Chapter 531
Pow!
I arrived at Jinrang Valley, where the Extreme Tiger was waiting. There, I felt an aura of martial arts practice coming from the forest behind.
“Hah!!”
Whoosh…
With the Extreme Tiger’s shout, I could feel the bamboo forest trembling. As I approached, he spotted me and stopped his training.
“You made it.”
Since the Extreme Tiger accepted my obsidian, we just dropped the formalities and went casual. It was easier that way, especially since I’d surpassed him due to the abilities I accumulated in my previous life, but honestly, I had been climbing the ranks since my days as a Thunder God Lineage expert. Instead of putting up airs with the Extreme Tiger, who had once been my older brother and was now my peer, it was just simpler to keep it relaxed. Besides, I didn’t want to distance myself from someone who felt more like a drinking buddy.
As I glanced around at the training scene, I asked, “How’s the training going?”
“It’s fantastic!”
The Extreme Tiger wiped the sweat from his forehead and plopped down on a nearby rock. “No drink can surpass this feeling.”
“Looks like you really enjoyed the Seven Great Techniques and Eight Immortals Divine Art.”
“Of course!”
He’d only been training for a day or two, but he looked thrilled. I mean, who wouldn’t be happy to learn the Radiant Seven Techniques? I said to him, “The obsidian I gave you only conveys general memories. You might grasp the basics, but for advanced application, I’ll need to prepare something stronger later.”
“Hmm… did everything go well?”
“That’s actually why I’m here.”
I hesitated for a moment before saying, “I think I need to figure out what the blessing of Zhongli Quan is all about.”
I shared with the Extreme Tiger what happened during the Seven Luminary’s Offering Ceremony. He frowned and said, “What? That Great Immortal didn’t even explain what he gave you?”
“Well, he said it would enhance my talent, so I figured I’d understand while practicing.”
“You really think training just happens overnight?”
“Mangnyang said that.”
“Mangnyang, huh…” He mumbled, seeming displeased, but then, as if struck by a thought, added, “It sounds like he wants you to take it easy in this life.”
“Take it easy?”
“You said your goal is to reach the Absolute Realm, so maybe he wants you to train steadily without getting involved in heavenly plans or human affairs?”
“……”
“He probably thinks you should just focus on training despite all the various things you could try right now.”
That could be true. The Extreme Tiger, speaking intuitively, dragged the tip of his spear across the ground as he continued, “But hey, that’s not right.”
“What do you mean it’s not right?”
“You’ve still got work to do. You have to take down the Namgung Clan! Besides that, there’s plenty still on your plate.”
“…Yeah.”
Though I had saved the hostages from Great Thunder Valley and the Blood Blade Group, there were still women suffering in the Namgung Clan. However, that situation was significantly trickier than the previous rescues, so I’d need to approach it with various clever tactics. As the Extreme Tiger was deep in thought, he added, “Hey, how about we push the numbers to check your skills?”
“What do you mean?”
“How about instead of sacrificing ten years of your life to forcefully knock out the Master of Shadowless Sword, you use the connections you’ve built so far? The Namgung Clan isn’t that impressive, after all.”
“How?”
“Listen up…”
Then, the Extreme Tiger shared an impromptu plan. As I listened, my face kept changing because it was just such a ridiculous idea. But underneath that absurdity was a certain probability of success, which made me hesitate.
“……”
“So, what do you say? Let’s do it.”
“But… mangnyang probably thought of a plan like that too, and didn’t tell me because of the risks. Rushing ahead is a bit much.”
At that, the Extreme Tiger snapped back, “What are you so scared of?”
“What? Scared?”
“Honestly, isn’t the realm where you’d flap around the likes of divine or immortal levels? You haven’t even bumped into that yet! Why cower before a Namgung Clan that pales in comparison to the White Lotus Sect? You should just charge ahead without a second thought.”
“…Well.”
The Extreme Tiger grabbed my shoulder and shook me roughly. “Just go for it, okay? If you fail, you just won’t do it again next time.”
“……”
He clenched his fist. “A man only lives once! Wait, no, you’re a cat with several lives!”
I felt my resolve wavering as the Extreme Tiger pushed me along. Definitely, I had no reason to be scared of the Namgung Clan. It felt like I was being urged to drink more as my drinking buddy switched bars. After thinking for a while, I nodded.
“Alright.”
Pow!
