Reincarnated Swordmaster

Translator: Aoe

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

I used the Four Buddha Statues to return straight to the White Lotus Cult. I considered stopping by Mangyang on the way but decided against it.

That was because, even without saying a word, the White Lotus Cult Leader was undoubtedly monitoring my every move and all my recent actions. Given how he had crushed an entire generation's worth of martial forces as the Lord of Jiangyeong Valley, it was highly likely that his spies were lurking near Jinrang Valley. If I even briefly visited Jinrang Valley, the Leader's eyes scattered across the Jianghu would draw suspicion even to Mangyang. Of course, I might not get caught, but there was no reason to take that risk right now. With Bi-deung and Mok-gap already taken from me, if Mangyang ended up as a hostage by some chance, it would be a disaster.

Reading my thoughts, Zhuge Sa snickered.

[You're the type to tap the stone bridge before crossing. If you'd done that every time, your death count would've been half.]

"Shut up..."

After descending from the Four Buddha Statues, I headed irritably toward the Leader's hall. The three elders at the entrance saw me and spoke.

"So it's true you have the ability to teleport. To think you'd go to Yeoseong Province and return in an instant."

"Don't be so guarded. As long as you're useful to the Leader, the Council of Elders will support you. We're going to be eating from the same pot from now on, so frowning will just tire you out."

With that, the three elders grinned.

"The Leader wishes to see you. Follow me."

"Understood."

I followed the three elders into the Leader's hall. The moment the Leader saw me, he spoke.

[Do you know why I am so wary of the Lord of the Twelve Laws?]

I pondered deeply before answering.

"I assumed it was because of the immense power of the Twelve Laws under him."

[Of course, the Twelve Laws are a formidable force. Excluding our White Lotus Cult, they are the greatest power in the Western Regions. Combined, their strength would be twice that of the Central Plains' Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools. But the reason I fear the Lord of the Twelve Laws is not their military might. That can be handled by the Dharma Protectors alone.]

[Then...]

[The Lord of the Twelve Laws himself, the Three Masters, and the sect he belongs to called the Myriad River Spirit Gate... that's what troubles me most.]

It was peculiar. What difference did that make?

I racked my brain a bit more before speaking.

"I know the Lord of the Twelve Laws' martial arts and sorcery are extraordinary, but can they compare to Your Excellency's true essence?"

[Of course. That man is extremely strong.]

"......!"

The White Lotus Leader declaring it so!

I was inwardly startled. Throughout my past lives, I had known the Lord of the Twelve Laws was incredibly powerful, but the overwhelming might I had witnessed from the Leader recently had led me to subconsciously rank him lower. No matter how strong a human could be, I thought he couldn't withstand the Leader's Origin Spirit, Present Karma, or Immeasurable Mind Heaven Ultimate arts.

But the Leader's current attitude treated him as an equal, and there seemed to be solid reasons for it. As I stared at the Leader, he continued.

[I fear the Myriad River Spirit Gate because ancient texts state they are direct descendants of the gods. The Three Masters—Cloud Master, Rain Master, and Wind Earl—are beings who have half-transcended humanity. But what is even more fearsome is that the Lord of the Twelve Laws is an absolute being who stands out like a sore thumb even among them.]

[Are you saying the Lord of the Twelve Laws is not human?]

[I don't know. But no human can summon a phoenix. The moment he does that, he has transcended humanity.]

"..."

"......"

I suddenly recalled the time I had faced the Lord of the Twelve Laws in a past life, remembering his self-introduction.

[What should I say... A sense of duty as the 23rd River Earl who rules the phoenix of the Baedalguk's Twelve Laws and Myriad River Spirit Gate... Or a sense of duty as Dangun, ruler of the Three Great White Emperors' divine altar, to practice benefiting humanity... Or curiosity as the master of the Wood Luminary Sea Seal among the Seven Luminaries toward the other masters... Any of those will do.]

At the time, I had just thought he held other positions. But hearing the Leader now, titles like River Earl ruling the Myriad River Spirit Gate's phoenix and Dangun seemed to carry immense significance.

Hmm... So the secret to the Lord of the Twelve Laws' power isn't just the Wood Luminary Sea Seal? Could it mean his power as Dangun is even greater than possessing the Wood Luminary?

Could there be a power stronger than that of a Seven Luminaries master?

I still couldn't tell. The Lord of the Twelve Laws babbled on about all sorts of facts but never revealed anything truly important. He only tossed out a few objective clues, never divulging the schemes or secrets hidden in his heart. He was truly insidious.

I asked Zhuge Sa inwardly.

[You've read my memories of the Lord of the Twelve Laws, right? What do you think of him?]

[......]

[Zhuge Sa?]

After a silence, Zhuge Sa replied.

[I don't know. That guy's too out of left field.]

[Yeah, I get that vibe.]

[Do you even know what 'out of left field' means when you say that? Tsk...]

Zhuge Sa was treating me like an idiot out of nowhere. I started to snap back in annoyance, but he continued.

[Normally, no human force could threaten the White Lotus Leader. I know that best, having faced him directly. The Leader is a superhuman who could be called the strongest in Eastern history, on the level of a Combat Immortal. Even if you combined all of the White Lotus Cult's forces except the Leader with the entire Central Plains martial world, you couldn't defeat him.]

