Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Paht!

I moved to the White Lotus Cult alongside Yi Cheong-un, Mang Ryang, Jin So-cheong, and the others. The place we appeared was not inside the cult but at the main gate. If we suddenly popped up inside, they would obviously be on high alert, so we planned to enter from the outside.

[We come from the Reverse Heaven Alliance.]

The White Lotus Cult's gatekeepers, upon hearing we were from the Reverse Heaven Alliance, told us to wait a moment and went inside. Soon after, we followed them in and began surveying the interior of the White Lotus Cult headquarters. Seeing that the surroundings were largely normal and stable, I thought to myself.

'Security is still holding here.'

The buildings weren't destroyed, and the cult members seemed to be living without great fear or anxiety. That meant the terminal of the [Old Ruler] lurking within the Young Cult Leader had not yet activated. Before long, we were escorted to the Cult Leader's hall, where the White Lotus Cult Leader awaited us with the Three Great Dharma Protectors.

The White Lotus Cult Leader, seated on his jade throne, spoke.

[What is this about?]

I stepped forward and tossed the Black-White Lotus to the White Lotus Cult Leader. He caught it mid-air with a grasping technique and stared down at it silently. I continued.

[That is a spirit medicine called the Black-White Lotus. It can cure the Young Cult Leader's strange illness, so please use it wisely.]

[......]

Then, Yong Bi-cheon at his side spoke in confusion.

[What nonsense is this? What are you babbling about?]

[Exactly as I said. It will be fully effective.]

Yong Bi-cheon wasn't the only one flustered. Han Baek-ryeong, wearing her fox mask, showed clear agitation, and even Dokgo Jun in his golden dragon mask was the same. From their perspective, it made no sense for the Reverse Heaven Alliance's shadowy figure to suddenly bring a cure for the Young Cult Leader.

Susuru.

An ominous air filled the hall. The Three Great Dharma Protectors seemed ready to suppress us with force if needed. At that, Sword Demon, Jin So-cheong, and Yi Cheong-un stepped forward, neutralizing their auras, and the silence wavered intensely for a moment.

The White Lotus Cult Leader, holding the Black-White Lotus in one hand, spoke.

[I find this hard to believe. Even if you learned of the Young Cult Leader's illness through your Reverse Heaven Alliance's intelligence, how can I trust this is the cure?]

[Because I know the cause of that illness.]

[What?]

I spoke calmly.

[Cult Leader, you once received a visit from a Western sorcerer. You rejected his proposal, but as retribution, you were cursed—and that curse targeted your blood kin, the Young Cult Leader. You managed to delay and weaken it through some method, but you couldn't prevent the illness from manifesting.]

[......]

[The cause of the illness was that curse embedding a terminal of the [Old Ruler]. The terminal's immense demonic power causes the strange affliction in a human body, and in the worst case, the Young Cult Leader would become a vessel for the [Old Ruler]'s descent. Thus, it must be suppressed and healed with a spirit medicine possessing powerful spiritual energy. Unfortunately, the Sacred Lotuses you cultivate in the White Lotus Cult have lost that efficacy over time.]

I pointed at the Black-White Lotus with my finger and continued.

[But this Black-White Lotus is its original form, with the divine power of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors fully intact. Administering it should greatly heal the Young Cult Leader's condition.]

The Cult Leader let out a groan.

[Ooh...]

He was silent for a long while before lifting his faceless mask to look straight at me and speak.

[Baek Woong... what manner of being are you...? You know my deepest secrets... you're versed in the [Old Ruler] and the darkness's mysteries... and you bring a firm solution as if you've sought it for decades...!!]

[As I said, I'm the shadowy figure of the Reverse Heaven Alliance. Shadowy figures are supposed to know everything and handle anything.]

When I replied confidently, the Cult Leader said.

[So what do you want from us in return? If this truly solves the illness, you'll demand a great reward.]

Tension hung in the air for a moment. It was a critical juncture, as the Cult Leader said. Moreover, whatever I asked, the White Lotus Cult Leader was likely to grant it. So I said to him.

