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“The King of Humans, huh?”

Upon hearing Yong Junil’s words, my brain kicked into high gear, trying to pull any relevant info from my memories of past lives. Normally, with my dull mind, this would be impossible without a lucky break, but thanks to the Seal of the Supreme King, I was thinking faster and clearer.

My master wishes to save the humanity that is destined for utter destruction. His will is the true definition of human justice and is recognized by Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen as the King of Humans.

He is indeed the light and glory of humankind, the true King of Humans.

We are the most righteous. Our king truly is the King of Humans. And it is we, having transcended humanity, who select and save the worthy, which is the most certain and fastest way. Do you understand why what you said sounds childish?

That’s what the Eight Parts of the Divine kept repeating—that Chang Gi was the King of Humans. They seemed to have no doubts about it. When they said ‘King of Humans,’ it was clearly meant to imply ruler over all humanity.

But now, Yong Junil was asking me if I wanted to be recognized as the King of Humans by the emperor.

This had one prerequisite: that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen has the authority to choose the King of Humans.

“What if I said I wanted to be the King of Humans?”

I doubted Yong Junil would directly answer my obvious question. Ignorance could be a weakness, and it was normal to receive false information or dodgy responses in return. I mean, would a reincarnated person who’s lived for over 400 years honestly tell me anything? So, I decided to act like I knew what I was talking about and watch his reaction. Yong Junil smiled.

“I think you’re qualified.”

“I don’t want to hear empty flattery—just say what you’re thinking.”

“Well… I do have one question.”

“A question?”

After nodding, Yong Junil continued, “The most elusive entity in all this is none other than Qin Shi Huang. I’ve been poring over countless documents trying to find his whereabouts, but in the end, I still don’t know where he went. Do you happen to know what happened to Qin Shi Huang?”

What a random question! Why is he bringing up Qin Shi Huang now?

Suddenly, I recalled Lü Buwei, who was trapped in Mount Ye not long ago, claiming that Qin Shi Huang had set a trap for him. Reflecting on that, it certainly seemed like Qin Shi Huang was no ordinary being.

‘Seems like Yong Junil believes Qin Shi Huang is still alive.’

Thinking a legendary emperor from thousands of years ago is alive is definitely bonkers, but history has its endless twists and turns. Plus, Yong Junil had spent centuries gathering knowledge of the dark arts, so he must have solid reasons for that belief. I organized my thoughts and replied.

“So, you think there’s a chance Qin Shi Huang might come crashing into this situation?”

“Of course! He is the first to perform the Offering Ceremony, yet I have no idea what wish he made during it. I know the Empress Wu Zetian sent human souls to the Dark Heaven Village but the wish of Qin Shi Huang remains a mystery. So, I thought someone like you might know.”

“…”

It’s beyond my knowledge. According to later rumors, Qin Shi Huang was obsessed with immortality, so his wish was probably obvious. He even sent Xu Fu eastward in search of the Elixir of Life, right? But then I remembered Lü Buwei’s dying words.

[This… tomb… is just a facade… the whole Mount Ye… is just… a disguise… and the real… Ying Zheng is… overturning everyone’s expectations… even gods and demon kings..]

[Ying Zheng… is not here… he never died… does this look like… a tomb?]

[He… truly is a terrifying being… even the gods… will be caught off guard… hehehe… truly… hehehe…]

Lü Buwei’s last words confirmed Yong Junil’s anxieties. Both seemed convinced that Qin Shi Huang was definitely not dead. Moreover—I remembered Lü Buwei’s condition back then.

‘Lü Buwei had the spell of immortality cast on him.’

If one could cast a spell of immortality on someone else for torture, casting it on themselves wouldn’t be a huge deal. This means that Qin Shi Huang might have already attained immortality before the Offering Ceremony. Yong Junil’s claim about not knowing what wish Qin Shi Huang made during the Offering Ceremony now made complete sense.

“… It’s likely that Qin Shi Huang knows he could become the King of Humans by gathering the Seven Luminaries and would undoubtedly want that position. So, you want to say that he could show up to interfere when someone is collecting the Seven Luminaries?”

“Exactly!”

Yong Junil vigorously nodded.

“I had planned to conceal the White Lotus Sect this time around to escape the turmoil and pass it onto the next generation. I’ve unraveled lots of knowledge about this world, but Qin Shi Huang is an unpredictable variable, so I didn’t want to act before figuring him out. Actually, I didn’t plan to act while the previous Master of the White Lotus Sect was still around…”

“…”

“However, since you’ve gathered a lot of the Seven Luminaries, I thought I’d take a chance. I believe I could handle Qin Shi Huang even if he intervened.”

“Hmm.”

I narrowed my eyes.