[So what?]

[But despite that, in this era, there's the Lord of the Twelve Laws, equal to the Leader. The odds of such a being appearing in the long river of history are astronomically low, yet it happens to be this era. Doesn't that strike you as too strange?]

[......]

He was right. Because the Lord of the Twelve Laws had inserted himself into my life so naturally up to now, I hadn't considered that perspective, but it was definitely odd. Could two all-time greatest powerhouses exist simultaneously? As I pondered deeply, Zhuge Sa spoke.

[Hyun must have found that suspicious too, which is why in your last life he drew in the Twelve Laws to check the White Lotus Cult while probing their secrets. Anyway, it might be worth digging into the Twelve Laws at least once.]

[The White Lotus Cult comes first.]

[Whatever. Focus on the matter at hand. The Leader's getting suspicious.]

Oh!

I snapped to attention and looked forward. Sure enough, the silence between the Leader and me had stretched on too long, and I could clearly feel his piercing gaze fixed on me. I hurriedly said to the Leader.

"S-Sorry. I got lost in thought..."

[You think a lot. It's not a bad trait.]

"I'll be more careful."

[Don't worry about it.]

The Leader brushed it off lightly and continued.

[Last time, you said you didn't want the Thunder God Branch's return mission. I agreed it made sense, so I prepared a different reward this time.]

"What do you mean..."

[I'd like to grant you the Heavenly Spirit Pill right away, but the Thunder God Branch is high-strung with promotion rites. I can't give it to you just yet. You'll have to wait at least two or three years.]

"Hmm..."

I let out a groan. Since I'd already learned the drawbacks of the Heavenly Spirit Pill against the Sea God, part of me thought it was for the best, but there was a separate promotion rite? And it seemed the Thunder God Branch played a major role in obtaining the Heavenly Spirit Pill.

The Leader continued.

[So I decided the proper reward as your master is to train you properly.]

"Training, you say?"

The Leader spoke with a strangely somber tone.

[Word has already circulated internally several times. And all three Dharma Protectors who gauged your skills unanimously said you're lacking and expressed reluctance.]

[They said it's unacceptable for the master of the Thunder God Branch, of all people.]

What was this now?

I felt a headache coming on. If that was true, all the Dharma Protectors gathered at Jiangyeong Valley that day thought I fell short of expectations? Yong Bi-cheon and Han Baek-ryeong had given fairly positive evaluations of my martial arts up to now, so I couldn't understand it. Feeling slighted and annoyed, Zhuge Sa cackled.

[Kekeke, you idiot. That level of martial arts might impress a regular Central Plains martial artist, but the Thunder God Branch is a peak sect among the Four Great Martial Branches with a thousand-year history. Of course they'd find you lacking as a master. Even setting aside the Heavenly Spirit Pill, your skills don't even match Yong Bi-cheon's.]

[Ugh...]

It stung right where it hurt. My current martial prowess had just barely surpassed Yi Gwang's, but it wouldn't impress the Dharma Protectors. Yi Gwang's level was top-tier peak expert by Central Plains standards, but in the strongest martial force, the White Lotus Cult, such experts weren't rare. Just the Council of Elders alone probably had at least five or more at Yi Gwang's level. Plus, recalling how among the past Thunderclap Three Venerables, Jeokveol and Nokwol had applied strict standards to Yi Gwang, it made sense.

As I stayed silent, the Leader spoke.

[I will personally research and interpret the Seven Great Absolute Arts, including the Three Steps Ultimate Skill. In about three years, you'll see results.]

"Yes?!"

[Don't you want it?]

I swallowed hard.

"Of course it's a great offer, but..."

No one in the Jianghu surpassed the Leader in martial arts. Being personally guided by the de facto greatest martial artist was an incredible fortuitous encounter. However, that also meant handing over all the Seven Great Absolute Arts I possessed without hiding anything. If I even shared the detailed essentials, it would be like passing on Jang Sam-bong's enlightenment intact.

The Leader already possessed superhuman strength beyond mortals—how much stronger would he become with the complete Seven Great Absolute Arts? He might not even need the Thunder God Branch's Thunder God Soul Fusion anymore. Wouldn't recovering my treasures from him become impossible forever?

But I quickly sorted my thoughts and bowed my head.

"I am deeply grateful for this great favor! Please guide me extensively."

The Leader was an untouchable mountain range at this point anyway. Until I gained the power to oppose him, my only option was to make the most of him while building my own strength. I might as well give up on my treasures this lifetime.

The Leader spoke with satisfaction.

[It's been ages since I taught someone, so I might be rusty. Keep up.]

"Yes. Of course."

If I trained diligently under the Leader's instruction in the Three Steps Ultimate Skill, wouldn't I become strong enough to use it effectively by the next life, or even in ten years? My heart raced at the thought. As I tried to think positively, the Leader continued.

[You'll need time to acclimate to the cult's atmosphere. I'll summon you again in three days. Take this divine badge.]

Whoosh.

