my flying ability, he still dared to speak like that? He must be quite resilient.

‘In that case, he survived until the end of the attack from the Otherworldly Race and gained that level of courage and wisdom as a survivor…’

Thinking this, I said to Mo Jun-ki, “Relay to the Master of Huashan Sect that I have something to share. They will understand.”

“Are you saying the Master of the Sect is ordered by someone like you…?”

“Did you really not notice how composed I’ve been so far? I’m speaking very politely.”

Without being gentle at all, I slightly released my Qi.

Kurwakwa!

“Uwaaaaa!”

“Help!”

“Mother!”

Simultaneously, an unseen wave surged outwards in a circle, scattering all the practicing disciples of Huashan in all directions, and Mo Jun-ki was no exception—he rolled away after being blasted several feet back, looking pale.

‘Hmm. I held back my Qi to half of Cheon Woo-jin’s might, and they couldn’t withstand it?’

I did my utmost to be lenient, yet they all collapsed. I felt like I had no words left. If I had pushed just a little harder, I might have stirred up a bloodbath here today. Confirming no deaths or serious injuries among them, I looked down on Mo Jun-ki and said, “If you don’t hurry up and fetch them, Huashan Sect shuts down today.”

“Ah, u-understood!”

Mo Jun-ki, flustered, scrambled away toward somewhere, and shortly after, the Master of Huashan and a few elders rushed over.

“Gah! You’re insane… Half-Transition Master…”

As soon as the Master sensed my Qi, his expression changed to one of despair. Since he was a peak expert himself, he must have indirectly felt the immense gap between us. However, sensing I was lenient, he hurriedly bowed and spoke.

“Salutations to the martial hero of Jianghu!”

“What’s your name?”

“I am the Master of Huashan Sect, Jin Mae-gyeom-jon Jong Li-hwang! Forgive me for daring to ask for your esteemed name.”

Typically, a Master from a major sect like Huashan would not stoop to this level upon facing a newcomer, especially when meeting Wei Zhi-hun, the leader of the Teng Yu Alliance. However, Jong Li-hwang seemed aware that I could wipe Huashan from existence whenever I chose, and a thick tension was palpable around him.

‘Hmm. It’s my first time confronting Jong Li-hwang, the Master of Huashan Sect… I believe that during my previous life, I had just passed by him when attempting to steal from all the Masters while learning from the Divine Thief.’

I recall encountering him only once during that chaotic episode. Jong Li-hwang was undoubtedly one of the renowned experts representing the Orthodox Sect and was known for his martial prowess. However, I also understood that compared to the likes of Yeon Jeong-hong or the Master of Great Sword Gate, he was significantly weaker, not quite reaching the heights of true peak power in the martial world.

I gazed intently at Jong Li-hwang, the Master of Huashan Sect, and spoke, “My name is…”

Hmm, what should I use as a pseudonym this time?

In the previous cycle, I went with Lee Gang-ryong, which led to some suspicious inquiries from the White Lotus Sect’s Master, causing all sorts of complications. Yet, it also feels awkward to introduce myself as Baek Woong.

‘Ah! I have a good one this time!’

With a sudden stroke of genius, I grinned and declared, “You can call me Yeong Caichen!”

“Hmm… I see.”

Jong Li-hwang accepted it without much thought, but in reality, this name carried its own meaning.

The exorcist of the Yeong Clan that I had glanced at during the narrative of the previous life!

I once skimmed through the life of that person, laid out like a diary.

It seemed the perfect name to use, as it held no real connection to me and was unfamiliar enough not to draw attention.

‘Besides, he wouldn’t exist in this era anyway…’

Jong Li-hwang of Huashan Sect said, “Yeong Caichen… why have you visited our humble sect?”

“Nothing much. I’m here to accept this fellow, Kim Manje, as a disciple in Huashan Sect.”

I yanked Kim Manje by the collar and gracefully threw him in Jong Li-hwang’s direction. Jong Li-hwang caught Kim Manje using Void Object Manipulation and examined him a bit.

“He doesn’t seem to possess any extraordinary constitution or talent…”

Kim Manje’s face twisted at those words, while I silently chuckled and said, “Just let him in. If you accept him as the direct disciple of the Master, I’ll consider it a favor to your sect.”

“Wha…? If you say it’s a favor…”

“Any request you have that involves force, I’ll handle it. How’s that?”

“…!”

Realizing the crazy gain involved, Jong Li-hwang’s countenance brightened, and he nodded vigorously.

