Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

Finding the Fire Dragon Divine Sword had turned up nothing, so I had no choice but to set out in search of the remaining fortuitous encounters. I headed straight to the ruins of Suyo, where I picked as many black-and-white lotuses as I could and crammed them into my wooden armor. I also gathered Millennium Snow Ginseng. Then I ventured inside the ruins, obtained a wooden box filled with gold bars, defeated the guardian giant spider, acquired the Suyo Dark Night, and got the statue of Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns Jeon-uk as well.

I pressed the Pure Language Pearl against the giant spider's body to draw out its poison, then extracted its spirit core and added it to my wooden armor. Up until now, I had only the black-and-white lotuses and Millennium Snow Ginseng, but now the spider's spirit core had been added to my reincarnation haul. With my business at the Suyo ruins concluded, I next went to the study of the Hwa family in Taegyeong Village and obtained the silver phoenix sculpture.

'Almost done.'

If I had to list what was left, it would be picking sacred lotuses from the sacred lotus fields, obtaining the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture from the inner imperial palace's Yellow Corner, or

'Almost done.'

If I had to list what was left, it would be picking sacred lotuses from the sacred lotus fields, obtaining the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture from the inner imperial palace's Yellow Corner, or taking the crystal stele. But those carried the risk of provoking the imperial palace forces, and they weren't urgently needed anyway. So I decided to consult Mangnyang later about when to fetch them, then headed for Jinrang Valley.

I paused.

"Oh, right!"

"Hey there!"

Boom!

Front Ghost and Rear Ghost attacked without a word. But I leisurely dodged with Miehon Step while shouting.

"Miho! I have something to say—stop the attack for a sec!"

The moment I finished speaking, Front Ghost and Rear Ghost halted their assault. Then, from the darkness, a beautiful noblewoman in elegant robes emerged, holding a fan.

"Who are you?"

I recognized her instantly. This was Miho in the form she'd taken as the wife of Dongyeong's Heavenly Emperor. I grinned happily the moment I saw her.

"Nice to see you, Miho!"

Thud thud thud.

"What?!"

I rushed forward and hugged Miho. She was startled by the sudden embrace and slipped away with transformation magic, but I accelerated my Miehon Step and hugged her again. As I hugged her once more, Miho shifted her face to fox form and growled.

[What are you, human! How rude!!]

Miho looked ready to spit foxfire at any moment. Naturally, she'd be wary if some stranger tried to hug her out of nowhere. I chuckled and said.

"Just... I'm so happy."

How long had it been since I'd seen Miho?

[...]

Miho stared at me with a look of utter disbelief.

I knew my actions were absurd and ridiculous. I knew this could derail my entire plan. I knew this behavior might even lead to my death in the future.

But—I couldn't hold back any longer.

I like Miho.

I wanted to see her, hold her, feel her. In my previous lives, I'd forcibly restrained myself under the pretext of caring for her, but the longing had suddenly overwhelmed me, drawing me to her.

I'd been missing her so much I couldn't bear it.

Our eyes met. Miho, who'd been forcibly embraced by me, gazed into my eyes for a long moment before reverting her fox face to human. She reached out with her delicate jade hands and touched my face.

"Strange human."

Boom!

Then Miho unleashed her strength and sent me flying. As I flipped through the air and landed steadily, Miho glared at me coldly and said.

"I don't know who you are, but to embrace me so brazenly—you're no different from a lecherous demon. A shameless wretch like you needs to die to come to your senses!"

"Miho. My name is Baek Woong."

I steadied my breathing and continued.

"It might not be possible yet, but I'll come see you again soon. Next time, I'll grant your deepest wish. I promise."

Miho's face twisted in horror. It was a genuine expression of fear.

"You... Get away from me! What are you talking about?"

I said, bewildered.

"What do you mean...?"

"Get away!!"

Miho was visibly trembling in panic. As a centuries-old gumiho, she could handle most things with sly composure and control her expressions freely, but my words had made her look like she was facing a horrifying pervert. It meant she was truly afraid of me.

Why was she reacting like that?

I thought I'd help her by fulfilling her wish to ascend?

Whoosh!

But then I realized as Miho summoned flame magic with clear intent to kill me and commanded Front Ghost and Rear Ghost.

'Ah...!!'

The Miho before me wasn't the Miho I knew.

She wasn't the Miho who'd taken the wind egg meant for me in place of the guardian lion.

She wasn't the Miho with whom I'd shared a mutual bond, nurturing feelings that might have been love.

She wasn't the Miho who'd smiled at my request to die together in our darkest hour.

The one before me... was a complete stranger.

I should have realized that sooner, so why had I acted so foolishly? Had the accumulated longing clouded my judgment? Confusion swirled in my mind, leaving me dazed.

Boom!

"Miho, sorry!"

Whoosh!

Leaving the explosion behind, I used Return to head back to the Central Plains. There was no point in fighting her.

Sitting by some peaceful, nameless stream, staring at the flowing water, I thought.

'I did something stupid again.'

My stupidity stemmed from wanting to emotionally process the shock of my abrupt death in the previous life somehow. I'd used Miho as an escape hatch just now, trying to alleviate my anxiety through playful interaction with her. But the result, as you can see, was only buying her fear.

The shock of melting away from the curse had been immense. The pressure of being unable to defeat the imperial palace's greatest foe, Zhuque, through tricks and having to confront it head-on was enormous too. I'd just succumbed to that pressure and acted impulsively. It was like the pressure I'd felt from the White Lotus Cult Leader had been amplified.

I'm so lonely and exhausted.

Can I really defeat Zhuque?

