진공가향(眞空家鄕)

Zhuge Yulong cast a spell and then spoke.

“There’s no way to use the exploration function within the Primordial Void.”

With Xiang Yu’s bloodshot gaze fixed on him, Zhuge Yulong flinched and quickly continued, ” … Of course, that’s for now. The Primordial Void will revert back to its original form as a treasure once the barrier is broken in a bit. At that time, everything inside will be ejected outside. So for now, just wait quietly.”

He got kind of chatty. No matter how resolute Zhuge Yulong was, it seemed he couldn’t maintain his composure under Xiang Yu’s stare.

But I didn’t have the slightest desire to mock Zhuge Yulong. This was because I was equally anxious, fearing that Xiang Yu would turn me into a bloody mess with one punch. It’s safe to say there’s no one in this world who isn’t scared of the current Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu said coldly, “If you can’t find Yu Ji with the Primordial Void… you all die!”

“Do as you please.”

Sssssss –

Moments later, just as Zhuge Yulong said, cracks began to appear in the world, like thin ice cracking, and before long, space completely shattered.

Bang!

Boom boom boom

In the next moment, we found ourselves outside the Primordial Void, in the Three Clear Palace. The massive Primordial Void had shrunk to the size of a small child, and numerous humans began to swarm around the vast open space of the Three Clear Palace.

Murmur murmur

‘Hmm… roughly… about five hundred?!’

They all wore ancient attire, and at first glance, they looked like ordinary humans. They resembled regular townsfolk of all ages. But when I scanned them with my Fire Eye Golden Spirit, I realized they had formidable power lying dormant within.

‘They’re not ordinary humans…!!’

So it turns out ancient people possessed powers that surpassed current humans?

They appeared puzzled as if they didn’t understand the situation. I stepped forward to explain things to them.

“You are now free!”

“… Wh-what?! Who are you!”

“This is the Three Clear Palace! We have come to release you on the orders of the Primordial Heaven Master. You no longer have to live trapped in a barrier.”

“Ugh…!!”

The ancient people were murmuring in a state of great confusion. Suddenly, two Magical Beasts shot up into the air and flew away.

[ Hahahaha!! ]

[ Freedom!! ]

” ……”

Those two must be the remaining ones among the Four Fierce Beasts. Qiongqi had died inside, and Doo-all belonged to the Ten Thousand Ghosts Palace; they were likely the remnants of their clan. As the magical beasts flew off into the sky, the people looked even more bewildered.

At that moment, an old man stepped forward and spoke.

“I can’t believe it… Tai Gong-mang wished to maintain the seal until the end of the world; are you saying that even with the orders of the Primordial Heaven Master, you can release us?”

“Who are you?”

“I am Ji Fa.”

“……!!”

Ji Fa, as in King Wu of Zhou!

The absolute ruler who overthrew the evil King Zhou of Shang and brought peace to the world. Naturally, he must have been the Son of Heaven since he served Tai Gong-mang. Though he looked like an ordinary villager, there was an unusual elegance that permeated his appearance and demeanor.

It was highly likely he was the real King Wu Ji Fa, so I replied respectfully.

“The Primordial Heaven Master and the immortals entrusted us with the task of maintaining things before their ascension.”

“… Is that so.”

“Right now, there’s chaos in the Celestial Realm, and we can’t escort you down. Please stay in the Three Clear Palace for the time being. We will send you down to the mortal realm soon.”

At that moment, a bald man covered in flower tattoos stepped forward and shouted boisterously.

“Not necessary! Bring us back to that world! We don’t want to go out into the world!”

“What do you mean? Who are you?”

“I am Lu Da! If we go out into the world, it’ll just be chaotic; we want to live peacefully, so recreate that world for us!”

Lu Da?

I tilted my head, having never heard that name before, when the scholarly-looking man next to me chimed in.

“I also agree with Lu Zhi Xin. I am Song Gang, known as ‘Timely Rain’; we all obtained powers from the constellations unwillingly and lived unhappily. Thanks to the guidance of the immortals in the celestial realm, we found peace, but we no longer want to suffer.”

“……”

Timely Rain Song Gang!

Wait, could these be the characters from the Water Margin novel?!

‘Water Margin was about those who gained powers from constellations in the Song Dynasty?!’

Does that mean the novel was real?

“Uh, that is…”

Just as I stood there stunned by the unexpected revelation, Xiang Yu’s ferocious voice resonated throughout the hall.

“I don’t care! Shut up.”

Silence.

