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550——————==

Dark Heaven Village

Moves the Twelve Joules!

Indeed, the only person capable of keeping the Master of the White Lotus Sect in check in the current situation was just that. I could empower the Vermilion Bird, but since that guy was a major villain tainted by the Demon Path, he couldn’t team up with the Vermilion Bird. However, I had a question arise.

“How do you plan to move that guy…?”

The Twelve Joules had always been a rather mysterious figure, to the point that I couldn’t clearly grasp how much potential he was hiding, let alone his true purpose in this lifetime. He had reached the pinnacle in both strategy and martial strength, so trying to use him carelessly might lead to disaster. Because of the significant risks involved, I voiced my concerns, and Zhuge Sa spoke.

“The Twelve Joules has already spread his influence all over the Central Plains to assess the situation. He likely sensed that the White Lotus Sect was about to act before this rallying edict was even sent out, so he should be well aware of the impending crisis.”

“But that guy’s intentions remain unclear.”

I sighed.

“To be honest, I don’t even have a good grasp of what he thinks about the Imperial Palace or the White Lotus Sect.”

That’s the problem. The Imperial Palace and the White Lotus Sect both acknowledged their close ties to the Old Ruler and were very concerned about the God behind the scenes. They were practically locked in a hostile relationship. However, in stark contrast to their ongoing rivalry, the position of the Twelve Joules was incredibly ambiguous. Even in his 19th life, he had only intervened at the very last moment, showcasing a passive approach.

Zhuge Sa added, “Even if we don’t know the goal, as long as he moves, that’s enough. If two are opposing each other, the moment one side gains the upper hand, it’s over. But if we turn it into a three-sided struggle, it’ll become difficult for all three to act.”

“So how do we manage that?”

“We plan to move the True Heaven Alliance.”

“What?”

The True Heaven Alliance? Why were they involved here alongside the Nine Great Sects and Orthodox Sects? As I wrinkled my brow in confusion, Mangnyang chimed in.

“We’ve gained considerable influence over the True Heaven Alliance while operating Bancheon Alliance. Wei Zhi-hun, the leader of the True Heaven Alliance, considers our Bancheon Alliance an ally. Therefore, we can maneuver Wei Zhi-hun through the Bancheon Alliance, and he can make contact with the Twelve Joules to move them.”

“So you’re saying the True Heaven Alliance will form an alliance with the Twelve Joules?”

Mangnyang nodded.

“Formally, yes. Until now, the territories governed by the True Heaven Alliance and the Twelve Joules were quite separate, and they largely ignored one another, but now that the White Lotus Sect is beginning to stir, the martial world is under threat. This is why Wei Zhi-hun will likely accept our proposal and seek to ally with the Twelve Joules. I have already explained the might and interests of the Twelve Joules sufficiently through a messenger.”

“Hmm.”

“And by putting the leader of the True Heaven Alliance forward, we can avoid directly exposing our forces to the Twelve Joules. It means you, Baek Woong, don’t need to take part personally.”

Certainly, that way, we could maneuver the Twelve Joules without taking the risk ourselves. Also, regardless of whether it was the leader of the True Heaven Alliance or the Twelve Joules, they both viewed the White Lotus Sect as a threat, so the likelihood of forming an alliance was high.

At that moment, the Sword Demon, who was listening, spoke up.

“All of this sounds good, but what about the Imperial Palace’s power? It’s been quite a while since we last checked on them, and I think they’ve restored a significant amount of power…”

“I hadn’t mentioned that yet.”

Mangnyang calmly continued while folding his fan.

“My uncle has gotten plenty of information regarding the Alchemist and the Portrait Immortal through Zhuge Bu over the past while. Currently, they’ve been mass-producing Dragon People and Demons and are in the process of creating a special Portrait Immortal.”

“A special Portrait Immortal…?”

“I’ll explain that part myself.”

Zhuge Sa interjected.

“As I mentioned before, a Portrait Immortal is, at its core, a high-class offering to the gods. However, the manufacturing cost is quite high, and it doesn’t have much effect when wishing for anything above a certain level. So it seems they are trying to manufacture a higher-quality Portrait Immortal as an experimental endeavor.”

“Hmm…”

The Sword Demon crossed his arms in thought and then spoke.

“Does that mean they’re crafting a delicacy to offer to the gods?”

“Precisely! That’s a spot-on description. If a standard Portrait Immortal is like the dish served by a first-class chef, Bai Tian Chu Shi, then this higher-class one is akin to a top-tier chef, Qing Tian Chu Shi’s best work. They seem determined to use all their skills.”

“Hmm.”