‘It seems I can’t just use this guy for my own gain. I need to share some information.’

He was signaling that keeping him on my side would be beneficial. And to learn more, some degree of trust in him was necessary. Of course, real trust was out of the question, but I have to let a bit of transparency flow.

After a moment of consideration, I said, “If you can answer this question honestly, then I might trust you.”

“What question?”

“In this life, did you collaborate with the Vermilion Bird, Zhuge Yulong, from the Imperial Palace?”

“…!!”

Yong Junil couldn’t hide his surprise. He seemed caught off guard by my question. Then he responded, “Yes, I did team up with him.”

“Hmmm.”

“He has already been defeated and can no longer rise again. His forces have all been absorbed by Chang Gi, so it’s been a while since I’ve cut ties with him.”

So that’s how it was.

‘The reason the Wind Spirit Sect and the Imperial Palace teamed up… was because the reborn Yong Junil’s interests matched with Zhuge Yulong’s.’

It wasn’t just a hunch anymore; it felt like solid evidence. The incident at the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament, where Seo Mun-hye was directly led to the Golden Eagle Guard, and Yong Bi-cheon openly showing his connection with the Imperial Palace as the events progressed painted a clear picture.

However, why did the Wind Spirit Sect extend their hand towards the Imperial Palace specifically? And how did Yong Bi-cheon connect with Zhuge Yulong, the core figure of the Imperial Palace? Those questions still lingered unresolved.

But now that it’s established that Yong Junil is a reincarnated being, things change.

The reincarnated Yong Junil likely discovered Zhuge Yulong’s presence hidden in the Imperial Palace using his knowledge and intuition, convincing his father, Yong Bi-cheon, to get involved while he maneuvered behind the scenes, pulling the strings to support the Imperial Palace discreetly.

Moreover, if worst comes to worst, signals throughout my previous lives indicated he was ready to distance himself from Yong Bi-cheon and the Wind Spirit Sect if things went south. He never showed himself despite Yong Kwang and Jin So-cheong breaking the Wind Spirit Sect, and by the time the Wind Spirit Sect perished, he already had a base in the Central Plains with the Huashan Sect.

This was why Yong Junil had made me uneasy during the times he still existed. It wasn’t clear whether Zhuge Yulong knew Yong Junil’s true identity or not, but whether he did or didn’t, their interests aligned perfectly, and both seemed to possess a deep understanding of the hidden truths of the Seven Luminaries and the secrets of myth.

It was a formidable alliance, and with those two shadowy figures operating one of the axes behind the White Lotus Sect and the Imperial Palace, no one in this world could easily stand in their way.

That’s downright terrifying.

If Dokgo Uncheon hadn’t obtained the Primordial Spirit and become overwhelmingly powerful to claim the title of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, then at this rate, the White Lotus Sect would’ve undoubtedly fallen entirely into the hands of reincarnated beings. Dokgo Uncheon, who was a demon path follower stubbornly trying to save humanity through human sacrifices, also served as a check against the reborn Yong Junil.

And the fact that even with the Master of the White Lotus Sect keeping him in check, he had orchestrated a scheme of this scale was nothing short of shocking.

I gazed at him intently and asked, “What was your reason for participating in the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament and taking down Seo Mun-hye?”

“I needed to fight many experts to complete my Sword Form. I didn’t know much about her identity, but Zhuge Yulong at the Slave Market asked me to send her to Pirate Island.”

“So it was just a coincidence that you defeated her at the tournament?”

“Exactly.”

Yong Junil seemed to realize how much I knew and answered readily. As I pondered about Seo Mun-hye, I asked again, “You and Zhuge Yulong both wished to gather the Seven Luminaries to become the King of Humans?”

“Not exactly. I had that intention, but after a while, I gave up. While Zhuge Yulong seemed extraordinarily obsessed with destroying the Celestial Realm, he appeared to be more concerned with what would happen after seizing control of the Celestial Realm than actually becoming a king.”

“Seizing control of the Celestial Realm…”

While I was curious about Zhuge Yulong’s intentions, this wasn’t the time to delve deeper. After a moment of contemplation, I said to Yong Junil, “I should cross-reference with what I know. Tell me what happens when the Seven Luminaries gather and are released.”

“Got it.”

Yong Junil took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

“When the Seven Luminaries gather and are all released, the human world will face threats as severe as total destruction. The peace treaty between the Old Ruler and the Three Sovereigns will break, causing the heavens to split apart, leading to natural disasters. There might be more specifics, but I’m not sure about them.”

“And?”

“But I’m not certain what occurs before the last Luminary is released. It’s clear that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen will subject the liberator of the Luminaries to significant trials.”

“Trials?”

