Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

The 18th life had begun.

I decided to step out of the stable first.

Time to move.

There was much to think about, but even more to do. Things had become so hopelessly tangled, and the aftereffects of my death in the 17th life had yet to fade. I instinctively knew that if I lay passively while these negative, despairing thoughts rampaged through my mind, there would be no coming back from it.

Without a word, I went to obtain the Heavenly Dark Secret Book. Once I had it, I headed straight to Shandong without delay and acquired the Bideung. Up to this point, securing the Heavenly Dark Secret Book and the Bideung—essential items for my adventures—was a process that couldn't be shortened any further.

Soon after, I extracted the Bideung from the cargo of the Great Dragon Escort Agency. Standing atop a building roof in the dead of night, I let out a deep sigh.

"Haa!"

A long sigh escaped me. It was clear I'd soon be rushing about busily again. There was so much to accomplish. Above all, thinking of that colossal existence called a "god" filled me only with gloom. Could a mere human truly prevail against something like that?

In my previous life, after obtaining the Bideung, I had gone to the Thunder Prison to fight the giant toad. Then I rescued Hwang Yeon and took him to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, before heading to the Sword Demon to transmit my memories via the obsidian. Afterward, I entrusted the pirate master and prisoner liberation to the Sword Demon, transmitted memories to Mang Ryang, and went to pay respects at Mang Ya's ruins. That was how it went, if memory served.

If nothing unusual happened this time, following the same path would be best. But suddenly, I felt that wasn't the case.

'If things continue like this, the rite of release will free Mang Ya. To gain Mang Ya's power, the rite is unavoidable. But with the Mount Tai Old Man, who is Zhuque, stealing information from Mount Tai's Heavenly Altar, it means a direct clash with Zhuque sooner or later.'

And in the 17th reincarnation, Zhuque's decisiveness and intellect had been exceptional. I was always one step behind, getting struck from behind. With the White Lotus Cult's help, I had succeeded in destroying half the imperial palace, but ultimately fell to the descent of the god.

I felt that clashing with Zhuque right now was premature. Zhuque wasn't just superior in martial prowess; he excelled in strategy and schemes, always striking at the optimal moment. Facing him without preparation would drastically increase the difficulty.

So, shouldn't I prioritize eliminating Zhuque this time?

'Can I do it with my current martial arts?'

Zhuque's innate ability was powerful enough to surpass even Lee Gwang. Most terrifying was his power to borrow the Earth Fiend's Eight Trigrams Chart from the Seven Fiends, sealing his opponent's strength. Even assuming my current martial arts matched Lee Gwang's, assassinating Zhuque alone was impossible.

I carefully sorted through the situation and reached a conclusion.

Discuss the future with Mang Ryang, but above all else, prioritize Zhuque's elimination and containment!

'The emperor isn't the problem. Only by removing Zhuque can I destroy the imperial palace.'

I could have left everything to Mang Ryang, but his kidnapping this time made me realize otherwise. Mang Ryang was human too and prone to mistakes. Besides, having my thoughts ready first would make planning with him smoother.

Paat!

I headed to the Thunder Prison first. Upon seeing the giant toad there, I immediately summoned Yeo Dongbin. I could fight it myself, but it seemed better to conserve energy by leaving it to her.

[Help me!]

Yeo Dongbin accepted my request at once and possessed my body. She swung her sword and charged at the giant toad.

[Haap!]

It didn't take Yeo Dongbin long to dispatch the giant toad. I gathered the demonic tome, the wooden armor, and the twin swords, then rescued General Hwang Yeon and the hostages. After so many rescues, I had memorized all their names, statuses, and details.

'Hmm. Don't drop General Hwang Yeon off at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall right away.'

The unease of introducing variables outweighed the benefit of quickly shedding the hassle. I stuffed all the rescued people into the wooden armor and went straight to Dongyeong to mine some obsidian. Then I headed to the Shadowless Sect and transmitted the obsidian memories to the Sword Demon.