“The tastier the offering, the better the rewards the god will give.”

In the culinary world, a chef’s status is divided into four ranks: Qing, Hong, Heuk, and Baek. Qing Tian Chu Shi referred to an officially recognized top-tier chef in culinary competitions held in front of the emperor.

If Zhuge Sa’s metaphor holds true, that would be considerable…

It implied they were striving to create the ultimate of the ultimate. The Sword Demon’s eyes sparkled.

“That high-class Portrait Immortal would likely be the one with white hair.”

“Eight out of ten, I’d assume.”

“And how far along is that?”

“Probably just in the draft stage. They’ve only created a basic frame and haven’t infused it with essence yet. They’re estimating about five years until completion.”

“Five years, huh…”

The Sword Demon let out a sound of contemplation.

“Seems that the white-haired guy I encountered before was still incomplete then.”

“Most likely. You’d have to wait five more years to see the finished product.”

Five years was a long time for some, and a short one for others.

Extreme Tiger added during the conversation, “Until the Imperial Palace completes that high-class Portrait Immortal, we can’t allow them to suffer any losses against the White Lotus Sect!”

“Exactly so. In this life, it’s crucial to find out what that white-haired Portrait Immortal is all about. After they finish it, we must strip away their control and turn it to our side.”

Zhuge Sa spread his hands wide.

“Over the next five years, our primary goal is to maintain peace for at least that period while drawing in the Twelve Joules.”

“How? It seems a bit much to think that just bringing in the Twelve Joules will hold us for five years…”

I voiced my skepticism.

“If the Twelve Joules joins in, we might all end up in a muddy fight. With three factions intertwined, it could get even messier.”

“That’s a valid concern. Have you hit the books; your head seems to have gotten a bit sharper?”

“……”

Zhuge Sa smiled slyly.

“I have a plan in mind. So the main point is that we need an opportunity to speak frankly at least once.”

And three days later.

Mangnyang called for another meeting. Looking pleased, he said, “The Twelve Joules has accepted the alliance proposal from the leader of the True Heaven Alliance.”

“Good news.”

“Additionally, it seems they’ve positively considered another proposal as well. From now on, the Twelve Joules will likely directly negotiate with other factions.”

“In that case…”

Excitedly, I began to speak, and Mangnyang nodded.

“This marks the beginning of preparations for the three-party discussions.”

Three-party discussions!

This was Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa’s scheme.

The heads of the three most powerful forces—the Imperial Palace, the White Lotus Sect, and the Twelve Joules—gathering in one place for a meeting! All three regarded each other with enmity and suspicion, but since the Twelve Joules had also dipped its toes into the Central Plains’ muddy waters, they would have no choice but to enter into checks against one another. And if they held a three-party discussion, there was a potential for a ceasefire agreement among them.

The Sword Demon sighed.

“Whew! This is really escalating. A three-party discussion… managing even one of the three major powers is already a monumental task; will we be able to control them all?”

“Probably not.”

Mangnyang shrugged.

“They aren’t exactly targets we can control easily. They are the rulers of the martial world and the mightiest sovereigns of this era. All we can do is subtly work behind the scenes to ensure they exhibit at least a modicum of self-restraint.”

“Self-restraint?”

“Indeed. Self-restraint… any side acting recklessly will result in catastrophic losses, but they all understand their strength and know when to hold back. They are likely also aware that the one who acts first may suffer losses and grow weaker.”

Mangnyang grinned widely.

“Within half a day, the White Lotus Sect and Imperial Palace will also learn about the alliance between the True Heaven Alliance and the Twelve Joules.”

The Sword Demon’s eyes lit up with intrigue.

“Did you purposely leak information from the Bancheon Alliance?”

“Exactly. This way, the White Lotus Sect and the Imperial Palace will become wary of the Twelve Joules. When the Twelve Joules catches wind of this, they won’t be able to just sit idly in the East with their usual ambiguity.”

Just then, Extreme Tiger raised his hand.

“Hey, Mangnyang. I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“From your perspective, which of the three major powers do you think will be the strongest?”

It was an important question. Also, something everyone in the room was curious about. As all eyes gathered on Mangnyang, he slowly began to speak.

“The White Lotus Sect. To be precise, the Master of the White Lotus Sect is the single strongest force.”

“Damn it.”

“While it isn’t absolutely certain, if the Master of the White Lotus Sect has stepped onto the forefront, it signifies that they have tremendous confidence and power backing them. The 19th reincarnation of Baek Woong during his prime was probably not too far off from that. I would even think he possesses strength comparable to Tiushen among the Great Immortals.”

