849——————==

True Martial Home

So, the Dharma Guardian, Han Baek-ryeong, is actually here!

I used my suspicious fishhook to secretly chat with Zhuge Sa.

[Zhuge Sa! Why didn’t you tell me in advance with a suspicious fishhook? I wasn’t expecting to bump into Han Baek-ryeong like this….]

[It’s not that dangerous, really.]

[What?]

[Han Baek-ryeong showed up half a moment ago. If she wanted to use her power as a Dharma Guardian, she could have easily torn apart my formation and captured me.

But she just broke my formation and waited patiently. Basically, she came here to chat.]

[Hmm….]

[It’s entirely your choice if you want to fight or negotiate with Han Baek-ryeong. If you’ve let her grab your ankle, you can’t go looking for the Four Great Spirit Deities or challenge Miyamoto Musashi.]

It was a signal to figure things out for myself and that he wanted to see my choice. Was Zhuge Sa also trying to gauge my abilities?

I understood Zhuge Sa’s choice and turned to Han Baek-ryeong.

“What brings you to Jangryeong Valley?”

“I heard everything from Jin Seong-gi. You’re the famous thief, the Divine Thief, and you summoned the spirit of our ancestor, the Jade Dragon Deity, Han Geum-wol, from the White Spirit Techniques’ shrine to get information about the Divine Thief.”

“……”

“It seems you’ve been using some bizarre treasure to teleport everywhere in a flash. Initially, I was about to abandon the search to find you. But thanks to Yong Jun-il getting caught, I was able to discover the location of Jangryeong Valley, which is suspected to be your origin.”

“What….”

Then Han Baek-ryeong chuckled a little.

“Yong Jun-il, the leader of the Huashan Sect, is also the minor lord of the Wind Spirit Sect. Even though he noticed the pickpocket who came to swipe his pockets, he let it happen for show. Instead, he covered up the traces and tracked your movements with his secret techniques.”

“Hmm…!”

“Your frequently visited spot is this Jangryeong Valley. So, I decided to wait here.”

At that moment, something clicked in my mind.

[If this world is in crisis, then only I, the reborn one, can save it.]

[After the life of Seon-u Pa-jae ended, my fifth life, Mong Oh-sim, was concentrated on mastering martial arts from ancient Daoist sects and learning sorcery to uncover its secrets. At that time, I obtained ancient texts from the White Lotus Sect and studied the rituals of the ancient sect quite extensively. I dug up the hidden secrets of the ancient otherworldly race as well.]

What Yong Jun-il had told me when the identity of the reborn person was exposed came rushing back.

“Right… Yong Jun-il isn’t just skilled in martial arts. That guy is well-versed in sorcery too!”

The life of Yong Jun-il was my sixth reincarnation. In the previous fifth life, Mong Oh-sim, I had used all my life to uncover sorcery, magic, and ancient secrets—so it made sense I’d have developed some extraordinary techniques to adapt to the skills of a reborn person!

“Surely… when I disguised myself as a Huashan Elder, he suspected my identity.”

Feigning ignorance, he let me take advantage of him while simultaneously giving recognition as he activated his tracking sorcery.

As I fell silent, Han Baek-ryeong spoke.

“The reason I came to find you is that I want to know your true intent.”

“True intent?”

“I heard from Jin Seong-gi that you have been searching for secrets related to the Baekbyeon Shin Thief and the Gong Sun Family. What’s the reason behind it? Also, why have you been swiping at the sleeves of the world’s major sect leaders lately?”

“……”

I stared at Han Baek-ryeong and said, “Did you come all alone?”

“Indeed.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“I don’t think I would be able to catch a peculiar talent like you. Even Yong Jun-il’s tracking skill can only vaguely sense your whereabouts, and I know you can move freely around the world if you wish. Our chance to talk will probably be today alone.”

“……”

“What do you want? If you share, then our White Spirit Techniques can assist you.”

“Assistance… I don’t really need that.”

