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“What kind of nonsense is this crazy guy babbling about?”

For a moment, I was stumped and didn’t know what to say, but I couldn’t help but chuckle dismissively at him.

“Why are you even living?”

“Are you out of your mind?! Why the heck are you asking such things…?”

Suddenly, Zhuge Sa broke in calmly.

[Because you don’t want to suffer under the tyrannical ruler for eternity, you’re trying to grow stronger and gather the Seven Luminaries… It’s a good goal. A worthy life pursuit to aim for something grand while saving the world at the same time. But you do realize how weird this all is, right?]

“What’s so weird about it?”

[The funny part is you’re being loved by the “Old Ruler,” and they’ve never directly harmed you. It seems like you’re battling against the walls of this world’s philosophy all on your own.]

“……”

I wanted to argue back right away, but my words stumbled. Zhuge Sa was directly poking the contradictions I had been harboring. Yet, gritting my teeth, I responded to him.

“Loved, my foot! Gods just see humans as playthings. They see us as pests that they can exploit and tear apart whenever they feel like it. I don’t even know when my previous life will end, and you expect me to live anxiously under their thumb? If I do that, I’ll end up losing my mind in fear and despair!”

[Oh, you have a point. It’s a valid thought, but why does it seem to me…]

Zhuge Sa seemed to be barely holding back laughter.

[Because it looks like you’ve already gone crazy!]

“What?”

[Hyun is also pretty far gone. It seems like madness is contagious.]

Zhuge Sa rambled on nonsensically.

[Looking back at your past lives, I’d say following my advice led to the best outcomes. Didn’t it? You called upon divine power, wiped out the imperial palace, and you don’t have to tangle with the “Old Ruler” anymore. Had you just listened to me, you could have wrapped up your life happily.]

“Ugh… That’s…”

I hesitated.

Surely that was true. Stripping away personal feelings, the best outcomes had indeed occurred when I followed Zhuge Sa’s advice. There was that annoying incident where the “Old Ruler” suddenly descended and wreaked havoc, but that was also my choice. Zhuge Sa was right: if I had just followed his words, maybe things would have concluded nicely.

Zhuge Sa chuckled lightly.

[You all are misunderstanding things. As a human, it’s impossible to match a god, let alone topple one. Gathering the Seven Luminaries might give you a glimmer of hope, but it’s truly an impossible feat for a human. By the time you gather them, you’ll be a divine being powerful enough to not need them. In other words, you’re likely to give up your humanity in that moment. It’s not much different from gods fighting among themselves.]

“……”

[And there’s no guarantee you can overthrow the “Old Ruler” just because you gather the Seven Luminaries. Have you ever imagined the power of an Absolute Being roaming the cosmos with the title of the Constellation Master? The power that killed the Master of the White Lotus Sect could very well just be a speck of dust.]

“But not trying is just a compromise!”

Zhuge Sa’s reasoning was annoyingly accurate, but I couldn’t just accept it outright. I slammed my palm against the wall of the empty meeting room and shouted vehemently.

“I’ve spent decades assuming the impossible was indeed impossible! And I ended up dying pathetically as a lowly pawn. If I had tried to make reality a little better, things might have been a bit brighter! I’ve felt that for dozens, if not hundreds of times, over my past lives!”

[……]

“If I put in the effort, even a little, something would improve! Then how is it wrong for me to do my best?!”

My pent-up frustrations, which I hadn’t even been able to express to Mangnyang, spilled out. Zhuge Sa, who once felt like my ally, was now pressing into my heart, amplifying the tension.

He responded to my outburst.

[Ohhhh, look at you putting in the effort. How impressive! The pampered ones would love that attitude.]

“What?”

[Nah, just saying.]

Zhuge Sa’s laughter became ominously serious.

[In your 19 lives, you’ve gotten a lot, but what’s the current situation? Have you even caught up to divine power by a hair? I assure you that in your current way, not only would you not reach your goal in 20 lives, but even 50 wouldn’t get you there.]