“……”

“Few beings in the world possess that kind of strength, and one could say that he is probably surpassing the limits of humanity, suppressing the sickness of the Young Master, who is sealed as the [Eternal Fetus].”

Mangnyang spoke seriously.

“To be honest, I don’t know why he’s been actively participating, given that no remedies for White Lotus Sect’s sicknesses have specifically targeted the White Lotus Sect. The reasoning that the Master of the White Lotus Sect has forcibly used strength to emerge from the sickness seems to be the most plausible.”

“Is that so? Has the Master already surpassed the Great Immortal…?”

Extreme Tiger’s expression darkened. His goal was to take revenge against the Wind Spirit Sect, but the head of the White Lotus Sect had grown far too powerful, making it a bitter pill for him to swallow. Moreover, the Dharma Guardian, Yong Bi Cheon, had likely become more robust as he had received martial arts instruction from the Master.

Mangnyang continued.

“However, even if the White Lotus Sect is the strongest, they can’t go too far ahead. If we compare sheer power among the three factions, they are all fairly equal. The difference can be so microscopic that a mere twist of fate could tip the scales… it’s fair to say they are on equal footing.”

Listening in with crossed arms, Jin So-cheong interjected.

“So it’s possible that our choice of side could determine the victor.”

“Exactly! We are the fourth force that can shift the balance of power. This is the really important part!”

Mangnyang’s eyes were bright with enthusiasm.

“The key is to ensure that none of the three becomes victor; to make them expend their strength and hold each other in check until the very end. Our Bancheon Alliance must become the ultimate black mask of the martial world!”

“……”

“Baek Woong, why the long face?”

“Nah… it’s just that…”

I scratched my head and said.

“Don’t we seem a bit villainous?”

“Hmm.”

Mangnyang looked a little taken aback as if he hadn’t considered it. Beside him, Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Ha ha ha! Exactly. Concealing your identity while manipulating the orthodox sect and plotting for the mutual destruction of others… isn’t that the perfect villain trope from a novel?”

“……”

“It could very well be a story where the righteous Master of the White Lotus Sect defeats the mastermind villain, Mangnyang.”

“That shouldn’t happen…”

As Zhuge Sa teased, Mangnyang sighed deeply and then spoke.

“Anyhow, we need to ensure the three major powers can meet within a month. And now Baek Woong, you need to take action as well.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Reel in the priest to our side.”

Mangnyang spoke calmly.

“Until now, we didn’t have to bring him in, but the situation has changed. Without the aid of the Illusory God, we could easily get ambushed by the three major powers and face potential annihilation at any moment. So you must bring him along.”

“That guy is quite prickly…”

“Try this approach.”

Bam!

Listening in on Mangnyang’s strategy, I set off to Mangnyang’s village. After hiding the Heavenly Secret, I entered the village, but soon enough, Cheon Woo-jin appeared before me. As expected, he looked at me with an obvious expression of disdain.

“What brings you here this time?”

“I want to assign an errand and shall offer this banknote as a reward.”

I presented the banknote before him. Immediately, his curiosity piqued as he recognized its value.

“Oho, this is…”

I cunningly waved the banknote before his eyes.

“What I want is not you.”

“Excuse me?”

Ignoring Cheon Woo-jin, I suddenly dashed inside the shrine. As he stared at me in disbelief, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“Mangnyang! I’ll leave this as collateral, so lend me that guy!”

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness washed over me, and I fell asleep.

[Ah, the banknote… it’s an artifact related to Chi You.]

I heard a mumbling nearby.

In the middle of the path sat a black cat, Mangnyang, staring intently at me and spoke.

[How long do you plan to borrow my disciple?]

“About 50 years.”

[That’s far too long.]

“Um… 25 years. I will use him properly and return him.”

Mangnyang waved his tail.

[Are you hoping to acquire a slave? 2 years.]

“Oof… fine.”

Slurp

As Mangnyang pawed the banknote away, it vanished without a trace. They must have devoured it using some divine technique. Mangnyang slowly faded away beyond the path, remarking.

[An ominous feeling. Don’t be too overconfident and risk backlash…]

When I awoke, Cheon Woo-jin stood before me with a flushed face. He looked like he had aged a decade but managed to restrain himself enough to speak.

“… I appreciate it in advance for the next two years…”

“Haha, same here.”

Seeing Cheon Woo-jin’s expression, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘This is Mangnyang’s scheme.’

Using the banknote as collateral to forcibly recruit Cheon Woo-jin!

In such a critical situation, this was a far more reliable method than squabbling over dominance with Cheon Woo-jin.

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