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After wreaking havoc on the Namgung Clan and Jin So-cheong, I returned to Jinrang Valley, stuffing the father and son of the Namgung family into a wooden armor.

Sitting on the bench in Jinrang Valley, I glanced at the wooden armor and mulled over my thoughts.

“There’s no need to slaughter the Namgung Clan right away.”

At that moment, if I were in the mood, I would have swung my blade with Jin So-cheong and indulged in a massacre. The urge to wipe out all living beings in the Namgung Clan surged within me, yet I decided it was best to hold back for now.

After all, the clan leader Namgung Myeong and the young master Namgung Hwan were both weak and trapped within my wooden armor, while Jin So-cheong had already disabled the Dantian of the Eight Swords of Namgung. Regardless of how capable the rest might be, if both the clan leader and young master, along with elder-level experts, went missing, it was only a matter of time before the Namgung Clan crumbled. Killing the remaining stragglers would only lead to unnecessary bloodshed.

The key was to focus on what happens after survival. Those left in the Namgung Clan would be itching for revenge, but soon they would taste the living hell I had in store for them. It was while I was lost in thought that—

“Baek Woong. Well done.”

Mangnyang was approaching with Cheon Woo-jin. I rose when I spotted Mangnyang.

“You’ve returned.”

Mangnyang sent Cheon Woo-jin back to his own place, then turned to me and spoke.

“I’ve taken care of various matters. I just met with Jin So-cheong to hear what happened.”

“Hmm… I nearly eradicated the Namgung Clan. There’s only some cleanup left, but it doesn’t interfere with our plans, does it?”

At my question, Mangnyang smiled softly.

“I told you, you can unleash your full force. The Namgung Clan is insignificant, so clearing them away wouldn’t affect the grand plan.”

……

While Mangnyang’s words brought me some relief, I couldn’t help but click my tongue internally.

The Namgung Clan was among the most powerful martial clans, vying for dominance among the five great families, and calling them insignificant was outrageous! Mangnyang, sensing my gaze, broke into a hearty laugh.

“Haha… Think of our ultimate goal. The Namgung Clan is merely a pawn of the Fire Spirit Techniques, so why should we fear them?”

“That’s true, but…”

I hesitated and continued,

“Isn’t the Fire Spirit Techniques the real issue? While I trusted you and pushed the Namgung Clan out of the way, how do we intend to communicate with them?”

“Don’t worry. It’ll unravel much more easily than you think.”

“Easily, huh?”

“Normally, the Fire Spirit Techniques wouldn’t let anyone get away with touching the Namgung Clan. But think about it. If they retaliate against those who attacked the Namgung Clan, wouldn’t that just be a cycle of revenge?”

Hmmmm.

There was a subtle undertone in Mangnyang’s words. After thinking for a moment, I replied.

“It’s not revenge, then. Although the Namgung Clan belongs to the Fire Spirit Techniques, they’re just weaklings we can dispose of when necessary.”

“Exactly.”

Mangnyang chuckled and continued to explain.

“As you might have guessed, all we need to do is offer a benefit comparable to what the Namgung Clan possessed to the Fire Spirit Techniques. The reason Han Baek-ryeong, the leader of the Fire Spirit Techniques, brought the five great families of the Central Plains under her thumb was simply to facilitate her invasion of the Central Plains, nothing more, nothing less. She’s savvy enough to understand what we offer during negotiations.”

“A benefit comparable to the Namgung Clan!”

I sighed and shook my head.

“I just thought of that, but no answers are forthcoming. Do we have anything like that?”

“Haha… Baek Woong, your ability to see the big picture has improved significantly, but you’re still lacking in details. We possess an incredible treasure!”

“……?”

Mangnyang smiled mischievously.

“The Black and White Lotus!”

“Ah!”

“Once we present the Black and White Lotus, Han Baek-ryeong will forget about the Namgung Clan. After all, it can heal the young master instantly and kick off the White Lotus Sect’s conquest of the Central Plains.”

How could I not think of that?

I felt a wave of self-reproach. After a moment of blank contemplation, I mumbled,

“Y-yeah, that makes sense. But if we suddenly hand over the Black and White Lotus, won’t they grow suspicious?”

Mangnyang shrugged.

“What if they do? With our Golden Lamp Technique, we can easily escape from the Fire Spirit Techniques. The only thing Han Baek-ryeong can do is check whether the Black and White Lotus is poisoned. Once the young master is healed, and its effectiveness is proven, she’ll end up needing to bow her head in humility.”

“But when the young master is healed, won’t the White Lotus Sect become too strong?”

I bombarded him with questions, causing Mangnyang to smirk.

“True. The White Lotus Sect will dominate the world.”

