Chapter 481
“Miyamoto Musashi stepped slowly out from behind me and stood before us three.”
His movements looked slow and boundary-less, yet even though I prided myself on reaching a decent level as a warrior among experts, I couldn’t find even a speck of weakness in Musashi.
He glanced at me and said, “I am Miyamoto Musashi, the messenger of the Eastern Twelve Joules. I’ve come to formally invite you.”
“Formally?”
Zhuge Sa, who was sitting beside me, scoffed. “These days, isn’t exuding killing intent what we call formal? Ha!”
I knew why Zhuge Sa was provoking Musashi. If we fought head-on, damage was inevitable, so he aimed to rattle him, hoping to find a crack in his composure. But Musashi responded uncaringly, “If I intended to kill or fight, you wouldn’t be sitting here fine.”
“……”
That fact was too obvious to contradict. Musashi deliberately made a presence known; if he had hidden it and unleashed his ultimate sword technique out of the blue, even the Master of the White Lotus Sect would have met his end.
Even now, Musashi had moved from behind me yet I still couldn’t muster the courage to draw my sword. I vividly felt that his sword skills transcended that of a mere human. I wondered if there would be an opportunity for a struggle of power.
As I gritted my teeth, Mangnyang calmly spoke, “What is the reason you have called us?”
“That is…” Musashi hesitated, pausing in thought. He wore a serious expression that made us all tense up to watch him. After a while of awkward silence, he finally said, “Is there anyone among you who speaks Dongyoung?”
“……”
I almost toppled over in disbelief. ‘Does he have a tangled mess of Central Plains dialect in his head?’ It seemed Musashi couldn’t speak the Central Plains language fluently. I was confused but started to raise my hand, when Mangnyang quickly shot his arm up instead. He then spoke in Dongyoung, “I speak Dongyoung well. Please speak again in Dongyoung.”
“All right.”
Musashi cleared his throat and spoke in Dongyoung, “I witnessed that kid among you unleash the power of the dragon and defeat the wicked sorcerer in Luoyang. Following that, I reported to the Twelve Joules as I tracked you, and they wish to see you.”
Looking suspiciously at him, Mangnyang asked, “It wasn’t easy for us to be tracked, was it? How did you find out about this Jangryeong Valley?”
What Mangnyang said was valid. We had traveled through Luoyang via teleportation, something that wouldn’t be caught by the worldly martial arts tracking techniques. Those famed for their tracking skills ultimately catch up through deduction of movement traces, which makes teleportation next to impossible to trace.
Musashi replied, seemingly indifferent, “You, Baek Woong, and Mangnyang, and Zhuge Hyun, I learned your names and faces first. After researching those who aided Zhuge Hyun and figuring out who they were, I looked into the relations and the martial world forces. I found out that the Zhuge Clan operates in two areas, and upon confirming that Jinrang Valley was empty, I came to investigate Jangryeong Valley.”
Upon hearing this, Mangnyang let out a sigh. “Ah! I see…”
It seemed Musashi hadn’t located us through some special power or supreme realm, but merely by deducing and hunting down things that sparked suspicion. Moreover, his words implied something significant: There was an intelligence organization supporting Musashi!
Otherwise, he couldn’t have reached Jangryeong Valley this swiftly alone. Even if Mangnyang knew about the Zhuge Clan, to suspect Jinrang Valley or Jangryeong Valley would require an extensive volume of information. That organization was likely maneuvering in secrecy under the Twelve Joules.
Calmly, Mangnyang asked, “So why is the Twelve Joules inviting us?”
“Simple. The Twelve Joules wants to assess your strength.”
“What does that mean?”
“They want to know if the power of the dragon that defeated the darkness of the Imperial Palace is genuine.”
It was clear, I thought to myself. ‘They’re ready to make a serious move against us.’ Knowing our whereabouts and intentionally sending Musashi for an invitation carried significant implications. Since Musashi was a special agent deeply valued by the Twelve Joules, he didn’t need to reveal his true identity to contact us. His might was akin to a trump card, meant to be unveiled at the last moment.
If it was just a matter of inviting us to the Twelve Joules, they could have simply sent a lesser subordinate, but sending Musashi made it clear—it was a display of power!
