Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Returning to Jangryeong Valley, I freed Zhuge Sa from the neck armor. Zhuge Sa had suffered a deep gash in his arm from being impaled, so I quickly tried to use my divine power to heal him, but he stopped me.

“Leave it. Don't waste the apostle's power needlessly.”

His resolve was firm, so I had no choice but to use my medical skills to treat the wound. I also checked on Miho and Musashi's conditions. Musashi had sustained severe internal injuries, leaving me no option but to perform energy infusion therapy with my inner power.

Then, I took Miho to a secluded spot and asked her.

“Miho. What sin did you commit to get banished from the heavens?”

The 'sin' of Miho that the Great Sage Equals Heaven had mentioned.

I had a gut feeling that I couldn't move forward without knowing it.

“......”

“Baek Woong. I could tell you, but if I do, won't all your companions in future reincarnations learn of my sin?”

“Umm...”

“It's making me hesitate.”

She was right. Revealing her sin would expose her original crime in future reincarnations, so it was natural for her to fear speaking it. But it was also true that I absolutely needed to know.

As Miho wavered, I thought it over and said.

“Miho. Trust me.”

“......”

“In future reincarnations, I'll resolve the troubles you're facing. No matter what, I'll overturn the heavens themselves to get you back to the celestial realm.”

“Baek Woong...”

Her slender hand clutched tightly at my clothes. I grasped Miho's wrist and met her eyes. She looked flustered yet stared intently into mine.

After a long internal struggle, she let out a deep sigh.

“You really... toy with my heart.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Hmph.”

Miho put on a slightly pouty expression and spoke.

“In the past, I lived in the heavens alongside Her Majesty the Queen Mother of the West. At that time, I entered a forbidden place I was told not to go, and there I ended up killing the Azure Bird.”

“The Azure Bird...”

“It's the blue bird that attends Her Majesty. It usually disguises itself as a beautiful woman. Think of it as Her Majesty's maid.”

“...Why would you do such a thing?”

Miho turned her head away in shame at my question and answered.

“For some time, Her Majesty had stopped seeing me often and stayed only in the forbidden place, which sparked my jealousy. So I went to see what was there.”

“Her Majesty was only in the forbidden place?”

“Yes.”

Miho certainly regarded the Queen Mother as a mother or more. It was understandable that her affections waning toward a specific place would breed jealousy. But it was unusual that the object was a place rather than a person.

“Tell me more details.”

“The forbidden place where Her Majesty secluded herself was neither the Jasper Pool, the Verdant Waters, nor the Weak Water. Ah, do you know of Her Majesty's palace?”

“Yes. The Jasper Pool is where the Peach Banquet for immortality is held. The Weak Water is said to be uncrossable even by dragons.”

“Correct. It's the highest place on Kunlun Mountain. I lived in the highest realm of the heavens. Even lowly earth spirits wouldn't dare meet my eyes.”

Miho spoke with a hint of pride.

“It makes sense she'd feel that way.”

The Queen Mother was one of the highest celestial deities, on par with the Immortal of the Broadened Star, and neither the Jade Emperor nor the Three Pure Ones ranked above her. That was because she was a high divinity predating the Emperor's era. She was an elder of the heavens.

Thus, the Queen Mother could build her palace in the highest place in the heavens and live there, and Miho, residing with her, had every reason to feel proud. It was likely true that Miho was treated far above earth spirits.

Somewhat puzzled, I asked.

“Most people think the Queen Mother possesses the Peaches of Immortality, but Miho, you didn't commit your sin because of the peaches?”

“Huh?”

“All this time, I thought you were exiled for secretly stealing and eating them...”

Miho snorted at my words.

“Hmph! I ate peaches whenever I wanted, as much as I liked. Her Majesty would give them to me ten times a day at times, and for hundreds of years, I picked and ate them freely without a word. Because no matter how many you eat, they regrow in a single day.”

“......”

“No one in the world knows the taste of peaches better than I.”

Miho gazed at the sky with distant eyes.

“I miss those days.”

“So you intruded into the forbidden place, but why did you end up killing the Azure Bird?”

“Hmm... even now, I don't fully understand it.”

Miho hesitated before speaking.

