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The Imperial Palace was completely obliterated by the widespread assault of the Dharma Guardian and the Fire Dragon Incarnate, losing all semblance of its former glory. Outside the palace, the powerful members of the Fire Spirit Techniques and scholars could only gaze in horror at the melted ruins scattered around.

The once-grand residence of the Emperor now lay as a flat wasteland—a clear testament to the level of destruction that had occurred. Oddly enough, despite the cataclysmic battle that had taken place, no other place seemed to suffer any damage.

A simple gathering was held with key figures involved in the recent events, including Han Baek-ryeong and the Elder Deung Gwak. Han Baek-ryeong turned to Deung Gwak and said, “We should head out immediately to greet the new Emperor. If we delay, the various lords and warlords across the Central Plains will rise in rebellion.”

“I was already thinking that,” Deung Gwak replied, casting a slightly fearful look in my direction.

“But… really, a Dragon Incarnate?” he added.

In response, Han Baek-ryeong shot back with her hair cascading down, “Do I look like someone who’s joking?”

“Well, no, but…”

“You must provide every privilege promised to our Han Clan. Honor your agreement with me.”

“Of course,” Deung Gwak said, saying no more as he began to prepare to lead the scholars. He seemed to have concluded that this wasn’t a matter he should interfere with, having witnessed the surreal powers on display.

Once the others had left, Han Baek-ryeong paused for a moment, taking a sip of tea before saying, “Dragon Incarnate, what is your purpose?”

Her gaze was fixed on me, and while she spoke politely, there was an undeniable chill of wariness in her tone. I feigned ignorance and responded, “I don’t quite understand what you mean. What purpose could I possibly have?”

“The power of the Fire Dragon Incarnate possessing you is an unparalleled force not found in the human realm. If you’re hiding under the guise of a Sword Demon and shaking my hand, you must have some ulterior motive. I’d like to know what that is.”

Her calm tone only made her more frightening. It was clear she was restraining her emotions, acting like a seasoned trickster. Feeling cornered, the Sword Demon beside me stepped in, asserting, “There are circumstances. The White Lotus Sect or the Fire Spirit Techniques pose no threat, so please understand.”

“Hmph… Sword Demon. What guarantee do you offer?” Han Baek-ryeong coldly laughed as she continued, “If the Dragon Incarnate has a sudden whim to strike our White Lotus Sect, will you take responsibility?”

“…”

This was bad news. Han Baek-ryeong had turned her polite demeanor into one filled with even greater suspicion. If this continued, the Fire Spirit Techniques, along with the Han Clan, could very well be turned into hidden enemies. That was the worst-case scenario I could envision.

After a moment of thought, the Sword Demon asserted, “If the Dragon Incarnate intended to unify the Jianghu or showcase his might, would he resort to such troublesome tactics? I had no reason to deliberately curry favor with the Fire Spirit Techniques; instead, I could simply extend the Shadowless Alliance while taking down the Imperial Palace and minor factions. The real power the Dragon Incarnate has displayed was unintentional; it was an act for justice…”

“Justice?” Han Baek-ryeong’s face twisted slightly. The unexpected mention of justice clearly threw her off.

At that moment, the warrior Mangnyang chimed in, “If the Fire Dragon Incarnate hadn’t stepped in to eliminate that monster, both Dharma Guardians here would’ve given up on Luoyang. And that monster would’ve devoured the people of Luoyang, growing to a level beyond our ability to handle, eventually becoming a Demon King-level threat. Could we compare our Jianghu concerns with such a matter? Millions of lives were at stake.”

“Hmm…”

“If the White Lotus Sect couldn’t fend off that living hell, then all the blame would’ve fallen squarely on the Sect Leader.”

Mangnyang subtly pressed on, and the Sword Demon spoke firmly, “Grand Master Han Baek-ryeong! We are martial artists, pursuing martial might, but are we not also ones who harbor chivalrous hearts?”

“…!!”

“We have risen for a grand alliance against the paths of demons!”

The word “alliance” made Han Baek-ryeong’s expression contort dramatically as she seemed to ponder deeply; after a moment, she unexpectedly bowed her head towards me, “I was wrong in my judgment. Dragon Incarnate, please forgive my rudeness.”

“Uh, yes, yes of course.” I stammered out in surprise, accepting her apology. She was no longer wearing that suspicious expression, her face a bit more relaxed.

“From now, the Jianghu of Luoyang, as well as those in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Shandong, shall all fall directly under the control of our Fire Spirit Techniques. If we simply push down the Nine Great Sects and follow through the process, the White Lotus Sect will dominate the entire Martial World within three years. And I intend to support you and your companions as much as possible, Dragon Incarnate.”