Wuuung.

"Ugh...!"

The Sword Demon had been skeptical at first when I offered the obsidian. But after receiving my memories from the 17th cycle through it, his expression turned confused before regaining composure. He gathered his thoughts and spoke to me.

"I see. You gave it your all, but ultimately lost..."

That was the Sword Demon's one-sentence impression of the 17th reincarnation. Feeling ashamed and gloomy, I stared at the ceiling. The Sword Demon interlaced his fingers and said,

"The key point is that Zhuque has preempted the heavenly realm's information, so we can't act rashly."

"Exactly. As long as he's guarding Mount Tai's Heavenly Altar under the name Mount Tai Old Man, the rite of release's information will flow to Zhuque at any moment."

"And from then on, we'll have to face Zhuque's full-powered ghostly schemes."

"Yes."

After a moment's thought, the Sword Demon said,

"Telling me before discussing with Mang Ryang was the right call. There are a few things you need to keep in mind before passing this information to him."

"Pardon?"

Keep in mind?

As I looked puzzled, the Sword Demon explained.

"First, remember that Zhuque is Mang Ryang's father."

"Mang Ryang isn't the type to betray over blood ties."

I asserted firmly, and the Sword Demon chuckled.

"Huhu. I think so too. Mang Ryang's a genius; he's not one to be shackled by such bonds. What concerns me is Mang Ryang at the 'current moment.'"

"...?"

"Think about it. No matter how high the obsidian memory transmission rate, it's still entirely new information for Mang Ryang. And among it is the shocking truth that his father is the upright faction's Three Great Elders' Mount Tai Old Man, the Vermilion Bird of the Water Emperor Guard, stealing heavenly information to use for the Great Ming Empire's nefarious purposes. How would Mang Ryang—a ne'er-do-well leisurely in Jin Rang Valley after being exiled from his clan—take that?"

"Hah!"

I gulped, understanding the Sword Demon's point. He smiled faintly and continued.

"I got caught up in your reincarnation, but while receiving these memories, I've secured my own gains. Meaning I can objectively receive and judge the information. But Mang Ryang is too deeply entangled with you, so who knows what shock he'll take receiving this."

"T-That makes sense."

It was a perspective I hadn't considered, making my mind race.

Indeed.

I'd taken for granted that Mang Ryang always accepted the information and became my ally, but this was different. The 17th cycle's revelations about Zhuque concerned Mang Ryang's direct blood kin. It was like thrusting an unexpected lifelong dilemma upon him. Anyone, not just Mang Ryang, would be thrown into confusion.

The Sword Demon said,

"Of course, Mang Ryang's an exceptional vessel, so he'll overcome the turmoil and help you. But process-wise, it'll consume much of his mental strength. I believe you should start showing him consideration from now on."

"Consideration?"

The Sword Demon nodded and said,

"By giving him a reason to trust you. For a strategist, that alone is like finding light in darkness. It also means you're indirectly supporting Mang Ryang."

"...!!"

I understood the Sword Demon's words. I bowed deeply and clasped my fists.

"Thank you for the advice."

"No need."

It hit me anew why the Sword Demon was the overlord of the unorthodox sects. It wasn't just his martial prowess; his profound insight and mastery of employing people were extraordinary. Without him, I would have pushed Mang Ryang to the brink of mental collapse.

In truth, I'd sensed it before. Each time I transmitted memories, Mang Ryang detected his past selves' failures and showed a hollow expression. Who wouldn't feel down learning of countless failures from lives they'd never lived? Yet Mang Ryang always recovered his composure and helped me.

As I pondered, the Sword Demon said,

"First, use the Bideung to transport me and the Shadowless Sect disciples to Pirate Island. Do that, then go handle your business."

"Yes."

"We'll wait for your return on Pirate Island."

Paat!