“The forbidden place where Her Majesty had holed up was the deepest part of the palace, a pitch-black abyss that grew darker the further in you went. The deeper I ventured, the more sun and moon motifs repeated—patterns I'd never seen before. I lost consciousness just before reaching the end of the abyss.”

“You lost consciousness?”

“When I came to, I was imprisoned in the celestial jail, on trial for murdering the Azure Bird and trespassing in the forbidden place. The verdict was banishment from the heavens, and I was cast out.”

“......”

“After that, as you know, I wandered the mortal world and ended up in Dongyoung, bewitching people for games of power.”

It was indeed strange. I asked Miho again.

“So you have no memory of killing the Azure Bird?”

“Yes. I don't even remember encountering it in the abyss.”

“You were framed.”

“That's what I think.”

“Did Her Majesty ever tell you why she went to the forbidden place?”

“No. She just told me to stay and play in the Peach Garden obediently, but after decades like that, I got angry.”

The situation was starting to make sense.

'I did well to hear this story.'

Somehow, this tale felt like a major clue for what lay ahead.

“Miho. Do you remember those sun and moon motifs you saw then?”

“I do. I couldn't forget them even if I wanted to, out of resentment.”

Swish swish.

Miho drew the motifs as I took out brush, ink, and paper from the neck armor. There weren't just one or two; there were a full eighteen kinds, and she sketched each one in detail.

“Good memory.”

“I'm smart by nature.”

“...Right.”

Anyway, this was valuable information. I asked Miho a few more questions. Using the Thunder Essence Scripture, I quickly memorized the motifs in my mind, then returned to the others with the drawing.

Gathering with my companions, I said.

“In the future, whenever the chance arises, I plan to aggressively pursue the Queen Mother's secrets. And from now on, do not question Miho's sin.”

Mang Ryang stepped forward and spoke.

“Of course. If it's just a false accusation, it's only right for companions to help.”

Everyone agreed not to press Miho about her sin, and we began analyzing the motifs she'd drawn. The Sword Demon was the first to comment.

“No idea. Besides sun and moon, it just looks like stars mixed in...”

Jin So-cheong seemed uninterested. Zhuge Sa and Cheon Woo-jin also reacted as if clueless.

“There's nothing like this in my knowledge.”

“I don't know either.”

Surprised, I looked at them.

“You've never seen anything like it?”

“Ignorance is ignorance. At least it's not in any demonic knowledge I know.”

Glancing at Cheon Woo-jin, he said uncomfortably.

“You want to hear me admit weakness that badly?”

“A little.”

That left Mang Ryang. Expectant gazes turned to him, as he was still staring intently at the motifs. It meant he'd grasped something and was honing his memory and reasoning.

Mang Ryang stared at the motifs in silence before muttering.

“The Sword Demon Elder's impression might be right.”

“Huh?”

“This... might be an ancient Star Heaven Chart.”

Cheon Woo-jin nearby frowned.

“Senior Brother. That doesn't seem right... I've seen many maps and books charting the heavens' stars and movements. But none resembled this motif.”

“Same here. Demonic sorcerers, like sorcerers, must study celestial movements. I've never seen it in what I've read.”

As Zhuge Sa chimed in, Mang Ryang's claim lost credibility. Mang Ryang didn't rebut point by point but kept staring, before saying.

“Ten Wings.”

“......?”

“The I Ching's scripture is too simple yet profound, making the 64 hexagrams' statements and line texts hard to grasp. Thus, Confucius added annotations for easier understanding—these are the I Ching's transmitted texts, or Yi Zhuan for short. They consist of seven kinds in ten parts: Wen Yan, Tuan Zhuan upper and lower, Xiang Zhuan upper and lower, Xi Ci Zhuan upper and lower, Shuo Gua Zhuan, Xu Gua Zhuan, and Za Gua Zhuan. Hence, they are called the Ten Wings.”

I recalled studying the basics of the Ten Wings during my time learning.

“I've studied the basics of the Ten Wings too.”

“Yes. Not just for Confucian studies, but a fine book aiding Daoist studies as well.”

Mang Ryang continued.

“Mastering the I Ching via the Ten Wings makes one a master of the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams. But our Zhuge family has two more added.”

“Huh?!”

