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Thud!

“Gah… Huh?!”

I woke up in a sweat, my entire body drenched. I thought I had just woken up from a dream, but the memories were painfully vivid. I could feel once again what it was like to be a little kid in the barn, and I had to face it.

And so, the sixth life began.

“…”

Rather than feeling like I was losing my mind or going insane, I just thought how incredibly unlucky I was. I became a Golden Eagle Guard, hoping for a peaceful life, only to find it was the beginning and peak of a conspiracy. I tried to use my conscience to struggle against the impending tragedy, but the conclusion was yet another reincarnation.

‘Damn it. I feel like crap.’

I frowned and put my hand on my forehead. Thankfully, the pain faded quickly, so my mental strength was okay, but dying still didn’t feel great. For a long time, I sat listening to the sounds of insects in the barn, trying to heal my mind in silence.

While my head was all jumbled, a thought came to me: I needed to learn [How to End Pain]. Until now, I had been lucky enough to die easily, but if I were horrifically murdered, I doubted I’d be able to keep my sanity. I needed to learn how to eliminate pain so I could withstand torture or misfortune.

Once my thoughts settled, I began to think seriously.

What should I do this time?

And how should I live?

“…I have to stop human sacrifice.”

That was how I set my purpose for this life. Sure, enhancing my martial skills and living a magnificent life as a peak martial artist would be nice, but it wasn’t possible now. No matter how I lived, I would inevitably cross paths with the gruesome plans of the Golden Eagle Guards. Besides, living a life while turning a blind eye to the slaughter of tens of thousands was utterly unacceptable.

Fortunately, I felt I might be able to thwart their attempts somehow. I quickly formed a plan in my mind. If I moved now, I might not only stop the sorcerers and Golden Eagle Guards but also reap unexpected gains.

The problem lay elsewhere.

Was I truly ready to make the Golden Eagle Guards and the Imperial Family my enemies?

After disrupting them in this child’s body, they might flounder at first, but eventually, they’d uncover my true identity. Afterward, the likelihood that I’d have to continuously fight the Golden Eagle Guards would rise significantly. Living a normal life as a martial artist enjoying wealth and honor would become increasingly difficult.

But I steadied my heart, recalling Mangnyang’s words. Just because it wasn’t harmful to me right now didn’t mean I could ignore it; that would only exacerbate the situation. Initially, there were only three demons, but after five years of feasting on offerings, they grew to the size of ten and numbered in the dozens. Over time, they’d grow so powerful that one individual couldn’t deal with them.

‘Well, if things go south, I can just run away to [there]…’

I didn’t slack in my fifth life.

I gathered all the information I could.

Knowing that an alternative life existed also eased my decision. With a firm resolve, I prepared to move. As I stepped out of the barn, I noticed how bright the stars looked in the night sky.

I glanced over at the village chief’s house, thinking about how much hatred I held for them now.

I had once experienced a massive event at the village chief’s house. Perhaps I could beat them up in numbers again. But for some reason, since I had already avenged that time, my hatred had greatly diminished. Now, they only seemed like annoying neighbors. I hadn’t hated them enough to kill them multiple times.

‘I’ll just let it be. But…’

This plan seemed to require significant funds. So, I smiled and stealthily used the Thunder Shadow Step to make my way to the village chief’s ancestral home. Utilizing the peak Light Body Technique, I quickly found myself atop the chief’s house.

Sneaking down like a snake, I opened the inner door. Since it was the village chief’s private chamber, it was secured, but I could use my qi to open it from the inside. Once inside, I recalled the secret space I had seen in my previous life.

I gently placed my hands on it and applied some force. Gradually, the secret passage began to open.

Creeeak…

“There it is.”

I laid my hands on a vault filled with silver bars. From my previous life, I knew the value of a single silver bar was quite significant; it could buy a large house in Luoyang. I planned to use this money to execute my future plans.

Of course, by morning, the village chief would be running around looking for the stolen vault. He’d learn I was the culprit, but who cares? There’s no way he’d suspect I was the greatest martial artist with his average investigators. It’s not like they’d hire the Eight Demons of the Demon Path to deal with me at a financial loss.

‘Right now, even if I faced the assassination squad’s captain, I could handle it one-on-one.’

No, I’d be fine. Now that I could use Sword Qi, I wouldn’t be at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation. Plus, with my internal power far exceeding theirs, the odds would be in my favor.

I had confidence in my strength.

That broadened the range of my choices for action.