It was an unspoken threat that if we didn’t comply, they could wipe us out. It also underscored that the Twelve Joules didn’t regard us merely as interesting subjects, but with serious intentions to exert pressure and use us.
This was a headache. Just when I was about to focus on training and building power, the Twelve Joules was already pushing me! And here stood Musashi, of all people, looming large.
Zhuge Sa, who had been listening, spoke in Dongyoung. “Another player just showed up. Is that person one of your companions?”
Musashi’s eyes lit up as he replied, “Indeed.”
“Tell them to show themselves.”
Without a word, Musashi gestured, and a figure gradually emerged about three feet away from him. This person walked over, his cold eyes staring at us as he introduced himself. “I am Wind Master, one of the Three Masters of the Manha Spiritual Gate.”
Three Masters, Wind Master! One of the strongest sorcerers of the Twelve Joules!
Indeed, I recognized him from my previous life. He had shown himself during talks between the Twelve Joules and the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Moreover, the Three Masters often appeared alongside Wind Master.
Wind Master had a neat appearance with a slim build dressed in the tidy robes of the Divine City. He didn’t look particularly intimidating, but he was another formidable sorcerer comparable to the Avatar, Cheon Woo-jin. The moment I laid eyes on him, I could instinctively tell. ‘Against those two, even the Master of the White Lotus wouldn’t guarantee victory!’
If we were to win in a head-on confrontation here, the assistance of the Fire Dragon Incarnate was essential!
But the Fire Dragon Incarnate was currently in a dormant state, recovering strength, and didn’t respond to my summons at all. Calling for Yeodong-bin wouldn’t help, considering he wouldn’t assist unless the opponent was a demon. Using the National Seal alongside Great Destruction might result in a sort of mutual destruction, but what meaning would there be in going down alone with these guys?
Wind Master looked at Musashi and clicked his tongue, “Please repeat the request again. As the special position mentioned, we would like you to come along with us to the Twelve Joules.”
“What if I refuse?”
“Well, what can we do? You can just leave the venue.”
That was an unexpected response. Wind Master shrugged. “As I said, our Great Decree wishes to establish a good relationship with you. We do not wish to fight rashly.”
Zhuge Sa sneered, “If that’s the case, then there’s no reason to go, right? How kind of you. Just scram!”
“Hahaha…”
Wind Master laughed brightly but narrowed his eyes. “Next time, I will come with all Three Masters and the leader of the Twelve Joules to visit you myself. I can’t guarantee I’ll speak kindly then.”
“……”
Wasn’t that outright intimidation? Zhuge Sa discreetly sent a secret transmission to me. [Baek Woong, the judgment of this situation lies in your hands.]
It seemed both Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang were lost on how to proceed. Of course, under normal circumstances, kicking them out would have been the best course of action, but if the Twelve Joules turned into actual enemies, the losses would far outweigh any gains. Plus, with Musashi and the Three Masters on the enemy’s side, the Twelve Joules would surely chase us relentlessly.
After some contemplation, I stood up and said, “I want to meet the Twelve Joules leader alone.”
Wind Master’s eyes brightened. “Are you the Dragon’s Avatar I’ve heard about?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, if you’re coming, the others can stay.”
I shot a glance at Mangnyang. He seemed to understand my glance and nodded. ‘Suspicious Fishhook!’ The Suspicious Fishhook was a treasure allowing two-way communication, no matter the distance. We usually carried one each, so even while I went to the Twelve Joules, I could relay my situation from far away.
In fact, if I wanted to ensure safety, it would make more sense for Mangnyang or Zhuge Sa to go in my place, but their targets were most probably me. They certainly came here to converse with the Dragon Avatar who had upended Luoyang. Rather than meandering around unnecessarily, it was best I went along.
“But how will we move? It’s thousands of miles to the Eastern Twelve Joules from here.”
“That’s why I’m following Musashi.”
Wind Master waved his hand.
Whoooosh –
In the next moment, a giant shimmering orange wind passage appeared in the previously empty air. Wind Master stood before that passage and said, “If you ride this, you can cover a thousand miles in one go. Just two or three uses will get you to the Divine City.”