I went ahead to the Shadowless Gate and freed the female hostages, including Seo Mun-hye. Then, I met with the Sword Demon and handed him the obsidian. The Sword Demon looked a bit confused after taking the obsidian and sighed.
“Ugh. This is a long battle that seems to have no chance of winning. I can’t find a way to possibly defeat the Three Sovereigns or the Old Ruler.”
I responded bitterly to the Sword Demon’s words. “In a rebirth, even a little chance can appear. I won’t let that chance slip away.”
“Baek Woong. I admire your mental strength.”
The Sword Demon bowed to me, then turned to the Extreme Tiger and said, “Extreme Tiger… it seems you are now one of us.”
The Extreme Tiger grinned gleefully. “Nice to meet you, Sword Demon Senior.”
“I can drink well, so let’s have a drink sometime.
“Hahaha, don’t fall for my charm,” the Extreme Tiger said.
Somehow, the Sword Demon and the Extreme Tiger seemed to click. The easy-going Extreme Tiger and the insightful Sword Demon looked like they would make for great conversation partners. After saying our greetings, the Sword Demon mentioned, “The Extreme Tiger’s plan seems interesting. Although it does look risky.”
“Are you joining us?”
“Of course! You have no idea how much I despise the Namgung Clan.”
Pow!
Right after that, we headed to the Heavenly Emperor’s Palace, where Miho was waiting. As soon as we arrived, Miho summoned the Front Demon and Back Demon to attack us intruders. The Extreme Tiger and Sword Demon swiftly moved to defend against the ambush.
“Miho!! I know how to get you back to the Celestial Realm!”
“……?”
Emerging from the shadows, Miho regarded me with a wary expression, looking strikingly like a white fox. I continued, “I also know you were wrongly accused of killing Qingzhao after being chased from the Queen Mother of the West’s palace.”
“……!!”
Miho’s face showed genuine shock. It might have sounded like sweet talk until now, but hearing me know her most significant secret took her by surprise. However, she quickly adjusted her expression and retorted, “Hmph! What kind of vagabond hears gossip from the Celestial Realm? What schemes do you have in mind?”
“Well, that information is something any Celestial Immortal would know. But…”
Peep peep peep!
I unleashed my Sword Strength and etched a massive pattern into the wall. It was among the many symbols I had seen in the ruins beneath the Queen Mother’s palace. As Miho watched the engraving, she suddenly lost her strength and sat down.
“H-how did you…?”
“You entered the depths out of curiosity while the Queen Mother was absent and saw these symbols, right? And before you knew it, you were accused of killing Qingzhao. As a side note, these symbols aren’t even listed in Zhuge Yulong’s Manual.”
“Who are you? How do you know things only the Maiden would know?”
“I am Baek Woong. I heard it directly from you back in your past life.”
“What?”
I crossed my arms and said, “I heard it from your former self. I’m a Reborn Person.”
“……!!”
I explained my situation to Miho. Though she seemed utterly confused at first, soon her expression turned intrigued. I extended the obsidian towards her and said, “Accept this memory.”
“There’s no way I’m taking a suspicious item from a stranger.”
“Is it okay if I head out as is? Then you’ll definitely be burning with curiosity. After all, I’m the only person who can help you find a way back to the Celestial Realm.”
“……”
“Miho. Please trust me. I’m begging you.”
“Hmm…”
Miho pondered for a bit before cautiously accepting the obsidian.
Pow!
When the memories transferred, Miho’s expression morphed into one of pure shock. She glanced around, as if in disbelief, then suddenly looked at me with tears streaming down her face.
“Why, why are you crying?”
“If this memory… if all of it is true, you’re really a fool. Why go through all this trouble?”
“I have to see this through. And I promise I’ll make you happy.”
“Such a fool…”
After wiping her tears, Miho grabbed my hand and said, “I understand. I’ll help you, Baek Woong.”
“Thank you!”
With the warmth of her hand, I felt assured. From now on, I could bring Miho back without needing to rely on the Queen Mother. That’s when the Extreme Tiger, who had been watching, shrugged his shoulder, leaning his spear.
“Ah~ so hot! It’s rough living without a lover.”
Then Miho turned to the Extreme Tiger with a mischievous look.
“Hehe. Weren’t you the one who said I looked beautiful reading a book?”
“Ugh…”
The Extreme Tiger felt flustered.
“Extreme Tiger, you might catch a cold! How about we have tea and chat somewhere close?”