“Hmm.”

“But who cares? Think of the results.”

He continued indifferently.

“As a reward for presenting the Black and White Lotus, you will become the representative of the Thunder God Lineage and rise to become the sect leader’s disciple. The White Lotus Sect will gain power, and afterward, you’ll discover the secrets of the Heavenly Spirit Pill to grow even stronger. Furthermore, the White Lotus Sect’s immense strength will keep the Imperial Palace and the Vermilion Bird in check. Where can you find such a grand plan?”

“……!!”

“So that’s why taking down the Namgung Clan isn’t a big deal. In the grand scheme of things, they are like mere pests.”

“I see…!!”

As I marveled at this revelation, Mangnyang clasped his hands and sat on the bench.

“The only concern is that the revival of the Thunder God Lineage might get in the way, but that’s a minor issue. Baek Woong, your act of passing down martial arts knowledge to Jin So-cheong has already fulfilled all your loyalty to the Thunder God Lineage.”

“Hmm.”

“It might be tough right now, but as Jin So-cheong grows, should the White Lotus Sect leader go berserk one day, it’ll serve as a countermeasure. This is why I supported the idea of passing down martial arts knowledge to Jin So-cheong.”

This indicated that Mangnyang’s plan had a solid framework from the start and proceeded without any flaws. Even though striking at the Namgung Clan caused some minor adjustments, there were no major concerns. I silently expressed my admiration.

‘If things continue like this, it’ll be a breeze.’

The remaining tasks didn’t seem too challenging. The negotiation with the Fire Spirit Techniques was an issue, but I believed Mangnyang would handle it smoothly. Once I entered under the White Lotus Sect, all I had to do was discover the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Even if it took decades, as long as I uncovered it, I could start using it afterward, making it a highly profitable venture.

Suddenly, a peculiar thought crossed my mind, prompting me to address Mangnyang.

“Oh wait!”

“If you think there’s a problem, go ahead and say it.”

“You received permission to enter Mount Kunlun for martial arts training in this lifetime, right? When will you use that?”

“Hehe. I anticipated that question.”

Mangnyang smiled slyly.

“I can’t say much right now, but the industrial sector at Kunlun will be brief. You can proceed after joining the White Lotus Sect.”

“Why is it hard to discuss?”

“Anything related to the celestial realm is a matter of Tian Ji. If disclosed, there will be consequences, and I can only speak about it at that time.”

That made sense. I nodded and then followed up with another question.

“One more thing. What about Dokgo Seong?”

Dokgo Seong of the Thunder God Lineage. He was the highest-ranking expert and elder in existence. Currently, Dokgo Seong was relentlessly striving toward a breakthrough in swordsmanship at the Dragon King’s Valley in Sichuan, expected to achieve remarkable mastery in a decade. Naturally, I considered it crucial to recruit an extraordinary expert like him. However, according to Mangnyang’s strategy, enlisting Dokgo Seong as an ally seemed impossible given his negative feelings toward the White Lotus Sect due to his Thunder God lineage.

At that moment, Mangnyang studied me closely before saying,

“In this life, it seems there’s no fate between you two.”

“Huh!”

Was he suggesting that we abandon Dokgo Seong?

After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

“Baek Woong… ever since you entrusted me with your memories, I’ve been racking my brain endlessly. No matter how I sweet-talk it, the fact remains that I’ve failed more than ten times. Each time, I reflected on the reasons. My mistakes contributed a lot, but there were countless unpredictable variables, and above all, the lack of power was evident.”

……

“And there was another reason. I wanted to wrap everything up within a single lifetime, and that mindset was flawed.”

I could grasp what Mangnyang was alluding to. He slowly gazed up at the sky and continued,

“I thought your humanity would erode over successive lifetimes. That’s why I wanted to conclude everything as quickly as possible, stuffing every aspect into that lifetime. However, the entity we ultimately need to defeat has transcended into a god, making that mindset nothing more than arrogance. Thus, I’ve decided to modify my strategy.”

I replied heavily,

“You’re planning based on the assumption that I’ll die and be reborn.”

“… In fact, that’s how it was originally planned. But from now on, we have to mind the possibility that we could face annihilation due to miscalculations.”

“But even if we die, wouldn’t we just eliminate the root cause in the next life?”

“Well… whether that will suffice is debatable…”

Mangnyang muttered ominously, turning his head away.

“Fortunately, the arrival of this challenge will be far off in the future. So, make sure to keep pushing forward until then.”

“Get lost, you cat!”

And just like that, I woke up.

“……”

I held my head in my hands. My mood was absolutely foul.

This was the worst morning I’d felt in nearly a decade.

 

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