Chapter 311
“So, you wanna know why I didn’t ask Queen Mother for Miho’s forgiveness at the offering ceremony?”
“It’s because of my freedom to move, right?”
If I had asked the Queen Mother to free Miho, she would have to protect me for ten years as a debt. That caused plenty of conflicts with Miho and the others. Mangnyang seemed to be aware of that disharmony.
“That’s one reason, but there’s another.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ve uncovered a big truth about Miho. It turns out she’s one of the nine tails of the Demon King Daji, and the Queen Mother purified her over hundreds of years to bring her into existence.”
“Hmm.”
I let out a sound of contemplation. According to Yeodong-bin, Miho was a clone of the Demon King Daji. Definitely unexpected information this time around. As I mulled over Mangnyang’s words, he continued.
“What do you think would happen if you meet Miho and hand her the obsidian? Can you guess her reaction?”
“To be honest, it wouldn’t go well.”
“That’s a significant matter regarding Miho’s existence and identity. Naturally, she’d be confused. If she experiences tremendous confusion, you’ll definitely be swept up in it, and this life won’t go according to your control. Mental strength will be consumed as well.”
What Mangnyang said was right. Scratching my head, I had no words to respond, so Mangnyang added, “When you tell Miho the truth, make sure you have figured out a bit of the reality first.”
I realized the implication behind Mangnyang’s words.
“So that’s why we’re heading to the celestial realm!”
“Exactly.”
Mangnyang nodded his head.
“I didn’t just trip over the Heavenly Mysterious Woman for no reason. You know because you have Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s memories, but she was my master. Plus, she’s the goddess of war, working as Queen Mother’s right hand. If you learn the Corpse Dissolution Technique under her, you’ll have a chance to find out information related to Miho.”
“Hmm.”
I hadn’t thought that far. As I admired Mangnyang’s calculation, he gazed at the sky and said, “Furthermore, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman has always struggled with and questioned Queen Mother about her contradictions. That’s why Ji-seon Mang-nyang believed in your Rebirth Ability and chose the path of transferring memories and experiences through the Corpse Dissolution Technique.”
“I have that memory as well.”
I reflected on the memory and continued, “The Queen Mother has another body different from the human form she manifests. However, that body disappeared somewhere in the celestial realm after the Mythological Age.”
“To speak more frankly…”
Mangnyang sighed. “The Heavenly Mysterious Woman knew that Queen Mother was plotting something, but she didn’t know what. She also suspected that the conspiracy was related to the Queen Mother’s missing body and the Old Ruler, but many of the immortals under her were assassinated.”
“Hmm.”
That was also in Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s memory. Many Ji-seon directly under the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, equivalent to Ji-seon Mang-nyang, were eliminated by some mysterious force. They must’ve been killed while attempting to uncover the conspiracy.
“After handling matters in the Imperial Palace, Ji-seon Mang-nyang tried to uncover that conspiracy but thought his abilities were lacking. His skills weren’t particularly outstanding compared to other Ji-seons.”
Listening to this, I realized how enormous the conspiracy I was getting involved in was. Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s abilities were nearly at the peak as a sorcerer, a land-based celestial being, yet he felt insufficient! It was clear that finding out the Queen Mother’s intentions would require risking my life.
“To annihilate Ji-seon without a trace… Is that possible only for the Great Immortal?”
“I think it’s tough. That Evil God would have to be at least a Fighting Immortal to pull it off. Or be someone completely divine.”
“A Fighting Immortal, huh.”
“Not all Great Immortals are highly combat-capable. Some may be about the same as Ji-seon. However, those who ascended as combat masters like Yeodong-bin possess tremendous combat strength.”
After saying that, Mangnyang waved his hand. “Well, let’s discuss what to do from now on. First, let’s recruit the Sword Demon and Jin So-cheong as companions.”
“That would be wise.”
Crack!
After discussing the plan with Mangnyang, we headed to Pirate Island.
Upon arriving, the Blood Blade Group had been annihilated. The peak experts of the Shadowless Gate wiped them out completely. The Sword Demon was gathering survivors to treat them, and I met him along with Mangnyang.
The Sword Demon chuckled heartily.
“Hahaha! It’s the first time meeting you, Mangnyang.”
Mangnyang forced a smile. “It’s both an acquaintance and a first meeting for me too, Sect Leader.”
“Who wouldn’t feel that way?”
“Have you finished what you needed to do?”
“Plenty. I’ve been waiting for you all.”
In fact, it seemed the Sword Demon had already completed rescuing his daughter, Seo Mun-hye, and taking revenge on the Blood Blade Group. Now, the only thing left was to return to the Shadowless Gate. The Sword Demon glanced at me and said, “Baek Woong, I have something to tell you.”
“Yes?”
“I suspect the Imperial Palace was behind the Blood Blade Group.”
“……?”
What does that mean? Then, Mangnyang chimed in. “That would make sense.”
“Hmm. I lack the ability to transmit memories, which is unfortunate… But if it felt difficult even with the Shadowless Gate’s strength, then the only force left is the Imperial Palace. Especially if there’s the Wind Spirit Sect backing Tuma, it’s obvious. Since the Wind Spirit Sect teamed up with the Imperial Palace, their conspiracy continues.”
After laying out his assumptions, the Sword Demon proclaimed, “That’s why I’m planning to investigate the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament.”
I was shocked at the Sword Demon’s words. “Are you sure about that? It’s really dangerous there.”
“That’s why I’ve got my own plan. If you help me, it’ll become much easier.”
Listening in, Mangnyang said, “So, you plan to join the Twelve Joules.”