[I have no interest in petty gains with the White Lotus Cult. You know better than anyone that now's not the time for that. All I want is to ensure the Black-White Lotus definitively seals the [Old Ruler]'s pathway by feeding it to him, and for the White Lotus Cult to ally with us so you don't become our enemies in the future.]

The White Lotus Cult Leader spoke in surprise.

[That's all?]

[Cult Leader, you know we're at the crossroads of humanity's extinction, don't you?]

I looked up at the sky and continued.

[This isn't the time for us to fight among ourselves. Instead, the remaining humans must unite their strength somehow to survive.]

[......!!]

The Cult Leader seemed shocked, slightly hunching his body. Then Dokgo Jun, arms crossed beside him, spoke.

[What if the Black-White Lotus is fake and you're trying to poison the Young Cult Leader?]

[If that were the case, would we all come in person? We'd have just sent a messenger. And at this stage, what would assassinating one Young Cult Leader gain us?]

[......]

After a moment, the White Lotus Cult Leader rose unsteadily from his jade throne and spoke with evident strain.

[I will confirm if the illness is cured and then decide our course of action.]

We all headed to where the Young Cult Leader was being treated. I entered the Heavenly Law Hall surrounding the Young Cult Leader, just as before, and his body lay wrapped in some sacred purple sandalwood. Half his body had mutated into a beast-like form, and he appeared unconscious.

I noticed something different from my previous visit to the Heavenly Law Hall. Thousands of diamond scriptures encircled the purple sandalwood in a ring, each bearing a ritualistic structure. Mang Ryang, who had come with us, spoke in admiration.

[Impressive. They've woven a Dharma Wheel Barrier borrowing the power of the King of Hell to withstand the influx of yin energy...]

The White Lotus Cult Leader glanced back and said.

[The Reverse Heaven Alliance Leader is quite the sorcerer. You saw through this formation's essence at a glance.]

[You're the impressive one, Cult Leader. To amass such sorcery prowess alongside peerless martial arts? And using the notoriously difficult ancient esoteric rites...]

[......]

The Cult Leader didn't reply, but it seemed he had added this barrier to prevent the illness from worsening amid the twisted yin-yang of heaven and earth. Soon, the White Lotus Cult Leader fed the Black-White Lotus we had given him to the Young Cult Leader, and moments later, his body twitched.

Sweeewuu...

The beast-like mutation clinging to the Young Cult Leader's body began to slowly fade. Soon after, it vanished completely, restoring him to a pristine human form. When the Young Cult Leader regained consciousness, sat up, and looked puzzled, the White Lotus Cult Leader spoke in a trembling voice.

[Are you alright?]

"Father... my body...!!"

The Young Cult Leader rejoiced at regaining his body. Watching the scene, I inwardly sighed in relief.

'Phew, good...'

It had been a bit of a gamble. In this world ravaged by baleful stars, the [Eternal Lotus] might have forced its way in to interfere. In that case, the Black-White Lotus's purification would be useless.

But as Zhuge Sa had said, that wasn't the case. I recalled Zhuge Sa's advice.

[That thing possessing the Young Cult Leader won't try to intervene in this mess.]

[You sure? Any reason?]

[In normal circumstances, maybe, but if the baleful stars have fully seized causality and descended, it'd risk getting smacked by them too. You saw how the baleful stars don't pick and choose their targets.]

[True.]

[It won't risk a cheap shot from the baleful stars for some minor gain, so it won't descend to the earthly realm.]

Just as Zhuge Sa said. By letting the terminal quietly dissolve under the Black-White Lotus's purification, the [Eternal Lotus] showed no intent to meddle in this world. Even so, eliminating one pathway for the [Old Ruler]'s descent held great significance.

Once the Young Cult Leader was fully healed, the White Lotus Cult Leader suddenly bowed deeply to me.

[I, Dokgo Uncheon, have truly received a life-saving grace from you, Baek Woong.]

"C-Cult Leader!"

Yong Bi-cheon panicked greatly. All the Dharma Protectors seemed equally shocked. No matter the grace, the White Lotus Cult's martial pinnacle bowing to a mere member of the Reverse Heaven Alliance was unprecedented. But the White Lotus Cult Leader continued without care.