“Understood.”
I stepped forward, feeling Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa’s worried gazes on my back, but I steeled my resolve. ‘Yeah, it’s about time I settled this with the Twelve Joules.’
It was just that the timing had arrived earlier than I expected. I felt that approaching that leader wouldn’t result in death. An inexplicable intuition was telling me this choice wasn’t leading to a dead end.
Boosh!
Moments later, I passed through the wind passage, following Miyamoto Musashi and Wind Master. As Wind Master opened the passage again to teleport, just as he said, within two or three uses, the familiar sights of the Divine City came into view.
Upon entering the Divine City, a giant tree that looked like it could pierce the sky became visible. As I gazed at the tree, Wind Master explained, “That’s called the Sacred Altar Tree.”
I knew that. The Twelve Joules leader had mentioned it before. But as I looked at the Sacred Altar Tree, I felt another suspicion sprouting within me. ‘Could it be…?’
Was that Sacred Altar Tree one of the Seven Luminaries, the Wood Element? I began to doubt if the power of the Wood Element fostered such a gigantic tree. If my thoughts were true, then the Sacred Altar Tree could very well be the source of the Twelve Joules’ power. Stepping back from the tree, I aimed for the Twelve Joules leader.
The leader of the Twelve Joules was waiting for me in the place I had visited before. Unlike the outside, the structure was spacious inside, and he sat alongside the other two Masters, Yun Sa and Yu Sa, waiting for me.
And just like before, the leader of the Twelve Joules waved to me while wearing a full dog mask. “Hey, glad to see you! Dragon’s Avatar, Baek Woong.”
I stared at him blankly and replied, “Nice to meet you, Twelve Joules leader.”
“Hahaha. Just as I heard, you’re quite the youth. Intriguing.”
“……”
“Baek Woong, you must be hungry after traveling so far. How about a meal?”
With a flick of his finger, a luxurious banquet table appeared at a distance. The Twelve Joules leader took a seat at the edge of the table, while the Three Masters stood behind him. I began to eat while sitting across from him.
I glanced at the hastily departing Miyamoto Musashi and asked, “What’s wrong with Musashi?”
“That guy wants to kill me.”
Huh?!
Surprised, I stared at the Twelve Joules leader as he picked a piece of perfectly fried meat with his chopsticks and continued, “He once came to the Peninsula and challenged me, the supreme being of the Eastern Twelve Joules, only to lose. As the victor, I hired him as a special agent under the condition that he could challenge me at any time.”
The Twelve Joules leader popped a piece of meat into his mouth. “So Musashi dislikes being around me when the Three Masters are guarding me because he can’t find an opening.”
“Huh…”
I couldn’t believe it. “Leader, aren’t you afraid of Musashi? That guy is a master of the supreme realm.”
“Haha! It’s the same for me.”
The Twelve Joules leader chuckled back. “Shouldn’t you Central Plains people be thanking me? Musashi originally aimed to break into the Central Plains to seek out the strongest warrior; if I hadn’t defeated him and made him my subordinate, the martial world would undoubtedly have faced a bloodstorm.”
“……”
Now I understood. Musashi had originally forced Kojiro into a false identity and had passed on his techniques before heading toward the Central Plains. His sudden disappearance had puzzled me, but it turned out that the Twelve Joules leader had defeated him and made him his subordinate.
Clatter!
The meal continued for a while longer. The banquet was delicious and every dish was crafted to perfection. Watching me eat, the Twelve Joules leader remarked in bemusement, “You eat well.”
“It’s delicious.”
“Aren’t you suspecting it might be poisoned?”
“Someone of your stature wouldn’t resort to such petty tricks.”
I replied calmly. The truth was, with the Immortal Body of the Ten Thousand Poisons, I wasn’t particularly worried. Yet, the response seemed to please the Twelve Joules leader, who burst into laughter. “Hahaha! You’re an amusing friend.”
“Could you please tell me what this is all about? Why have you summoned me?”
“Ah, right.”
The Twelve Joules leader appeared to smile mischievously and said, “Let’s get straight to the point? Since I know you are the master of Fire Element, I would like you to help us take down the Sea God.”