I growled in irritation.

“What kind of nonsense is that! I’ve already uncovered the whereabouts of 4 of the Seven Luminaries and I can snag the Moon Sovereign whenever I please! Plus, the Fire Spirit will just take a little time—what’s the delay there?”

[Sure, you’re getting everything you want while still progressing. But if you mess up just once, sudden death becomes your usual occurrence.]

“…….”

[No matter how many lives you’ve lived, finding someone like you who’s good at dying is a rare find.]

The mention of sudden death stole my words. Zhuge Sa said leisurely.

[Of course, advancing this way isn’t without its benefits. Discovering that the Heavenly Spirit Pill isn’t all sunshine and rainbows is a big win. If you’d just focused on getting that first, you’d have missed out on potential side effects. But for you, I think focusing more on one thing would be better.]

“Focusing more…?”

[Whether it’s the Seven Luminaries or Martial Arts, ditch the rest. Expand your influence as much as you can.]

Zhuge Sa’s voice began to pulse with madness.

[Why are you always keeping company with the Thunder God Lineage? Since things are going well, why not take the chance to wipe them out now? With what you’ve gathered, isn’t it the perfect time to write them off? Kill Lee Kwang, take out Jin So-cheong, eradicate those Thunder God Lineage guys! Stay loyal to the White Lotus Sect and expand your sights to the world. Since you’re at it, conquer the world with the White Lotus Sect and uncover the true intent of the Absolute Being!]

“……”

For a brief moment, my ears perked up. The thought of ditching the Thunder God Lineage was something I had often considered myself. After Jin So-cheong became a partner sharing obsidian with me, I had hesitated out of loyalty. Plus, just as he said, hadn’t I already gotten almost everything to be gained from the Thunder God Lineage?

But I shook my head.

“The Thunder Spirit still remains. I’ll keep an eye on it until I get that.”

Zhuge Sa laughed at me.

[Heh heh… Greedy much? You, a talentless fool, think you can complete the ultimate unfinished martial arts created by the most powerful martial faction of the thousand-year-old White Lotus Sect? Are you writing a novel?]

“That’s…”

[Just keep in mind. Your grandiose plan is obscuring what you should be seeing right beneath your nose. It’s amusing to point out that contradiction, so let’s leave it for now.]

“……”

That grandiose plan struck my heart like a dagger.

This was already my 19th life. I had harbored countless ambitions but often died pathetically, so at this life’s starting point, I felt a significant void. I couldn’t just label Zhuge Sa’s words as nonsense.

But if I backed down now, I wouldn’t have come this far. I snorted lightly and said,

“I will find some way to chase you out of my head.”

[Heh, how?]

“I’ll master the Soul Exchange Technique and shift your spirit into another body. After that, I won’t care what you do, just get lost.”

[Oh, I would welcome that. But how will you gather a body?]

I spoke cautiously.

“You need to help me.”

[Why would I do that? Ah, I see. You can’t even figure out how to create a Portrait Immortal from the Crystal Stele with your martial arts skills, right? And you know the Soul Exchange Technique can’t transfer a soul into a dead body.]

“……”

[I could enlighten you. Not a hard task, after all. I need to escape even in my current soul state, you know. But there’s one prerequisite, isn’t there?]

“What is it?”

Zhuge Sa giggled.

[Do you think the Soul Exchange Technique, the vision of the Heretical Sect Leader, is easy? I had to grind for over three years just to master it! Do you think a dullard like you could pick it up overnight? Just pulling out the spirit would take you ten years.]

“Ten years, so what? I have nothing but time!”

When I responded curtly, Zhuge Sa laughed again.

[Don’t kid yourself. For you to succeed at mastering the Soul Exchange Technique at a normal learning pace would take at least two hundred years. I promise on the name of the Heretical Sect Leader that not even the most gifted Taoist would pull this off without working hard.]

