Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

Paat!

I went to Hebei Province as Lee Gwang instructed, and from there headed to a region called Langfang. Langfang was ruled by a sect known as the Ghost Dragon Gang, and Lee Gwang barged straight into their main gate.

Puck puck

"Argh."

"Ack, who..."

We started beating the Ghost Dragon Gang disciples without a word. Moments later, the Ghost Dragon Gang Leader emerged and lunged at Lee Gwang, only to be struck down and sprawled out in five seconds flat. Realizing that a horde of experts beyond his ability to resist had arrived, the Gang Leader cowered and spoke.

"I... I haven't done anything too evil. Please spare me..."

"We know you're the backer footing Fan-gyun's living expenses. Where is Fan-gyun?"

"You want to die now or later?"

"......"

With no choice, the Gang Leader revealed Fan-gyun's residence, and we headed there. In a mid-sized village nearby stood the largest manor, where the Spear Demon Fan-gyun was said to live. Sure enough, as we entered the manor, a middle-aged man with a shit-eating grin emerged from within, gripping a black spear.

"What's the meaning of this, Lee Gwang? What rowdy nonsense is this?"

Fan-gyun appeared to be around Lee Gwang's age, speaking casually as such. Lee Gwang replied indifferently.

"Spear Demon Fan-gyun. Your secluded life is over. The time has come for the Thunder God Style successors to gather."

Fan-gyun's face twisted.

"Don't make me laugh! You saying we pick a fight with the White Lotus Cult? Don't interfere with my retirement—get lost!"

"You're called the Spear Demon, even mentioned as the strongest spear north of the river, and enjoyed considerable fame in the martial world. Backed by the Ghost Dragon Gang, you've even practiced contentment in poverty and wealth. You plan to coast comfortably into old age like that?"

Lee Gwang, who had been speaking softly, suddenly bellowed.

"Don't you make me laugh, Fan-gyun! Have you forgotten the humiliation of the day the Thunder God Style was exiled? You fled for your life that day too, just like the rest!"

"......!!"

Fan-gyun faltered before speaking.

"I know, I know! How could I forget that grudge? But... we lack the power! So what nonsense is this about me enjoying my life?"

"......"

Stunned by Fan-gyun's frantic outburst, Lee Gwang froze.

"If you're going to kill me, do it! But I'd rather die than heed such drive!"

Lee Gwang's face hardened. He turned to Jin So-cheong and said.

"So-cheong. You were right."

"Master."

"Human vengeance isn't infinite..."

Lee Gwang slumped his shoulders in defeat and turned away.

He somehow looked forlorn.

Only now had he grasped the true nature of the Thunder God Style's thirst for revenge.

Finally, we went to Luoyang and headed to Eom Sung's residence. By invoking Azure Dragon Lee Gwang's name, we gained an audience with the powerful official Eom Sung, but when we demanded he hand over his bodyguard Jeong Yun-bo, he openly showed his displeasure.

"Lee Gwang. Back in the palace, you and I were close, weren't we? If you act so recklessly, even I will have to reconsider."

"Is that so?"

Without another word, Lee Gwang raised his spear and unleashed a killing strike. It was a vicious blow aimed to shatter Eom Sung's skull in one move. Unleashed as a sudden ambush, even a renowned expert would have no chance to resist and would surely die.

Klang!

At that instant, a fierce clash rang out, and a black-robed figure appeared on the scene. The black-robed man spoke in a low voice.

"Even Elder Dokgo-seong is here. But why the sudden killing intent toward Eom Sung, Lee Gwang?"

Eom Sung had fainted from the clashing murderous auras, foam bubbling at his mouth. The black-robed man stood with arms crossed, calmly deflecting Lee Gwang's killing intent.

"Jeong Yun-bo."

It was Eom Sung's bodyguard, Jeong Yun-bo. Around Lee Gwang's age, he spoke without reservation. From that clash, I could tell their skills were evenly matched, so I let out a groan.

"Hmm."

A true master of fist arts. For someone of that caliber to remain content as a mere bodyguard for a high official? Jeong Yun-bo was a grandmaster who could establish a force rivaling the Nine Great Sects if he ventured into the jianghu.