“Then what’s the reason for not causing great harm to Jin Seong-gi?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, I locked eyes with Han Baek-ryeong. Curiosity flickered in her gaze instead of malice or intent to kill.

“You’re an owner of tremendous martial arts, yet strangely soft. Trying to kill Jin Seong-gi would have been the norm, yet you opted not to threaten him and let him go… it’s something I’m quite curious about.”

I could sense it. Han Baek-ryeong had indeed come to meet me alone, and this choice was heavily influenced by the mercy I had shown Jin Seong-gi. If I had brainwashed or killed Jin Seong-gi right then with the Soul Exchange Technique, Han Baek-ryeong would have come here ready to kill me by any means.

“That is…”

At that moment, I activated the Fire Eye Golden Spirit and pulled out the Mirror of the Moon Sovereign to reflect upon myself. In the eye of my Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I saw the thin thread of sorcery that connected to me.

It must definitely be the tracking technique Yong Jun-il had placed on me.

“I cannot speak freely as long as you’re listening, Yong Jun-il.”

With that, I swung my sword, filling it with Spirit Power, and severed the thread. I felt as though the sorcery was completely cut off, ensuring Yong Jun-il would no longer pursue me.

‘With the sorcery broken, Yong Jun-il should feel quite the setback.’

After shaking off the potential eavesdropping, I addressed Han Baek-ryeong.

“Han Baek-ryeong. I’m in a situation where I can’t carelessly talk about the full circumstances surrounding me to others. However, I assure you, I’m not taking actions against your White Spirit Techniques, the Four Great Families, or the White Lotus Sect.”

“Then what is your purpose?”

“My purpose is to trace the footsteps of the Divine Thief and become the world’s greatest thief!”

At my declaration, Han Baek-ryeong’s eyes sharpened.

“Then what was the reason to inquire about the Gong Sun family from our ancestors?”

“It’s about the Xuanyuan Sword.”

“The Xuanyuan Sword?”

“The legendary sword of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. If I have that Divine Sword passed down by the Gong Sun Family, I could rightfully call myself the greatest thief. But I’ve gotten nowhere.”

“Hmm….”

Han Baek-ryeong appeared to be pondering deeply.

Then she spoke.

“Yong Jun-il estimated you might be a top-tier Thunder God expert. Is that true?”

“Correct. I am practicing the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage.”

“Who is your master?”

“I see no reason to disclose that to someone from another sect like you.”

“Are you perhaps secretly holding a grudge against the Thunder God Lineage?”

I got slightly annoyed at Han Baek-ryeong’s probing attitude. So I replied.

“Enough already. I am not your subordinate. I’ve even promised that I wouldn’t cause harm to your sect. Isn’t such rudeness unworthy of a leader of the White Spirit Techniques?”

“Disrespectful or not, I want to see your martial skills a little.”

Swish!

In the next moment, Han Baek-ryeong flicked a coin at me from her hand.

It wasn’t a specific secret technique, but it was charged with her boundless internal power, making it red-hot and about to burst. I knew if I mishandled this coin, not even a peak expert would survive! But internally, I snickered.

‘Hmph!’

Now you want to see my skills?

What a cheeky request!

I faced the oncoming coin, using my Seven Great Techniques to counter with a soft capability. The coin accelerated at a breakneck pace, but even that was within my detection range. As soon as it landed in my hand, a jolt surged through me along with absolute invincible internal power. Still, I raised my internal power and calmly weathered it.

Thud!

I flicked my wrist, nonchalantly catching Han Baek-ryeong’s coin, and she looked utterly astounded.

“……!!”

Of course, she’d be shocked. I directly caught the coin that should have been dodged due to its unlimited internal power. It practically meant that her superior internal power had next to no effect on me.

“Cough, cough!”

I played around with the coin several times before returning it to Han Baek-ryeong.

Swish!

Han Baek-ryeong snatched the coin right where I had caught it. However, since I had imbued it with the principles from the Seven Great Techniques, she staggered in surprise at the sudden force it carried.