When I looked at him, Yong Junil continued, “I’ve shared information about Zhuge Yulong with him. He mentioned that those trials would be exceedingly harsh and would be battles for who shall be king. I’ve understood until now that gathering the Seven Luminaries means becoming the King of Humans.”

Yong Junil suddenly smiled wryly.

“What’s there to boast before someone who has gathered five Luminaries? You probably know more than I do.”

“… Of course.”

I filled the air with bravado while quickly turning my thoughts. ‘Trials, eh? That’s a new term to me… But Zhuge Yulong surely knows what those trials entail.’

Perhaps the reason Zhuge Yulong is trying to destroy the Celestial Realm and the Jade Emperor stems from something greater beyond mere vengeance. There’s definitely something more at play.

I pressed him again, “You must have known that Zhuge Yulong is collaborating with an Alchemist to create a Portrait Immortal. Did you hear anything about the specific ritual he intends to perform with that guy as the Portrait Immortal?”

“I don’t know. We were allies, but he never shared anything truly important.”

Then it’s time to get down to business. I said to Yong Junil, “Now, hand over the texts of the Su Shin Sect.”

There was no more time to waste in the White Lotus Sect for obtaining the Tydaht. Since the text that Zhuge Sa originally wanted was about the Su Shin Sect, it made sense to prioritize that first.

“Hmm… okay. Given the situation, I see I can’t escape being subordinated to you. Follow me.”

As Yong Junil led me to the place where the texts of the Su Shin Sect were kept, I noticed a huge chamber filled with vibrant crystals emitting light as he walked ahead.

“There are so many that it took a while to move them all.”

It wasn’t just an empty remark. It seemed like at least a hundred on each side, not to mention it was not just one room, but several linked together. With this many books, we must be looking at millions of volumes—almost impossible for any human to read in a lifetime. While I was surveying, Yong Junil added, “Not all of these relate to the demon path. About 20% contain minor histories and rules of the Su Shin Sect, along with many martial arts texts gathered from different regions in the Central Plains. It’s quite a mixed bag. After the fall of the Su Shin Sect’s fortress, I classified and collected only the demon path ones.”

With a rumble, the rocky door opened, revealing a large chamber filled with what must be tens of thousands of books. I glanced at the books, noting a gentle magical aura from the Fire Eye Golden Spirit.

‘There are quite a few demon-related texts as well. Though they’re low-grade.’

As I continued to scan the area, I began stuffing demon path texts into my Wooden Armor. It didn’t take long before I declared, “What happened to the Dharma Guardian Dokgo Jun and the Fire Spirit Master Han Baek-ryeong?”

“Dokgo Jun is dead. However, Han Baek-ryeong took her faction and vanished to who knows where.”

“You don’t know where she’s gone?”

“No.”

Then it’s safe to say the newly formed White Lotus Sect was operating in a pretty weak state, as the existing Dharma Guardians are either missing or deceased. In this condition, it wouldn’t be surprising if Yong Junil was reluctantly coming to join me. I stared at him and said, “The previous leader made a pact with chaos to acquire the Primordial Spirit and the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Don’t you know how he did it?”

“The only one who knows that method in the world is Dokgo Uncheon. He was the greatest being in the world, a genius of the demon path, so it’s likely he discovered that method independently… different from someone like me who learned a little on the side.”

At this rate, I think I’ve extracted all the information I need.

After pondering for a moment, I said, “Once more, I’ll ask you about your goal. You claim you reincarnated to save humanity, so you should fully cooperate with me in gathering the Seven Luminaries, right?”

“Of course. I’ve laid out all that information until now, so you should trust me.”

“We’ll be attacking the Imperial Palace soon to obtain the Tydaht. When that happens, you should also participate and fight the Eight Parts of the Divine.”

“Understood.”

I decided to accept Yong Junil as a potential ally. Undoubtedly I couldn’t trust him fully, but in this current situation, I planned to make use of his strength as needed.

Just then, Gu Cheon-hyun appeared to have sensed something and turned back, saying, [Baek Woong, it seems we need to move quickly.]

“Why?”

[Serious battles have begun in Luoyang. The fight between the Overlay Technique and the Eight Parts of the Divine has commenced. Also, the Three Sovereigns, Jeogok, has descended into the current world.]

“……!!”

It’s begun! Until now, it hadn’t been a full-on war; it felt more like reconnaissance. But it seems the Primordial Void Ruler is finally putting his real might into triggering an attack.

‘Then now’s the greatest chance!’

This opportunity could likely never present itself again.

After reaching a conclusion, I shouted, “Let’s head straight to the Imperial Palace in Luoyang and seize the Tydaht!”

This life, I will gather all the Seven Luminaries!

 

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