Lee Gwang immediately briefed Jeong Yun-bo on the situation so far and the Thunder God Style's new strategy. Once he finished, Jeong Yun-bo coldly said.

"Get lost."

"Why?"

"I have no interest in revenge or whatever. Frankly, I'm shocked you're still hung up on that."

Grinding his teeth, Lee Gwang said.

"Jeong Yun-bo! Don't you want to avenge our master's murder?"

"My master died because he was weak. And I'm sick to death of the White Lotus Cult. Why do you think I've been a bodyguard for decades?"

"No idea. You've never said."

Jeong Yun-bo glared at Lee Gwang with cold eyes.

"You, me, and Fan-gyun—we were the promising later-generation disciples of the Thunder God Style back then. But that's fifty years ago, Lee Gwang. No matter that you're the master's direct disciple, isn't it time to face reality? Half our lives are already gone."

"Half... What of it?"

"It matters a great deal. Do you know I have a great-grandchild?"

"......"

Lee Gwang's face took on the look of someone punched unexpectedly.

"You never cared about my life, so of course not."

Chuckling, Jeong Yun-bo continued.

"By normal standards, we're at an age to see our grandchildren. Build a family, pursue happiness—life's short enough. You were handsome once, but I don't know how you ended up an old widower. I've done my best to build a happy life with the partner I met in Luoyang."

"You..."

"You're out of your mind. Leaving aside whether revenge against the White Lotus Cult is feasible, to us old-timers, you're nothing but a madman."

Jeong Yun-bo drove the nail in.

"Lee Gwang. What do you have left in your life? You think revenge will make you happy?"

"......"

Lee Gwang had no reply. In an instant, he seemed to lose his spirit, his eyes vacant. Then Jin So-cheong stepped forward and spoke.

"Your pursuit of personal happiness is your business. But your martial arts came from the Thunder God Style. Shouldn't you repay what you received? Isn't that a warrior's code?"

"You're Jin So-cheong. I've heard about you from Lee Gwang."

Jeong Yun-bo watched him briefly before replying.

"I've repaid my debt to the sect plenty."

"On what basis?"

"In exchange for me serving as Eom Sung's bodyguard and absolutely protecting his life, he uses his political influence to shelter and support the personal details of Thunder God Style warriors everywhere. That's been going on for decades. Even you don't know, but the funds Eom Sung has provided the Thunder God Style must amount to dozens of nyang in gold."

"......"

"Compared to that, your master flaunts titles like Death Envoy Azure Dragon, only to end up demoted to martial hall master. Who's contributed more to the Thunder God Style?"

This won't do.

Jeong Yun-bo was someone who had steadfastly lived his life for decades without wavering. Talking to him would only highlight the futility of the Thunder God Style's revenge. Besides, he seemed unshakable no matter how plausible the plan.

'So that's why none of his old comrades showed up even for the hall-opening tournament.'

Fan-gyun chose a life of indulgence, extorting money from unorthodox sects while living well in the jianghu. Jeong Yun-bo had compromised with reality while fulfilling his own brand of loyalty to the Thunder God Style. No way such men would answer Lee Gwang's call.

Dokgo-seong irritably said.

"You and Lee Gwang were the top talents among the Thunder God Style's later generation, yet you've ended up like this."

"Elder Dokgo-seong. People live their lives differently."

"Enough! Live however you want. I won't beg."

"I'll see you out."

"Scram."

Dokgo-seong angrily turned away, and we had no choice but to leave. We could kill Jeong Yun-bo in a fight, but it would be pointless. Causing a scene in Eom Sung's residence would invite long-term distress, so retreat was our only option.

Paat

Back home, Lee Gwang holed up in Crouching Dragon Hall like a soulless shell and wouldn't come out. Jin So-cheong stayed by his side, offering comfort. Hurt inside, Dokgo-seong started drowning himself in drink at a nearby tavern.

Watching pathetically, Mang-ryang sighed.

"The plan's gone awry."

"Who'd have thought Lee Gwang had no old comrades..."

"Fan-gyun or Jeong Yun-bo—either could lead a faction. Lee Gwang must have planned to call them as his trump cards when needed."