“Damn it!!”
“Hahaha.”
Seeing the Extreme Tiger’s uneasy expression, Miho laughed heartily. After all, in one of my past life’s memories, Miho had seduced the Extreme Tiger with her beauty while she was reading, creating a rather silly scene. It seemed that the Extreme Tiger was bound to fall under her spell.
“Shall we head out next?”
After bringing Miho on board, we headed toward the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School. The Extreme Tiger instructed, “Wait here. I’ll go get Jin So-cheong.”
About a meal later, the Extreme Tiger returned with Jin So-cheong, who was guiding the top disciples as the Master of Shadowless Sword. Upon seeing the Sword Demon and Miho waiting unexpectedly, Jin So-cheong’s expression turned sour.
“Older Brother, are you trying to trap me?”
“Not at all!” The Extreme Tiger chuckled, “How about we duel a bit, just the two of us? You can take the first strike.”
“So this is what you planned… to gather the Jianghu’s phantoms and showcase your martial arts achievements?”
“Not like that. But just so you know, I’m going to win.”
“Since I’m the Master of Shadowless Sword now, I won’t take it easy on you. If you’re trying to trap me, you’ll regret it.”
Whoosh!
The Extreme Tiger and Jin So-cheong were facing off, tension rising in the air before their weapons sparked against each other in mid-air.
Clang clang!!
The Sword Demon, arms crossed, commented, “These two are truly rare experts in Jianghu.”
“Ugh… What’s the point of watching this?”
I countered Miho’s grumbling, “Jin So-cheong needs a convincing process.”
I could easily knock him out and give him the obsidian, but that wouldn’t earn any trust. Each time, no matter how tedious, I needed to convince my allies to accept me.
While we were talking, the fierce clash between the two Thunder God experts had already continued for over thirty seconds. But Jin So-cheong could only hold on using Ranna Chul, while the Extreme Tiger continued to press the attack.
Clang!
Jin So-cheong seemed to be faltering, taking three steps back. The Extreme Tiger looked satisfied and halted his offense.
“Get it now? There’s not a huge difference, but my martial arts are a step ahead for now. Care to know why?”
Though it sounded like a simple boast, Jin So-cheong contemplated and replied, “You’ve mastered external styles.”
“Not just any external style. How do you see this moment’s change?”
Pow!
With that moment, the Extreme Tiger gracefully unleashed a spear technique. The spear trajectory was oddly twisted, and Jin So-cheong’s expression changed as he saw the spiraling motion.
“Techniques of the White Lotus Sect…!!”
“Exactly. It’s a variation of Bowing Sky Slash from Jang Sam-bong’s Radiant Seven Techniques. I’ve only just started grasping it, but I used it against you.”
“Jang Sam-bong?!”
Jin So-cheong looked at me with suspicion. “So you acquired a fortuitous encounter. Then why did you call me here?”
It seemed Jin So-cheong realized this wasn’t a trap. The Extreme Tiger glanced at the obsidian in my hand and calmly said, “Jin So-cheong, if you accept that obsidian, you might gain the Seven Great Techniques. And you’ll learn about worlds you’ve never known.”
“That sounds suspicious.”
“But just so you know, I don’t care if you take it or not. In fact, I’d hope you don’t. It’s obvious you’ll soon surpass me if you do.”
Speaking earnestly, the Extreme Tiger continued, “But I’ve decided to put that jealousy aside. I feel Baek Woong has enough righteousness to stand on his own. What will you do?”
“……”
Pop!
As Jin So-cheong reached out and accepted the obsidian, I transferred the memories. Shortly after, Jin So-cheong fell into deep thought before finally saying, “I see now.”
“So-cheong, just a heads up. If Baek Woong wants it, I’ll take the head of Lee Kwang.”
“……!!”
“Unlike you, I can’t let that pass. Baek Woong is the only one who can give me my vengeance, and Lee Kwang cannot. If it means achieving my goal, I’m prepared for that.”
With that cold declaration, Jin So-cheong replied with a complicated expression, “You’re quite kind. To warn a fellow disciple with whom you might have a Life and Death Decision?”
“Think whatever you like. If we’re going to share a long rebirth together, I want you to be ready. Even if it ends up with us killing each other.”
“Understood.”
What did Jin So-cheong’s “Understood” really mean? Only he could know.
“Now we’re all set.”
I nodded at the Sword Demon’s words. “Let’s go.”