It felt like endlessly trudging a pitch-black path, guided only by faint echoes. Until now, I'd leaned emotionally on Mangnyang and the Sword Demon to keep going, but that was fading. A melancholic mood was exploding, dragging my heart into despair.

I buried my head between my knees, hugged them tight, and sat in silence for a long while. In this position, everything went dark, and no thoughts came. In my first life, whenever things got tough, I'd stay like this in silence.

"......"

Hmph!

A moment later, I snorted and stood up. I dusted off my rear.

That was it.

It was just one of those moments.

I pulled myself together and headed to Jinrang Valley. I handed the black obsidian to Mangnyang to pass on the memories, then briefly explained what had happened. Having seen the memories and emotions of my recent visit to Miho, Mangnyang said worriedly.

"You alright?"

"Just my mistake."

"If it's tough, tell me. I'll try to find a way."

I gave a wry smile at Mangnyang's concern.

"Everyone has weak moments."

"Hmm... In that case, I won't say more."

"What do we do next?"

Mangnyang pondered my question before replying.

"If Zhuque asked the [Ancient Ruler] to curse itself with retribution, things have gotten tricky. Even without the reversal authority of the Seven Deaths Village, anyone who kills Zhuque will suffer the same curse."

In other words, whoever eliminates Zhuque is doomed to die!

It was a harsh condition attached to taking down Zhuque. No one could lightly decide to trade their life for its.

"But Lee Gwang and the White Lotus Cult Leader killed Zhuque without any backlash, right?"

"That's because their souls were intact—they didn't truly 'kill' it. But if we destroy all its spare bodies and get a chance to fully kill Zhuque... someone will have to die with it."

"......"

"Really tricky..."

As Mangnyang grumbled, I said in a trembling voice.

"I acted on my own and got myself killed... You're not mad?"

Mangnyang shrugged nonchalantly.

"As you said, everyone has those moments."

"......"

"Put another way, we gained from you testing it with your life. If we set everything up, win the final battle, but then someone dies from Zhuque's curse because of it—that'd be a bigger loss. We can't have you committing suicide after victory, right? Heh."

Mangnyang chuckled and continued.

"Let's keep it simple."

"How?"

"Do nothing."

Mangnyang grinned firmly.

"You're going to die and reincarnate anyway, so let's not chase anything huge this round. What you need to gain this time isn't a fortuitous encounter—it's time."

"Time?"

"Yes. Time."

Soon after, Mangnyang and I went to the seal of the Three Emperors Inner Gate. Mangnyang collected the Three Emperors Inner Gate, gaining powerful spirit power in one go. Then we headed to the village with Elder Mangnyang. We passed through Cheon Woo-jin's barrier and began the spirit reception ritual, at which Mangnyang said.

"Supreme Void Heavenly Lord! I seek Queen Mother of the West's blessing."

[Uh, wait... I haven't said anything yet.]

I barked at Supreme Void Heavenly Lord from the side.

began the spirit reception ritual, at which Mangnyang said.

"Supreme Void Heavenly Lord! I seek Queen Mother of the West's blessing."

[Uh, wait... I haven't said anything yet.]

I barked at Supreme Void Heavenly Lord from the side.

"Hurry up!"

[Fine...]

Next up was Queen Mother of the West. As she appeared, Mangnyang glanced at me, and I spoke as we'd rehearsed.

"Queen Mother. Please release Miho's seal."

From there, it proceeded as before: Queen Mother released Miho's seal and assigned me a 10-year guard duty. Because her energy lingered, she skipped the blessing and passed to the next, which was Nanhua Old Immortal, just as I'd seen before.

"Next!"

Nanhua Old Immortal panicked.

[What?! Even if he's Je Mangnyang's disciple, how dare a mortal shaman ignore me...]

"Next, I said. Deaf?"

[Ugh...!!]

Mangnyang breezed past Nanhua Old Immortal and reached Ye Dongbin's turn. But since I was already linked to Ye Dongbin via telegram, there was no new blessing to gain. Just in case, I asked Ye Dongbin.

"Ye Dongbin. Any blessings that boost martial talent?"

already linked to Ye Dongbin via telegram, there was no new blessing to gain. Just in case, I asked Ye Dongbin.

"Ye Dongbin. Any blessings that boost martial talent?"

Ye Dongbin replied firmly.

[Young one. Don't be greedy for free gains.]

"......"

I awkwardly skipped to the next. Then, for the first time in ages, I witnessed Wudang Sect's reformed patriarch, Primordial Ancestor Jang Sam-bong, possessing Cheon Woo-jin. Up to this point in the spirit reception ritual, I tensed inwardly.

'Getting this far by skipping turns is only the second time.'

In other words, I had no record of skipping past Jang Sam-bong. He looked at me and said.

[I wish to bless you, but my energy is present... I wish to recommend passing to the next... However...]

"However?"

[This shaman Cheon Woo-jin's stamina is nearing its limit...]

"......"

Cheon Woo-jin's body trembled, blood trickling from his nose. No wonder—he'd hosted over five great immortals. Even a skilled medium would go mad or die at this point. I glanced at Mangnyang, who said without hesitation.

"Still better to skip."

"Hmm... Please pass."

Mangnyang, who said without hesitation.

"Still better to skip."

"Hmm... Please pass."

[Very well...]

Primordial Ancestor Jang Sam-bong passed his turn. The next was Heavenly God Ye, but his blessing could be a huge obstacle later, so I skipped him without a second thought.

Flash!

As the great immortal's energy descended this time, Mangnyang and I tensed. This was uncharted territory. Who would come after Jang Sam-bong? Soon, Cheon Woo-jin's eyes gleamed with divine energy, and he spoke.

[I am Jiang Shang.]

Mangnyang gasped at the same time.

"Taigong Wang...!!"

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