A golden badge flew toward me. I received it respectfully, and on it was embossed the characters for "Thunder God." It felt like pure gold. As I stared at it blankly, the Leader said.

[It's a gold badge proving you're a Dharma Protector of the Thunder God Branch. From now on, all White Lotus Cult warriors below Dharma Protector rank will obey your commands, Baek Woong.]

"I shall obey!"

[You may withdraw.]

I left the Leader's audience chamber. Then I followed behind the three elders again. The one on the left spoke.

"Baek Woong. Now that you've received the gold badge, I'll treat you as a formal Dharma Protector from now on."

The three elders' speech had shifted to half-respectful. As I stared at the back of his head, he chuckled.

"Of course, you need the substance to truly be treated as one..."

"What do you mean?"

He turned his head.

"The Thunder God Branch right now is just you alone. And your skills don't even reach master level, so if you recklessly wield a Dharma Protector's authority, you'll just invite mockery."

"......!"

"Don't take it badly. It's advice."

Muttering that, the three elders continued.

"Among the veteran elders in the Wind God Branch and Fire God Branch, there are some ferocious warriors. They're so strong even the Council of Elders' top experts can't handle them lightly. Don't overreach and lose face."

"... Understood."

I could accept that his words were sincere advice. As part of the Council of Elders, he had the most objective view of the cult's internal dynamics, and this was his way of advising a new Dharma Protector. But inwardly, I clicked my tongue.

'My martial arts alone can take on few opponents in the current Central Plains martial world... yet maneuvering in the White Lotus Cult is this tough?'

At any rate, I had properly joined the White Lotus Cult. Depending on how I played my cards from here, what I gained this lifetime could vary greatly. As I steeled my resolve inwardly upon reaching my quarters, a beautiful woman in her twenties, dressed as a maidservant, entered my room.

"Dharma Protector."

"Who are you?"

"Your bath is ready, so I've come to attend you."

"..."

My face flushed red. "Bath attendant" was a euphemism for intimate relations between men and women. It was common code used when entertaining high-ranking officials or the wealthy. To make sure I wasn't misunderstanding, I said to her.

"I can wash myself. If you mean something else, I refuse."

"It was something else..."

"......"

Flustered by her bold tone, I hesitated, but she continued impassively.

"Then allow me to guide you to the bath."

"No need. Who ordered this?"

"The Leader said to serve the Dharma Protector."

"Ugh..."

I frowned. At this point, the only one who would order a Dharma Protector's attendant was the White Lotus Leader. He must have judged me as a sage who had reached half-immortal return-to-state and made an unnecessary gesture of consideration. Inwardly, I clicked my tongue.

'My body looks like nothing but a child's outwardly—why such consideration?'

At any rate, it was unwelcome courtesy. Just in case, I asked her.

"Do the other Dharma Protectors all get this kind of service?"

"Well, this is the first time I've received such an order..."

"Good grief. I'll speak to the Leader myself, so don't worry and withdraw."

"Yes. Rest well."

As she left the room, Zhuge Sa sneered.

[What's wrong? Practicing or something?]

"Damn it. I don't need anyone but Miho."

[Kekeke... A reincarnator being a pure romantic—it's hilarious.]

"Shut..."

Zhuge Sa suddenly changed his tone.

[Listen. No matter what excuse you make, get to Xinjiang by New Year's Day next year.]

"What?"

[It was something I was supposed to do, but I lost my body, so I couldn't. You have to do it.]

I replied in bewilderment.

"What nonsense is that?"

[The location is in the northern Tibetan Plateau of Tufan in Xinjiang. You must go there.]

"No, why do I have to go? That's a pass to the Western Regions."

It was absurd. The place Zhuge Sa mentioned was truly somewhere I'd never been. The Western Regions Tufan area was beyond the Central Plains, a distant desert gateway to the Western Regions. Head west, and you'd hit a natural hazard of thousands of li of desert. No sane person would think of going to such a frontier.

In response to my question, Zhuge Sa said.

[Because the Wall Demon King is waiting there for the Demonic Cult Leader.]

"Earth King Byok Ji-sang?"

I said in disbelief.

"What kind of reason is that? I don't know what appointment you had with Byok Ji-sang, but I have no reason to—"

[You should definitely go. If you don't, Byok Ji-sang will come kill you.]

I blanked out for a moment, then scoffed.

"You're kidding! Even if Byok Ji-sang is strong, he's at best a Sichuan peak expert at most. What..."

Unlike his usual self, Zhuge Sa spoke in a stiff tone.

[That's just the facade he's using. It's not his true face at all. You have no idea who he really is.]

"What's his true identity? You're saying I can't beat Byok Ji-sang?"

[Yes. If you fight, you'll die in one second.]

"......"

What was this about? As I froze in shock, Zhuge Sa continued. He seemed inwardly troubled too.

[I didn't expect things to get this messed up, but since it has, I have to tell you.]

"What?"

[Byok Ji-sang isn't human. Do you know why I forcibly extended my short lifespan?]

"Not human? Then what..."

No way.

A sudden thought made me stop mid-sentence. Zhuge Sa smirked as if he'd expected it, then spoke in a mad voice.

[Because he contracted with the Demon King.]

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