Soon, I transported the Sword Demon and Shadowless Sect disciples to Pirate Island where the Blood Point Group pirates were. Last time, I'd actively helped the Sword Demon massacre the pirates, but for us, it was old news. Thus, he judged it best to stay detached and save my time.

Then I headed straight to the ruins of Water Dragon Mang Ya. Previously, I'd prioritized it over the Bideung, but with sufficient power now, delaying it slightly was fine. I harvested as much black and white lotuses as possible from the pond, entered the ruins, killed the giant spider, and obtained Mang Ya. As a bonus, I went underground and stuffed the statue of Three Emperors Five Emperors Jeon Uk into the wooden armor.

After securing Mang Ya without delay, I headed to Jin Rang Valley. I flung open the door to Mang Ryang's room, where he sat reading by candlelight in the thatched hut.

Startled, Mang Ryang looked at me.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Baek Woong."

I plopped down before Mang Ryang. Staring at him, I said,

"There's one thing I want to tell you. I never resent you, and no matter what, I'm prepared to press on to the end."

"...?"

Mang Ryang stared at me in bewilderment.

"What nonsense is that? Are you mad?"

"Well, that's the usual response."

Scratching my head, I pulled out the obsidian from my bosom and held it out to him. Then I said,

"This is the obsidian technique that transmits one's memories to another. I got it from Astana's prophet. To explain further, you must read my memories through this obsidian."

Mang Ryang shouted.

"What a joker. Even if such a technique exists, why should I accept it?"

"Mang Ryang. Then let me tell a different story."

I shifted my sitting position and continued calmly.

"Mang Ryang. Meeting you for the first time was long ago. Back then, I didn't know my path and floundered in vain desires. Then I met you, and my future came into view. From that moment until now, I've always been grateful to you."

"Huh...? But we've never met."

"We have. Because this isn't our first meeting."

After a brief statement, I looked him straight in the eye and said,

"The moment you accept this obsidian, you might face a great shock. Because it hides secrets of your blood kin that even you didn't know."

"...!!"

"Things like Zhuge Fu being the Central Plains' guardian or cooperating with the imperial palace are nothing. You'll be greatly surprised."

Mang Ryang didn't look scared. Instead, a curious expression formed as he said,

"You're a strange one. You're about to transmit obsidian memories, yet you scare me first?"

"So the shock will be less when you do."

"Keko... Fine, let's see how impressive these memories are. Hand it over."

Mang Ryang stuck out his hand. I nodded and gave him the obsidian. The moment it touched his hand, the memory transmission began.

Wuuung.

"Ugh...!"

Mang Ryang's face twisted as if stung by a bee. After staring blankly into space for a moment, he said,

"...Such needless consideration, Baek Woong."

"......"

Mang Ryang grumbled curtly.

"I'm not that weak."

Mang Ryang had now received my memories up to the 17th cycle.

At his retort, I smirked and said,

"As I said earlier, I'm prepared to keep going. What about you?"

"Give me a moment. I want to mull over these memories."

"Understood."

Mang Ryang silently pondered the memories for about an hour. When his long contemplation ended, he spoke.

"Zhuge Yuryong... He was my father, who lived his life as the Inner Yellow Pavilion Lord. My brother Zhuge Fu and I always respected him. He was one of the Central Plains' top sorcerers, hailed among sorcerers as the righteous great hero for his pure heart. When my uncle Zhuge Sa dabbled in evil arts, he immediately sealed and exiled him without mercy."

"......"

"Right up until I received your memories, I thought that was all there was to him."

He sighed deeply and said,

"But... to think my father was such a person. Without you, I'd never have learned this secret in my lifetime."

"I'm sorry."

"What for? I just learned he was a hypocrite. And more depraved than Zhuge Sa, a seed of the demonic path. If anything, I'm grateful to you."

Mang Ryang chuckled.

"Let's keep going together, Baek Woong."

Something welled up in my heart.

Because I could tell Mang Ryang had overcome the shock on his own.

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