"So what now? They're not interested in revenge."

When I spoke curtly, Mang-ryang smiled bitterly.

"That's actually normal. As Jeong Yun-bo said, it's been fifty years. Lee Gwang's the remarkable one for still holding onto revenge against the White Lotus Cult."

"Didn't Jeong Yun-bo call him a madman?"

"By worldly standards, sure. But put another way, men as resolute as Lee Gwang are rare. And such resolute men have their uses."

Muttering that, Mang-ryang glanced toward Crouching Dragon Hall.

"Lee Gwang won't crumble like this. He'll rebound soon enough, so let's not waste time."

"What next?"

"He can't be the only successor Lee Gwang knows. Leave the successor hunt to him. For now, let's head to the Suyo Ruins."

Suyo Ruins?

The out-of-left-field remark made me rack my brain. We'd already gotten the golden chest from the bronze armor there, plus Suyo himself and Jeon-uk's statue. What more was there to gain now?

Mang-ryang smirked.

"There's free spirit medicine, so of course we take it."

"Ah."

Soon, Mang-ryang and I used Flight to reach the Suyo Ruins. We approached the massive spider guardian's corpse embedded in the cliff, long dead.

"Present the Pure Language Orb."

Kiiing...

As I held out the Pure Language Orb, it emitted a clear glow, and the spider's body twitched. A wave of purifying energy passed through, expelling bluish-green toxic blood from the corpse. Dodging the blood, I extracted the shriveled inner core.

'As expected.'

I recalled what Dang Mu-geuk, the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan, had said when I went to Sichuan seeking Dongbang Mu-gyeol.

[Hmm... If it were my drive, I'd first drain all the acidic body fluids until the inner core reveals itself, then equip poison-proof gear and transfer it with water silk. Bury it in a cool, sunless spot for thirty-three days to mellow the excess venom. Then refine it meticulously into a poison core using alchemy.]

[Got it. What about the corpse?]

[The corpse is a lump of congealed qi, so drain the poison, dry it, grind it up, and eat it for effects like spirit medicine, tonics, or aphrodisiacs. Tradition says eating the face part grants immortality.]

Dang Mu-geuk had immediately met my demands when I offered the spider's poison core. It held such insane value even for the Tang Clan head, a poison arts master.

Normally, you'd need poison-proof gear to carefully extract it, let the venom settle for weeks, then process it via alchemy into a spirit pill—a tedious ordeal. But with the Pure Language Orb, we'd resolved it in one go!

Gazing contentedly at the palm-sized round pearl inner core, Mang-ryang said.

"The Pure Language Orb purifies even a great yokai's venom."

"How effective is this spider core?"

"Try taking it once."

"Urk..."

I hesitated. Even fully purified by the Pure Language Orb, swallowing an inner core from a venomous spider sober was daunting. But trusting Mang-ryang's assurance of no harm, I went for it.

Crunch crunch

"Hmm... Salty."

Savoring the crisp texture, I chewed slowly until a massive surge of energy poured down. Soon, intense pressure flooded my eight extraordinary meridians, like when I'd ingested the Sacred Lotus.

I quickly circulated the Great Celestial Circuit to stabilize my qi. Moments later, I sensed a change in my body.

"Hmm..."

But what change?

Tilting my head, Mang-ryang chuckled.

"Baek Woong. Put your hand in here."

Mang-ryang had filled a small bowl with a purple liquid. Seeing it, my face scrunched up.

"Urk... That's the spider's body fluid..."

"Right. Extreme venom."

"......"

"Go on."

Reluctantly, I dipped a finger. No reaction, so I submerged my whole hand. Still nothing, so I soaked it for a full incense stick's time before pulling out—and was stunned.

"No way!"

Perfectly fine!

I'd been ready to die if needed, yet my body was unscathed. No poisoning, necrosis, corrosion—not even wrinkled skin. Considering the fluid could melt stone walls, it was unbelievable.

Mang-ryang burst into laughter.

"Congratulations! You're now immune to all poisons!"

Indeed.

Not only had my usable inner power surged from the spider core, but I'd become impervious to every toxin!

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