She spoke nonchalantly about this monumental task. To dominate the entire Martial World without even having the Sect Leader step in! What an unprecedented achievement in history was about to be declared by Han Baek-ryeong.

“However, that’s why I wish to know. What kind of formidable enemies are we preparing to face… and how did you obtain the powers of the Dragon?”

Mangnyang and the Sword Demon exchanged glances, wanting to speak on my behalf, but I raised a hand to silence them. I instinctively felt that this was a moment for me to voice my own thoughts rather than letting my companions do the talking. I locked eyes with Han Baek-ryeong and declared, “I trust your alliance, Han Baek-ryeong. However, you are the Dharma Guardian of the Fire Spirit Techniques, and your allegiance to the White Lotus Sect must mean you report everything to the Sect Leader, right?”

“……”

“I may trust you, but I cannot yet trust the Sect Leader. So please understand my reluctance to share deeper matters.”

Her eyes darkened slightly at my accusation.

“To doubt the Sect Leader in front of a Dharma Guardian… how audacious.”

She half-mockingly stated, but there was truth in her words. If she hadn’t acknowledged my strength as the Dragon Incarnate, she surely would’ve been furious enough to kill us all at that moment.

Not wanting to reveal my anxiety, I brushed it off, sensing she was still absorbing the insult.

“But I understand. Not trusting the Sect Leader is a reasonable concern…”

As she considered this, Han Baek-ryeong suddenly sent me a secret message: [In half a month, come alone to the Han Clan. Do not inform your companions.]

What?

[I will judge whether I can trust you by this.]

“……”

I felt bewildered but managed to conceal it. Her request not to tell my companions meant she was worried about giving away her own thoughts or facing inquiries from them. Looking at her as calmly as I could, Han Baek-ryeong added, “Excuse me then. Our Fire Spirit Techniques have plenty to do reorganizing the Jianghu of Luoyang, so we have much ahead of us.”

“Take care.”

With that, she disappeared into thin air. I glanced back at Mangnyang and the Sword Demon, who both seemed clueless about the secret exchange. Mangnyang spoke, “Sword Demon, please keep busy with the Fire Spirit Techniques, while we handle this matter separately.”

“As you say, I will refine my twin sword techniques during my remaining training period.”

“Thank you.”

The Sword Demon left in pursuit of Han Baek-ryeong, and Mangnyang, now left alone with me, remarked, “Baek Woong, it appears Han Baek-ryeong still doesn’t fully trust us.”

“Hmm…” I pondered.

“Have you gotten a response from the Fire Dragon?”

“Strangely enough, there has been no feedback since that intense battle earlier…”

Mangnyang mused, “Baek Woong. Try summoning the Fire Dragon Sword and Fire Spirit at the same time.”

I complied with Mangnyang’s request. Suddenly, the refreshing sensation from earlier evaporated, and the handle felt hot, transmitting heat through my shoulders. It seemed to revert back to its original state, so I relayed this to Mangnyang, who nodded as if he anticipated this.

“It seems the Fire Dragon Sword hasn’t fully healed yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“The divine entity you exhibited earlier was only possible by borrowing power from the Fire Spirit. After being torn apart for hundreds of years in sealing, it wouldn’t easily restore its essence… the current Fire Dragon Sword likely transitioned into a state of absorption and depletion with the influence of the Fire Spirit.”

“Oh no… does that mean…”

I was flabbergasted.

“We need to heal it again?”

“Precisely.”

Mangnyang continued firmly, “However, the Fire Dragon Sword will recover faster than before. Its essence is restored, so the recovery rate is undoubtedly improved. With this cycle of absorption and depletion, complete recovery without the need for the Fire Spirit will one day become possible. The Fire Dragon Sword’s revival in perfect form.”

“Hmm.”

“But the Fire Spirit is truly impressive.” Mangnyang exclaimed with admiration as he gazed at the Fire Spirit.

“Transmitting such heat and divine energy to the Fire Dragon Sword without any ill effects? It truly encapsulates power that transcends even the Great Immortal.”

“Oh right!” I suddenly remembered.

“When’s the right time to lift the seal on the Water Spirit?”

If I could employ both the Fire Spirit and the Water Spirit simultaneously, my strength would amplify significantly. Now that things in Luoyang were settled, the time was ripe for that seal to be undone. Mangnyang looked pensive as he replied, “In my opinion, at this stage, it’s better to collect more unfreed spirits rather than unsealing the Water Spirit now.”

“Why’s that?”

“While unsealing the Water Spirit is doable, that would mean three spirits would simultaneously be freed in today’s human realm. And considering the probability that the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram at Dark Heaven Village is already in a released state, it would be like reopening the seals of the other spirits… Naturally, this would break the balance in Heaven and Earth, attracting the scrutiny of the Three Sovereigns, including Nüwa.”