“Haha! You really are the world’s top strategist…”
The Sword Demon exclaimed in surprise. It seemed Mangnyang had read his thoughts. Looking confused, I glanced at them, and Mangnyang said, “Baek Woong, the Shadowless Gate will surely face pressure from the White Lotus Sect due to its position as the Demon Path’s leader. To gain freedom of action, you need to have an equal backing against the White Lotus Sect. In the 17th life, we cooperated with the Thunder God Lineage, but the only force that can realistically match the White Lotus Sect is the Twelve Joules.”
“Ah!”
“Furthermore, the Twelve Joules possesses the Self-Controlled Moon Blade, which is a prize for the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament. This means there’s some connection to the tournament, no matter how small. If we get help from the Twelve Joules, investigating Luoyang will become incredibly easy.”
“That makes sense.”
“To do that, you, Baek Woong, need to use your power like before.”
As I thought about what I had to do next, my head started to hurt. So I frowned and said, “Does that mean I have to meet the Twelve Joules again?”
“There’s no choice. That guy is incredibly cunning; you must contact him one more time to discern his true intentions.”
After saying that, Mangnyang shrugged his shoulders. “In the 17th life, you learned the true intentions of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Even if it means negotiating with God, knowing that the White Lotus Sect Leader sought the Non-Birth Mother’s Dharma Technique is valuable information. If you use the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s obsession wisely, it will become much easier for you to rise within the sect. Guiding him according to your will will also become easier.”
“Hmm.”
“There are many things to do from now on. First, you must recruit Jin So-cheong as a companion.”
The Sword Demon, listening to Mangnyang, asked, “Wait, Mangnyang. Do we really need to bring Jin So-cheong into this?”
Mangnyang looked taken aback. “Why do you ask that?”
“Jin So-cheong hasn’t really played a major role in your previous lives. Sure, he helped out when Lee Kwang threw a fit, but we just needed to avoid pulling him into our ranks. We all know how hard it is to control the Thunder God Lineage, so why take the risk of involving Jin So-cheong?”
“……”
The Sword Demon’s reasoning was sound. He also possessed impressive intellect and reasoning skills. After hearing all of the Sword Demon’s words, Mangnyang brought up the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line. It seemed hot in here.
“The Sect Leader’s argument is valid. Yet, I still think we need to make Jin So-cheong one of our allies.”
“Why’s that?”
“He’s the number one genius in the Central Plains and serves as a key link in directing all kinds of forces, including General Hwang Yeon. The reason Jin So-cheong hasn’t contributed until now is that we haven’t nurtured him enough.”
“……!!”
The Sword Demon’s eyes widened. He then spoke in a trembling voice, “You can’t be serious. Do you really evaluate Jin So-cheong’s talent that highly?”
“Yes. If we don’t nurture him, we have no future.”
Mangnyang slowly continued, “We learned from our failure in the 17th life that we need to gather the Seven Luminaries to oppose the God of the Imperial Palace. However, acquiring the Seven Luminaries is extraordinarily difficult, and even if Baek Woong lived his life ten times over, there’s no guarantee we’d obtain them.”
“That’s right. I know there’s a Fire Spirit down to the south, but when will we ever get there?”
“Even so, the life we live now is reality. We can’t just sit and wait to die. So we need to at least have a chance to fight and win against the gods, and I believe that’s Jin So-cheong.”
“Wow… you don’t realize, do you?”
The Sword Demon said, sounding frustrated. “Even the Master of the White Lotus Sect couldn’t stand against the gods. Plus, the Master of the White Lotus Sect is a figure deserving of the title that transcends all martial arts in history. Even if Jin So-cheong is a genius, do you think a mere late-stage individual from the lost Thunder God Lineage can reach the level of the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”
“No.”
Mangnyang confidently replied, “He will undoubtedly surpass the Master of the White Lotus Sect one day.”
“……!!”
“Furthermore, nurturing Jin So-cheong is akin to nurturing Baek Woong.”
The Sword Demon and I were both utterly dumbfounded. What was Mangnyang talking about?
Was he serious? But after spending decades with Mangnyang, it didn’t seem like he was joking or rambling. The Sword Demon also noticed this and couldn’t hide his surprise. We felt powerless, reaching the limits of martial arts, yet this strategist, Mangnyang, was denying those limits.
After pondering for a long while, I said, “If you think that way, then I’ll also trust Jin So-cheong.”
“Thank you.”
The Sword Demon let out a grunt before responding, “I get it now. I won’t bring it up again.”
“… Are you angry?”
“Don’t paint me as a petty person. But if you think about it calmly, anyone can see that Mangnyang is speaking idealistically.”
“……”
The Sword Demon’s words felt more realistic because of their neutrality. ‘Could Jin So-cheong actually surpass the Master of the White Lotus Sect?’
Even I, who had seen Jin So-cheong up close, found it hard to believe. The Master of the White Lotus Sect’s martial arts had transcended the limits of everything I understood, even broadening my perspective. No one would think that Jin So-cheong could surpass such an extraordinary talent—no one except for Mangnyang.
Finally, we handled matters at Pirate Island and returned with the Shadowless Gate and Seo Mun-hye. The Sword Demon said, “Make sure to come back soon. Then we’ll solidify our alliance with the Twelve Joules.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, if you can bring Sasaki Kojiro, do so. He would be quite useful.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Crack!
A short while later, we arrived at the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School using the Golden Lamp technique. This time, for some reason, Mangnyang also came along. His insistence on seeing the movement location with his own eyes struck me as peculiar. Mangnyang surveyed the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School from the roof and said, “It seems we need to take a roundabout way to approach Jin So-cheong. Don’t reveal that you’re a successor of the Thunder God Lineage right away. I want to avoid entanglements with Lee Kwang.”
“Then what should I do?”
“There’s a simple method.”
Mangnyang smirked. “Shortly, the Heavenly Yin Body will be in danger. You need to get there first and rescue the daughter of the Mo Yong Clan.”