She managed to regain her balance, but judging by her flushed face, it was evident she was thrown off.

“You…!”

“What’s the matter? I thought we were just going to play with coins.”

As I teased her, Han Baek-ryeong slowly reached for her twin swords at her waist. Knowing she was seriously preparing to fight, I flicked my eyebrows, yet I steeled my resolve and drew the Heavenly Gathering Cloud Sword.

I had enough chances to win.

However, just as the duel’s atmosphere heated up, Han Baek-ryeong dropped her hands.

With a pained expression, she said, “Let’s stop.”

“……”

“I apologize for my rudeness. But it’s been nearly half a century since a Thunder God expert as strong as you has emerged, and I wanted to learn more.”

“Enough of your antics. Now, please leave. I’m not interested in clashing with your White Lotus Sect any longer.”

“That’s hard to say.”

Swish!

Han Baek-ryeong left with a brief word, using her Fire Spirit Technique to depart from Jangryeong Valley. After the commotion settled down, I exhaled deeply.

“Phew…”

Was I distracted and careless because stealing was getting thrilling? It was a massive blunder to get caught up in Yong Jun-il’s tracking techniques.

Although I had severed it with the Fire Eye Golden Spirit and Spirit Power, being watched by the White Spirit Techniques and Wind Spirit Techniques was far from a pleasant result.

I worried about Zhuge Sa reprimanding me, but he didn’t mention that at all and instead brought up something else.

“Baek Woong. Were you seriously considering fighting that Dharma Guardian, Han Baek-ryeong?”

“…Yeah.”

“What were you planning to do if you won?”

“Well… I’d suppress her, lock her up, and then go steal from the Emperor.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“Seriously, why are you so soft…? Why not just use Soul Exchange Technique on her, and take control of the entire White Spirit Techniques?”

“I don’t want to use the Soul Exchange Technique too often.”

“You’re worried that using it on her might reduce the chances of becoming allies in the next life? Not to mention, if your frequent use of the Soul Exchange Technique becomes known by the obsidian? Others might start doubting and have a hard time trusting you.”

“……”

I felt a sharp jab hit home.

“Listen, that’s not conscience. It’s something that can’t even be called conscience.”

Having said that, Zhuge Sa placed his hands behind his back and walked slowly.

“Baek Woong. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. With the talents you’ve already gathered, you can manage just fine. So go ahead and use the Soul Exchange Technique freely. Who’s gonna say anything?”

“Making it harder to acquire more companions.”

“Seriously? In any case, companions have to be selective. You think you can laugh, hold hands, and become companions with every single person you’ve met in your past lives? With the great crisis of humanity’s destruction at hand, do you think everyone’s gonna unite? That’s impossible.”

“Who knows until you try?”

“Why would you not know? You’ve already seen the results, haven’t you? Humanity has long received warnings about its destruction for thousands of years but hasn’t prepared at all — they’re busy fighting and falling apart. There’s no way an foolish race like humanity can cycle positively and unite. Even if they can, they won’t do it.”

Saying that, Zhuge Sa sat down and sighed for a moment. Then he spoke.

“We’re just left with the stage of stealing from the Emperor, and swiping his sleeves is too trivial and easy. So why don’t you make it a bit more challenging?”

“How?”

“The National Seal.”

“The National Seal is already…”

“Not the National Seal, but steal the current Emperor’s personal seal that he always treasures. That should be enough to train you in your current state.”

Clap!

I decided to comply with Zhuge Sa’s order.

‘The personal seal, huh…’

In terms of value, the National Seal was vastly superior. It’s been recognized since the Warring States era, involving the Three Sovereigns in its creation; comparing it to a mere personal seal was absurd. That said, since it’s the ruling Emperor’s seal over this continent, it does hold some recognition in the current era’s value.

The reason Zhuge Sa instructed me to steal the seal seemed related to closely observing the current situations inside the Imperial Palace while simultaneously gathering more information on the ‘Emperor’ character that I had overlooked until now.