As the overwhelming pressure from Xiang Yu permeated the area, all the warlords quieted down in an instant. Even though the 108 of them each possessed one power from the constellations, they seemed suppressed by Xiang Yu’s might. It was clear that regardless of their abilities, there was a natural disparity.

“Whoa…”

“Is that… really a human?”

Most of the ancient people were staring at Xiang Yu with awe in their eyes, but he tiredly spoke.

“Deal with what I need to handle first. You can all figure out matters later.”

“Ah, understood.”

I looked at Zhuge Yulong, and he handed me the Primordial Void. When I gave him a confused look, he explained.

“I canceled the summoning of the [Old Ruler] just before the Primordial Void could break, so I have no spell power or magical energy left. Furthermore, as the first treasure, it requires immense spell power to initiate properly. Right now, you are the only one who can activate it.”

“Mm.”

I nodded and accepted the Primordial Void from Zhuge Yulong. I then poured my Spirit Power into it and activated it.

Wooooo

A moment later, a translucent figure resembling an ancient immortal materialized from the Primordial Void. The figure looked young and vibrant. The illusion spoke to me.

[ You have released the ancient seal. ]

“That’s right.”

[ Is this fate… If you activated the Primordial Void seeking something, then ask me your question. ]

The illusion seemed uninterested in discussing the breaking of the Primordial Void. Well, I guess it’s only natural for an artificial spirit to act like that. I wasted no time and asked straight away.

“I want to know the whereabouts of Yu Ji, the lover of the Overlord Xiang Yu.”

[ Wait… ]

After a moment of silence, the illusion finally spoke.

[ She is in Hong Gyun Palace, home of Hong Gyun Do-in. ]

“……?!”

I was flabbergasted and asked in return.

“Hong Gyun Palace of Hong Gyun Do-in? What is that? Where is it located?”

Is there such a place in the Celestial Realm? And why was Hong Gyun Do-in mentioned now?

What does Yu Ji have to do with Hong Gyun Do-in?!

[ The Hong Gyun Palace opens when Hong Gyun Do-in appears in the Celestial Realm, and only those invited by him may enter. Only the Four Emperors may go to the Hong Gyun Palace. ]

“What… so where is she even in Hong Gyun Palace?”

[ That, I cannot know. ]

“Is she safe?”

[ I cannot know. ]

“……”

It was a relief to have found out Yu Ji’s whereabouts, but it seemed she was located in an utterly unexpected place. I turned back to Xiang Yu and said, “She says she’s in Hong Gyun Palace.”

“… Hong Gyun Do-in, huh… I see.”

Surprisingly, Xiang Yu did not explode or get angry upon hearing Yu Ji’s whereabouts. Instead, he closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought, and suddenly chuckled.

“Ha ha… kkck… Hahahahahaha!!”

As he let out a laugh, the entire Three Clear Palace trembled. After a moment, he abruptly stopped laughing and said, “Tai Gong-mang. Was that what it meant? My fate was played with by God from start to finish? Heh… what a nasty situation. If I had known this, I would have let him live.”

As Xiang Yu murmured things I didn’t understand, he swaggered out, holding the Ta Shin-pyeon, which he had seized from Tai Gong-mang. I quickly shouted at Xiang Yu.

“Where are you going?!”

“I’m going to meet Hong Gyun Do-in.”

“What?!”

What does he mean by he’s going to meet him, knows where to find him?!

I was incredulous, and Xiang Yu gave me a bittersweet smile as he replied, “You’ve worked hard, Baek Woong.”

Pa-at

As Xiang Yu disappeared, silence enveloped the hall. The people who had once lived in the Peach Garden began murmuring again, and amidst the commotion, Zhuge Yulong said to me, “Baek Woong. There’s no more need to stay here. Let’s hurry and follow Xiang Yu.”

“What are you talking about? What the heck is going on? Why would we follow Xiang Yu? Aren’t we supposed to join and deal with the Queen Mother?”

“The battlefield over there must already know we’re too late to join. Following Xiang Yu holds a better chance of victory.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“There’s a reason. Right now, let’s go after Xiang Yu.”

I frowned. Seeing Zhuge Yulong insist on such a strong suggestion made it hard for me to ignore his words. I prepared to use Jeon Wook’s powers to turn back time if I had to and responded to Zhuge Yulong.

“Alright, I’ll believe you. But do you know where Xiang Yu is going to meet Hong Gyun Do-in?”

To my question, Zhuge Yulong replied calmly, “Xiang Yu will be heading to the Primordial Palace from now on. The Primordial Palace is behind the Queen Mother’s palace, so we’ll pass by her battlefield anyway.”