It was unexpected. As I looked at Mang Ryang in surprise, Zhuge Sa, who had been watching him, spoke.

“Correct. Our ancestor Zhuge Liang Kongming authored the Zhuge Liang Collection and Heart Book. There, he secretly inserted his own interpretations of the Eight Trigrams, adding Two Wings.”

Zhuge Sa smirked.

“Zhuge Liang's arrogance. He believed his attainment in the Eight Trigrams far surpassed Confucius's. Thus, Zhuge descendants study the Twelve Wings instead of Ten for the Eight Trigrams and I Ching, achieving faster mastery.”

“......!!”

Such a thing existed?

I asked Mang Ryang.

“Mang Ryang. When you taught me literacy for three years, you didn't teach me that...”

“It wasn't that I didn't teach it; I couldn't. The Eight Trigrams interpretations in the Zhuge Liang Collection and Heart Book are advanced material useful only to lifelong Eight Trigrams researchers. Not something for you, just starting literacy.”

“......”

As I fell silent, Zhuge Sa said.

“Fine. So what about the Twelve Wings? We've both studied them, and as far as I know, no such motif appears in them.”

“Uncle. Do you know of the existence of a thirteenth book?”

“...What?”

Zhuge Sa's expression twisted. Mang Ryang calmly stated.

“It exists. The newly created Thirteen Wings Eight Trigrams interpretation by the Zhuge family.”

“What nonsense? If such a thing existed, I wouldn't be unaware.”

“No. You had to be unaware. You despise the author most in the world.”

“What...”

Zhuge Sa looked at Mang Ryang's face, then realized something. He spat out irritation and anger.

“I see. My damned brother made it.”

“Yes.”

What were they talking about?

Mang Ryang turned to me and explained.

“Vermilion Sparrow Zhuge Yuryong. My father, your uncle's brother, and the current Central Plains' foremost Eight Trigrams master, authored an Eight Trigrams interpretation collection. That is the Thirteen Wings, the culmination of Eight Trigrams interpretations.”

“......!!”

“I received direct instruction in the Thirteen Wings from my father during my brief time at the Astronomical Observatory, thanks to his favor. That's how I became a formations and Eight Trigrams master quickly despite lacking sorcery talent. Of course, the Thirteen Wings speed up Eight Trigrams understanding but don't grant supernatural sorcery powers, so I remained weak.”

“What is the title of that Thirteen Wings?”

“The Wandering Dragon Collection.”

Who would have thought such a secret existed.

With a sudden thought, I asked Mang Ryang.

“Could you teach me that Wandering Dragon Collection too? I want to become a master of Qimen Dunjia.”

“If you can freely break down mid-level or higher formations by understanding the 64 hexagrams, then you can start. It requires knowledge of arithmetic, mathematics, astronomy, and physiognomy, so it's still far off.”

“Hmm...”

Fair enough. I could break simple formations like the Mangun Formation, but my formation study time was short, so mid-level or higher was beyond me. At least three years of dedicated study would be needed to begin.

“Anyway, I recall seeing these motifs in the Wandering Dragon Collection.”

Zhuge Sa frowned.

“The connection is bizarre. How could motifs engraved in the Queen Mother's most secretive heavenly forbidden place be recorded in the Wandering Dragon Collection?”

“That's why I'm searching my memory now; I don't know either.”

Mang Ryang swept his hand over the motifs broadly.

“In the Wandering Dragon Collection, these motifs explain the movement of constellations. In the vast cosmic chaos, certain constellations undergo major changes at specific times.”

“Constellations.”

Cheon Woo-jin, listening nearby, spoke.

“Senior Brother. These motifs clearly hold profound sorcerous meaning. And this Zhuge Yuryong didn't invent them; he must have learned or observed them somewhere.”

“......”

Mang Ryang pondered before saying.

“First, let's ask someone who knows the Wandering Dragon Collection better than I.”

“Who? Zhuge Yuryong's status is unknown now.”

“There's one more.”

He gave a wry smile.

“Someone who's studied the Wandering Dragon Collection longer than I, a prodigy in sorcery and martial arts, and once led the imperial palace sorcerers as Grand Astronomer, is bound right here in Jangryeong Valley.”

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