Using my Stealth Technique, I infiltrated the inner workings of the Imperial Palace, searching for the seal’s location for several days.

After gathering bits and pieces of information, it appeared that the current Emperor’s personal seal was managed by the astrologers. More precisely, the head astrologer held the key to a special room where the seal was kept.

Upon obtaining that information, I thought.

‘It seems Zhuge Bu knows about this…’

At the same time, it revealed the level of influence the astrologer family held over the Imperial Family. The seal is essentially the Emperor’s authority itself, so even if one were reliable, handing over the key to the seal’s room to another family is a bit unsettling!

I understood by past experience that if I recklessly attempted to crush the astrologers or guards to pry the information, it would likely raise suspicions and cause problems, so I decided to think more cautiously. Suddenly, a suspicious place came to mind.

‘Hmm… Isn’t there a particularly isolated spot among the 173 palaces in the Imperial Palace?’

I recalled having memorized a map of the Imperial Inner Palace from Mangnyang before. After countless reincarnations, I had come to know the locations of the palaces like my own home.

Among those, there was a particularly dark-colored palace that often gave me an unsettling feeling, and that place suddenly struck me as suspicious.

Clap!

I sneaked near the dark palace and scouted the surroundings. I saw two Golden Eagle Guards patrolling, alongside about ten regular soldiers stationed there.

Carefully observing their vigilance, I utilized the Fire Eye Golden Spirit to peer inside.

It’s small for a palace.

‘There’s barely enough space for four or five people to lie down… There must be something crammed inside that palace.’

As I focused more intently, I spotted a large box quietly placed at the very back. That box struck me as suspicious, and I thought that stealing it would be a valid plan. So, after waiting for nightfall when their guard would be lower, I used my Transformation Technique to shrink my figure and squeezed in.

Creak!

It was a space barely big enough for a six-year-old child to get in, but thanks to the advantage of the Transformation Technique, I managed to shrink down enough.

Once inside, I grabbed the target box and opened it right away.

“……!!”

The National Seal!

I marveled at the sight of the seal, having never seen one before.

Unlike the uniquely patterned National Seal of the Warring States era, this one was engraved with a dragon’s head and bore traces used for stamping documents.

As soon as I got my hands on the personal seal, I used the Golden Lamp Technique to make my escape.

When I returned to Jangryeong Valley and showed the seal to Zhuge Sa, he inspected it for a moment before tossing it on the ground like it was nothing and said,

“It turns out my little challenge was unnecessary. I thought it would be somewhat of a challenge, but it seems not.”

“What do you mean? If I had failed, it would’ve been quite bothersome.”

“Do you know what it means that you’ve stolen the Emperor’s personal seal?”

“What does it mean?”

Zhuge Sa replied with a lackluster tone.

“Congratulations! You are now the greatest thief of the continent! The end!”

“……”

“How does it feel to become a god in the profession of thievery?”

It felt less like a compliment and more like mockery. I scratched my head and answered.

“…Was it truly pointless? I wonder if this will yield any clues on the Divine Thief.”

“Who knows? But at least you’ve improved your stealing skills. You’re a reincarnator; even these minor experiences have their significance.”

“Is that so?”

But just then.

Swish!

It felt like the landscape in front of me flipped around, and I found myself standing in some desolate space. In this vast emptiness, there seemed to be an infinite swirling vortex stretching out wide enough to make one gasp.

What the?!

Where am I?!

‘No, more importantly, this seems oddly familiar…’

I’m sure I’ve seen this somewhere before!

But where was it?

That infinite vortex… where have I seen it? While I struggled to recall, a light and cheerful voice came from behind me.

“Are you my junior?”

I turned around.

And there, leaning casually against a post, was a middle-aged man wearing a straw hat and grinning with a rather lecherous catfish beard.

After staring at me for a while, he lifted his hat.

“Behold, the world’s greatest thief, the Divine Thief, has arrived!”