“Why is that? What does that have to do with drawing out Hong Gyun Do-in?”

“He has likely sensed the truth behind Yu Ji’s disappearance.”

“……?”

“I’ll explain on the way. For now, let’s save some time.”

Tydaht

We used the Instant Transport Technique to head toward the Primordial Palace. As we sped along, Zhuge Yulong used secret transmission to speak to me. It was too fast to speak normally while utilizing the transportation technique.

[ Just like Hong Gyun Palace is Hong Gyun Do-in’s, the palace of the Primordial Heaven Master is the Primordial Palace. Did you know that? If so, then there’s only one reason Xiang Yu is going to meet Hong Gyun Do-in in the Primordial Palace. ]

[ ……!! ]

I felt a great shock from Zhuge Yulong’s words. I belatedly connected the dots.

[ Now that you mention it… ]

[ Tai Shang Laojun mentioned in the prophecy of the Ruyi Staff. Your memory appears too vast to recall easily, but it’s true that both the Primordial Heaven Master and Tai Shang Laojun were assassinated by the enigmatic demon, known as Hong Gyun Do-in. ]

[ …… ]

[ And Hong Gyun Do-in is simultaneously the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master, one of the Three Clear. Moreover, as you know, his avatar is the Primordial Heaven Master. ]

Indeed.

I had found Tai Shang Laojun’s saying vague until now and couldn’t directly recall Hong Gyun Do-in’s existence, yet there had certainly been hints all along. The one who toyed with the Primordial Heaven Master and Tai Shang Laojun and turned the Celestial Realm into his plaything was none other than Hong Gyun Do-in, who was also the Primordial Heaven Master. Xiang Yu had picked up on the fact that Hong Gyun Do-in was indeed the Primordial Heaven Master.

I told Zhuge Yulong, [ But if we had never seen Tai Shang Laojun’s prophecy, we wouldn’t have had the slightest clue. How did Xiang Yu figure this out? ]

[ Perhaps it was possible because he spent a thousand years searching for Yu Ji and gathered information throughout the Celestial Realm. Even if he had no hard evidence, he likely had suspicions. Instead of just becoming a useless person, he was continuously gathering intelligence across the Celestial Realm. At the very least, he would have collected enough information to suspect the relationship between Hong Gyun Do-in and the Primordial Heaven Master. ]

[ …… ]

Xiang Yu didn’t just appear to rely on brute strength; he was actually quite the clever figure. Also, he hadn’t been aimlessly searching for Yu Ji; he must have gathered enough information in the process.

[ And that fact signifies something. ]

[ What? ]

[ The fact that the Primordial Heaven Master deliberately hid Yu Ji away means there was a reason to seal her. The only individual in the history of the heavens and earth who had that sort of motivation is just one person: You likely figured it out yourself. ]

[ …… ]

[ Xiang Yu must have realized the same. Therefore, he clearly understood the identity of the being that toys with his fate. ]

[ Damn it… where did all this begin? ]

I was at a loss. It felt absurd that such a tremendous conspiracy had been systematically etched since ancient times; the more I uncovered, the more expansive the roots and limitlessness of it appeared. Fighting against such an adversary felt surreal.

Zhuge Yulong did not respond to my question. Instead, he spoke softly.

[ This will likely be the final hurdle of the Law of Cause and Effect. ]

Tydaht!!

We soon arrived at the battlefield where the Queen Mother and our allies were engaged. I could see the remnants of the Queen Mother’s palace devastated, where the remaining Eight Parts of the Divine and the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, along with my companions, were collaborating to confront the Queen Mother.

Boom boom boom

Numerous powers entangled and clashed, while sometimes Miho and Seo Mun-hye flew around to attack the Queen Mother. Whenever the Queen Mother attempted to use her spell, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman stepped up to block it, while the rest of the Eight Parts of the Divine relentlessly bombarded her with attacks.

At first glance, it seemed like an evenly matched state, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t. This was because the Queen Mother continued to raise her power while remaining completely relaxed, throwing out strikes as if it were all a game, while we were desperately trying to defend ourselves. If the Queen Mother ever got serious, it was clear our side would be wiped out.

‘Ugh.’

I rushed over to Zhuge Sa nearby and quickly handed him the obsidian.

“Zhuge Sa!”

Upon receiving the obsidian, Zhuge Sa quickly seemed to gather his thoughts. His eyes sharpened with focus as he said, “Baek Woong. Don’t go to the Primordial Palace.”