“…….!!”

He kept throwing jabs at me.

[It must be nice living long. Everyone’s all impressed that you’d work your bones down to the marrow for the next two hundred years.]

“What a load of…”

I wanted to explode but then paused. Zhuge Sa had just invoked the name of the Heretical Sect Leader. That meant what he said wasn’t just to mock me; it was likely the truth. I regained my composure and replied calmly.

“But wouldn’t that not be good for you either? There must be some way you’re saying all this.”

[Hmm… So you haven’t been wasting your hits across your past lives. You have at least some reflexes.]

Zhuge Sa mused for a moment and continued.

[Yeah, if I teach you the Soul Exchange Technique, it could be manageable for you to learn it. I’m not sure about reaching the state of great achievement which requires a special process, but I can lead you to the 7-Star level in ten years.]

“7-Star! What level is that?”

[It’s enough achievement to separate my soul and place it into a Portrait Immortal.]

“Hmm…”

I felt tempted. After all, receiving training from the one and only master of the Soul Exchange Technique would likely allow me to learn it, even if I’m a slowpoke. If I had only known martial arts, I may not have been so intrigued, but I was aware of its power through the knowledge of Ji-seon Mang-nyang and the training of the Soul Exchange Technique.

The Soul Exchange Technique was indeed a forgotten secret. Those who trained in it could manipulate the world with ease, transcending life and death. In reality, wasn’t Zhuge Sa freely traversing the afterlife and other dimensions despite his predetermined fate? Moreover, even though the Master of the White Lotus Sect discarded his body, he managed to transfer his spirit into my head, prolonging his life. It was undoubtedly an extraordinary technique that surpassed the typical limitations of martial arts.

If I could master the Soul Exchange Technique, I could avoid sudden death, prolong my life, and explore greater possibilities. Still, I hesitated with doubt.

“What guarantee do I have that you won’t deceive me?”

[None.]

“Saying that so confidently really takes the wind out of my sails…”

[You see, no matter what I say, you’ll just think it’s an excuse, right? Let’s not waste each other’s time.]

Calmly, Zhuge Sa replied.

[I’ll just say this—right now, we’re coexisting with your soul, but if things don’t go my way, I could self-destruct and blast your spirit out, leaving you as a vegetable for at least 50 years. I’d be gone, but you might end up as a slave somewhere.]

“Don’t toy with me.”

[Hehe, am I?]

Zhuge Sa’s unsettling smile returned.

[Look, I don’t want to harbor grudges against you either. All I want is a comfy retirement and immortality. But as long as we can both gain something, I suggest you view my proposal positively.]

“There’s no guarantee you won’t just pretend to teach the Soul Exchange Technique while snatching away my body and soul.”

[Hehehe… Are you that serious?]

“What do you mean?”

He looked at me incredulously.

[Do you really not know your current position? If you did, you wouldn’t make such remarks. It’s absurd how clueless you are.]

It felt like I had stumbled upon something significant. His words weren’t just meaningless taunts. I had to grasp this importance.

“What do you mean?”

[Oh, never mind. Just accept my proposal. I’m not foolish enough to take reckless risks.]

“Hmm…”

I pondered. Should I really accept the suspicious Zhuge Sa’s proposal?

As the wind blew, I sat at one corner of the chilly meeting room, arms crossed and deep in thought. Finally, I reached a conclusion.

“I’ll talk it over with Mangnyang and then make a decision. It won’t be too late.”

[I suspected you’d say that. But aren’t you relying too much on Hyun?]

“What nonsense are you spewing now?”

[Hyun isn’t just a machine here to fulfill your desires. She has her own wishes and aspirations too. It seems you’ve been taking that lightly after all these past lives.]

“……”

[You’d do better by making more autonomous choices.]

“Shut it.”

I shook my head and sighed.

“I’ll think it over after returning to the White Lotus Sect.”

 

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