“Of course! Starting today, this child Kim Manje will be my direct disciple!”

“N-No, Master!”

“That’s a bit…”

The nearby elders were flustered, but Jong Li-hwang spoke with authority and intimidation.

“Silence. Don’t you see that this is immense profit for us?”

“…Uhm… Very well then.”

Jong Li-hwang swiftly recognized that granting a request to one with as much power as me was a considerable boon. So, accepting Kim Manje into the sect as the direct disciple was nothing traumatic compared to the gains that could come from it.

Not stopping there, I continued talking.

“Oh, and what’s the strongest martial art of Huashan Sect?”

“…”

I pressed him again, worried about not fulfilling the [wish].

“Honestly. If it’s a lie…”

With significant contemplation, Jong Li-hwang finally answered, “…You might want to talk somewhere private?”

“Not an issue.”

With a wave of my hand, a barrier emerged, allowing only Jong Li-hwang and me to converse without sound leaking outside. After confirming the barrier, Jong Li-hwang cautiously replied,

“It’s called Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”

I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows at this revelation.

“Oh? I thought I knew most of Huashan’s martial techniques. Yet this one has never come up. Is it genuine?”

“Indeed.”

“And what makes you believe that technique to be the strongest?”

“It’s an incomplete Peerless Sword Technique that is the foundation of Huashan Sect.”

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

“The original founder of our Huashan Sect, the Treasure Flower Sword God, discovered an unidentified secret technique while wandering and practicing in action. That technique is the Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique. While it lacked tremendous finesse, after training it for fifteen years, he became celebrated as the Sword God of that era.”

I felt a flicker of recognition. I had indeed heard tales of the Treasure Flower Sword God, his shadow loomed large in the martial world, and it was rumored that Huashan was among the mightiest sects of that time. It was also well known that the sect’s strength had significantly diminished over several centuries since its golden days.

“Hmm? But considering how powerful it is, I’ve never heard of the Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique before…?”

True enough. Although it sounded like the might of the Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique could rival the pinnacle techniques of the Four Great Families, techniques that potent should become legendary tales known throughout Jianghu. Nonetheless, it seemed the prowess of this technique wasn’t common knowledge even with the sect’s founders.

Then, Jong Li-hwang fumbled a bit and said, “Um… The Plum Blossom Sword Technique passed down by our sect is the Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique.”

“Eh? What do you mean? While the Plum Blossom Sword Technique is indeed revered, it lacks the qualifications of a true Peerless Sword Technique!”

“Well… Um… The truth is, the Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique is too complex and strategic, and thus we modified it considerably to create the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, which is what you know.”

“…?!”

I was dumbfounded, staring at him.

“What? So your cherished Plum Blossom Sword Technique is just a downgraded version of the true technique?”

Jong Li-hwang sounded almost offended as he replied, “Ugh. It’s not a fake; it’s just that its difficulty and power have been greatly diminished! I’m not sure by how much, but…”

“…”

I was taken aback by this hidden aspect of the martial world that I was learning for the first time during my 31st reincarnation.

Who knew that the famed Plum Blossom Sword Technique of the Huashan Sect, a representation of the sect, was merely a derivative or lesser lineage of the true technique? It was a revelation that none had suspected!

‘Still, it’s remarkable that the Plum Blossom Sword Technique, being a lesser version, still managed to secure Huashan’s place amongst the top tiers of the Nine Great Sects…’

That said, the Plum Blossom Sword Technique wasn’t weak, certainly. Rather, it remained a recognized martial art that struck fear into other sects and was a pinnacle skill of its own; its wielders were celebrated. Gaining mastery over it could elevate one to peak expert status, proving its might.

Jong Li-hwang continued, “Though I revealed the truth, learning the basic Plum Blossom Sword Technique would indeed be more beneficial for this kid, Kim Manje. Despite all previous Masters of the Huashan Sect inheriting the Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique, none managed to fully comprehend it like the first Treasure Flower Sword God! It’s simply beyond the capacity of the human realm, so it’s better to let them skip it altogether.”

“Oh…”

Curiosity sparked within me as I was eager to know the depth of this Blood Sky Plum Blossom Sword Technique.

I stared at the book in my hand, containing the technique’s secrets.

‘What an unexpected turn. To think that common figures I often encountered like the ones from the Huashan Sect possessed such profound secrets…’

How am I supposed to decode a martial technique portrayed entirely through illustrations?

“`

 

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