Most importantly, I had already decided to go against the Imperial Family and the Golden Eagle Guards. There was no way a simple village chief’s grudge would scare me. Waving my hand in amusement, I chuckled to myself.

Whoosh!

Exiting the village chief’s house, I headed straight to the cave with the Heavenly Secret. Thanks to the improvement in my Light Body technique, I reached it much faster than before. I felt like I was flying over land as I dashed into the cave.

Without hesitation, I picked up the silver vault and activated the arrow trap of the Heavenly Secret.

Bang!

“Ha ha! Did I block it too extravagantly?”

The arrows ricocheted off the vault, which was sturdy enough that it didn’t even crumple under impact. I immediately opened the box and secured the Heavenly Secret again.

The moment I held the Heavenly Secret in my arms, the last words of the Sorcerer Flute Phantom echoed in my mind.

[I couldn’t believe there would be a trap like this… I… offer my condolences to you, my offering!]

Why did that guy say such things when he saw the Heavenly Secret?

Whether I could understand it or not was secondary; he had looked utterly despairing the moment he saw the Heavenly Secret—a response uncharacteristic of a villain. Ideally, he should have been at his most despairing right before I beat him to a pulp, yet he was calm until then, breaking down as soon as he laid eyes on it. That was an unusual behavior for someone like him.

It was as if, the moment he discovered the Heavenly Secret, his fate was sealed.

It’s not like it was some special ritual book or spell book, so what did it mean?

‘I acquired the Heavenly Secret, but why is he reacting that way? What a weird guy.’

I snickered internally.

It was likely that I needed to somehow capture the Sorcerer Flute Phantom again to get more definitive answers. Perhaps I could extract the meaning of his ambiguous statements through thorough interrogation. I might even not have to annoyingly travel to the Imperial Palace for the Nameless Ritual Book; I could just use him to decipher the Heavenly Secret.

With that in mind, I set my course for Mount Huang. Of course, stopping human sacrifice was important, but I couldn’t very well go without eating Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng. I’d have a bit of time left over since I could speed through the night with my lightness skill.

“Time for an enjoyable trip to Mount Huang!”

And with that, I started my journey, literally crossing mountains and streams toward Mount Huang. Unlike before, I hardly took any breaks and kept running. Occasionally, when I got a bit tired, I would rev myself up and push onward, cutting down my time. Hunting wild animals was now easy; I had become a skilled hunter.

Ultimately, a journey that originally took about a month by foot was reduced to just six days. After catching a mole and roasting it, I looked up at Mount Huang. As I stepped onto its threshold, I breathed in the familiar air.

“Is this my fourth time eating the spiritual pill?”

I chuckled to myself, wondering if there was another human like me out there. What kind of fortuitous encounters would an average person need to eat Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng four times? One thing’s for sure: the moment I consumed it, my internal power would surely reach an absolute level.

And just as I was about to consume the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng after a moment’s pause, I suddenly heard a loud Lion’s Roar.

“Stop!”

‘Huh?’

A swordsman in yellow attire and a hood, brandishing a sword, halted me. I had been running with incredible agility, so I stopped reflexively, only to find him glaring fiercely at me. He appeared to be in his 40s to 50s, looking quite rough, but it seemed he had trained seriously, with his aura and internal power well-honed.

With a tense expression, he cautiously spoke to me, “I am Kong Jae, the Frozen Sky Sword of the Huashan Sect. May I inquire what brings you to the territory of the Huashan Sect?”

Kong Jae of the Huashan Sect! Upon hearing his self-introduction, I studied his appearance carefully. It was a faint memory, but I think I’d glimpsed his face amidst the ranks of peak experts when we confronted the tyranny of the Huashan Sect. Essentially, he was both a peak expert and a symbol of power for them. His skills might not have reached the level of Azure Dragon Sword Yong Junil, the leader, but he was certainly capable of holding his own among the martial artists.

And there he was, nervous and ready for a fight in front of me, likely because he mistook me for a Half-Transition Master. I considered revealing the truth to him, but I figured that would create some awkwardness once he realized I was just a kid. Running away without acknowledgment would also be a tough call. To lose him, I’d have to run around the twelve peaks of Mount Huang, and that might complicate things regarding my pill consumption.

‘What the heck? I’ve never seen this guy pop up before, so why now…’

Although it was absurd, I soon realized the reason.

I had come much too quickly.