“Right, that’s a big problem…”

The Three Sovereigns didn’t seem keen on engaging in a war with the Old Rulers. In my past life during the 19th reincarnation, the Sovereign Jeon Wook had attempted to fight Enkai’s Sleeper, but that was purely due to provocation. The Three Sovereigns would certainly resist any release of spirits that might trigger a divine war.

“This is a dilemma I still can’t resolve. Because we must demonstrate sufficient justification to the Three Sovereigns to release all spirits and persuade them.”

Mangnyang sighed deeply. “It could be argued that this is the toughest challenge in the world: convincing the Three Sovereigns, who have ruled the Central Plains since antiquity, of the justification for releasing the spirits… Haha.”

“……”

“You’re really handing the greatest problem on Earth to the strategist, huh?” Mangnyang teased.

I mulled over his statement and replied, “So are you saying that collecting only the freed spirits untouched in this situation is the best course of action?”

“For now, yes. Meanwhile, focus on enhancing your own strength as you need to locate Chi You within the next ten years, so you’ll be busy.”

After I asked my question, Mangnyang answered, “First, let’s head to Jangryeong Valley. We’ll check on the status of Zhuge Sa, and once he completes interpreting the Grimoire, we’ll discuss next steps.”

“Got it.”

Together, we headed towards Jangryeong Valley.

“The Pavilion Lord is still in seclusion and hasn’t come out.”

From Zhuge Sa’s immense chamber, dark energy still seeped through. It appeared he was still “interpreting” the Nameless Ritual Book. Mangnyang suggested, “Let’s visit Zhuge Bu.”

We made our way to the place where Zhuge Bu was detained. It seemed he had received enough food during his captivity because his previously haggard appearance was slightly improving. When he spotted Mangnyang, he glared with disdain.

“Heh… Hyun, so you were in cahoots with Uncle.”

“Think as you will. If you desire to starve again, go right ahead.”

Zhuge Bu flinched at Mangnyang’s threat, visibly shaken. Having experienced a hellish hunger, he couldn’t dismiss such intimidation lightly. Realizing his predicament, Zhuge Bu stuttered, “I-I can’t believe you’re using food to threaten the proud descendant of the Zhuge Clan.”

“You’ve always viewed me as a talentless, lowly nobody, haven’t you? If you want to eat properly, you better answer your younger brother’s questions correctly.”

“What? What questions…”

“What I want to know is, what led our father to ally with demons and alchemists?”

“……”

“I understand that you’re self-absorbed and have no interest in others, but our father was never like that, so I’m curious.”

Zhuge Bu met Mangnyang’s gaze with a shocked expression, then replied, “Hey, Hyun.”

“What?”

“I’m starving. If you bring me a chicken leg, I’ll talk.”

“Fine.”

Hearing this, I turned to the attendant beside me and said, “Bring a plate of chicken legs.”

“No, Baek Woong.”

“Huh? Mangnyang, what are you talking about? One plate will be more than enough for him…”

Mangnyang shot back, “I’ll eat too, so make it two plates.”

It suddenly dawned on me that Mangnyang, too, must have been abstaining from meat while focusing on martial training in the mountains. It was only natural that he would crave it now.

“…Alright.”

A little while later, the attendant served up the chicken leg dish, and I held it up, feeding Zhuge Bu.

Slurp…

Slurp…

The two brothers of the Zhuge Clan glared at each other silently while savoring their chicken legs, the sounds of eating filling the secluded chamber. Meanwhile, I and the attendant couldn’t help but swallow as we were tempted by the alluring chicken.

“Oh, this chicken looks delicious…”

After finishing his meal, Zhuge Bu finally spoke, “Father was enraged by the Celestial Realm in the past. And this anger evolved into a plan to save humanity, disregarding the help of the Celestial Realm.”

“You mean Zhuge Yulong?”

“Yes. He mentioned that from the time when you were an ignorant little kid, he had harbored this anger towards the Celestial Realm.”

Anger. For some reason, I felt that Zhuge Yulong’s and Zhuge Sa’s emotions were oddly similar. Zhuge Sa had also shown anger and disgust towards the hypocrisy of the Celestial Realm at the end of his 19th reincarnation.

“I’m having trouble understanding. Father was the head of the prestigious Zhuge Clan, a Grand Sorcerer, devoted to the Imperial Palace. Why would he be enraged at the Celestial Realm?”

“……”

Zhuge Bu hesitated for a moment and then replied, “The salvation that the Celestial Realm prepared didn’t align with Father’s ideals, and besides, it directly led to Mother’s sacrifice at the hands of the Celestial Realm.”

 

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