Timing-wise, it wasn’t uncommon for a sect elder to be out of the Huashan Sect’s territory many times. By the time I’d arrive there on foot, I would normally have missed encountering the Huashan Sect’s elder. However, now it just so happened I crossed paths with him at this time.

After a moment of contemplation, I made a decision. I sent a thought transmission to him.

[Are you looking to settle this matter with me?]

Kong Jae flinched, startled and quickly replied, “Not at all! How could I recklessly engage in a fight? But as Mount Huang is the domain of the Huashan Sect, I merely wish to know your purpose for visiting, esteemed one.”

It sounded like we were on the same page now. He firmly believed I was a high-ranking master. I checked his appearance from about fifteen paces away, noticing his two disciples nearby—probably accompanying him on patrol. Their skill level didn’t seem to exceed that of a first-class expert.

‘Hmm, this could be annoying…’

After thinking for a moment, I sent another thought transmission.

[I simply stopped by for a leisurely visit to Mount Huang. I heard the scenery at Neikyeong Peak and Jinchu Peak is particularly great, so I thought I’d take a look around at each one. I’ll quietly drop by, so you needn’t mind me.]

“Is that so?”

[Yes.]

Upon my reply, Kong Jae exchanged glances with his disciples, his face showing signs of thoughtfulness. Then he bowed and said, “In that case, our Huashan Sect will do its utmost to assist your visit. If you could stop by our sect once, it would be my honor to serve you.”

“…….”

I sensed that he was persistently trying to sniff out my intentions. It must’ve been troubling for him that an enigmatic master was wandering around the Mount Huang area. After all, it was hard for someone in his position to accept an uncertain variable like me, but he clearly lacked the strength to handle it, hence the invitation.

However, I had no reason or desire to go to the Huashan Sect. I needed to save time, so why would I want to get tangled up with them? Hence, I let out a smirk and responded.

[Sorry, but I won’t be joining you. Don’t interfere with my journey any further.]

“Uhh… Wait!”

With that, Kong Jae already summoned sword energy to his bluish sword. There was no doubt he was a peak expert.

[Are you planning to attack me? Feel free.]

“……”

I could see the bead of sweat forming on Kong Jae’s forehead. He was likely weighing whether he wanted to risk his life against an enigmatic Half-Transition Master. Though I didn’t hold full confidence in easily defeating him, I still put on a relaxed front.

[But taking me on as an enemy means you’re basically saying you want to duel the Azure Dragon Sword Yong Junil, right? When did the Huashan Sect get so bold?]

“Y-You are… who exactly?”

He looked completely taken aback and somewhat terrified. How could he face the peaks with such casualness? Since I just needed to get through this moment, I decided to let out a laugh and throw out a wild claim for kicks.

[I’m the Dharma Guardian of the White Lotus Sect.]

“……!!”

[So, are you really going to take me on?]

Kong Jae looked like he was close to passing out as his figure wobbled. He murmured comprehensible words, his voice shaking, “No… Please just go… I apologize for any disrespect toward the Dharma Guardian.”

“S-Sir!”

“All of you retreat now…”

Kong Jae spoke decisively, turning about and disappearing without a glance back.

‘Haha! They’re scared off just like that. If they all charged at once, I might have had a tough time.’

Thinking of the lecture they would undoubtedly get later put a smile on my face. After all, it would only take me a couple of moments to gather spiritual pills, and considering my negative feelings towards the Huashan Sect, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders by teasing the sect leader.

Ah, what a satisfying feeling.

Stating outrageous lies like that was a thrill, fueled by the realization that I had died so many times that I now held ‘who cares?’ mentality. After all, we humans die eventually anyway, so why not enjoy ourselves while we can? My mindset had been slowly shifting as death repeated itself.

Then, taking advantage of their retreat, I hastened toward Baekhwan Peak.

“Hello, Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”

Smiling at the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng blooming in the cave, I greeted it again before eating it.

Woosh…

“Uughh…”

Unlike the past when I would easily absorb it, this time I felt a strange barrier building within my body. It pressed down intensely on my dantian and, after a moment, half of the circulation pathways that had not yet opened up suddenly broke through.

I could feel the surge of power roiling through me, distinctly stronger than before. Once my Qi Regulation was complete and the energy accumulated, I felt I could finally declare my internal power to be the best in the world. While it wasn’t that every experience with the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng doubled my strength, all that energy had merged into my Eight Extraordinary Vessels, pushing me closer to limitless internal power.

Once I had everything prepared, I clapped my hands and muttered, “Alright, time to catch a snake!”

 

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