[The White Lotus Cult shall henceforth be the Reverse Heaven Alliance's unwavering ally of iron and blood—I swear it upon my name as White Lotus Cult Leader Dokgo Uncheon. Moreover, we shall provide full support to your endeavors.]

"......!!"

Never before had the White Lotus Cult Leader made such an openly friendly alliance declaration. He was a cunning schemer with a hundred serpents in his belly, always probing situations slyly or evading commitments. This statement meant he fully trusted me now.

I grinned and said.

"No need to say that..."

It was then.

An Elder Council elite rushed in from outside and prostrated before the White Lotus Cult Leader.

"Cult Leader! Intruders!"

[What is it?]

"Some three beggars barged in demanding to see you right away..."

[Didn't the Elder Council stop them?]

To the Cult Leader's question came an unexpected reply.

"Th-they're overwhelmingly unmatched."

[......]

"We must respond quickly..."

The hall buzzed for a moment.

The Elder Council was a group of dozens of transcendent experts, essentially the Cult Leader's personal guard. Even the Dharma Protectors couldn't understand their collective might, yet three intruders were routing them?

Kugung.

"Ugh!"

At that moment, cries rang out as First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder were flung inside. They looked dazed, as if beaten senseless, with Third Elder foaming at the mouth from a severe thrashing.

"Kekeke. Why block the way like that..."

"Ugh, you bastard!!"

First Elder, a Half-Transformation Into Dragon expert, twisted his body mid-air and unleashed qi at the mysterious foe in retaliation, but a young elite swung a staff at him.

Kugugung.

"Ugh... this... filthy cur... gah!"

Caught off-guard in a power clash with the young elite, First Elder poured all his strength but was ultimately repelled. Seeing this, I felt baffled.

'What? Stronger internal energy than the Elder Council's First Elder?!'

Impossible! Even among the Elder Council, a Half-Transformation Into Dragon had absurdly vast internal energy. To repel him required truly tremendous power. As the Elder Council elites lay scattered, the mysterious stranger shifted his gaze to the White Lotus Cult Leader and spoke.

"Heh heh. Long time no see, Uncheon. And Cheong-un's here too."

The White Lotus Cult Leader and Yi Cheong-un's eyes turned to the stranger almost simultaneously. The mysterious figure were beggar garb, as did the man and woman standing at his sides. But I had seen this man before, so my eyes widened.

The White Lotus Cult Leader glanced at the man presuming familiarity and said.

[What brings you, who treats the world as your home, to the White Lotus Cult?]

"Kekeke. Good question."

The man grumbled on.

"Well, I don't have particular business with you, Uncheon. I already caught up with Cheong-un recently..."

[Then why cause a scene here? Beggar Immortal.]

That was it!

The one who appeared was Beggar Immortal, one of the Three Great Eccentrics of the Orthodox Faction!

He was one of the Orthodox Faction's Three Great Eccentrics and the master of Gu Ik-hwan, the current Beggars' Sect Leader. Like Mount Tai Old Man or Divine Monk, he rarely appeared in the world, but his fame in the past murim had pierced the heavens. Rumors said he was a hot-blooded wanderer who loved heroic tales, with extremely profound martial arts.

I had encountered him recently myself and witnessed his camaraderie with Yi Cheong-un firsthand.

"No... but was Beggar Immortal that strong?!"

That he knew the White Lotus Cult Leader was one thing, but he had just pierced the Elder Council elites with only himself and two disciples. And without even a fierce battle or injuries—it was overwhelmingly dominant.

As I stared at Beggar Immortal in bewilderment, our eyes met.

Beggar Immortal smirked. His smile felt somehow ominous.

"Heh heh. It's all because of that fellow right there."

[What do you mean?]

"We've been waiting for an opportunity a long time... and that friend created a perfect one. It's only natural to hear from the host of this asura field, no?"

Muttering cryptically, Beggar Immortal stepped forward and said.

"We want to talk to Baek Woong. Everyone else, get lost."

Yi Cheong-un spoke in disbelief.

"We? What exactly is 'we'?"

"......"

Beggar Immortal just smiled enigmatically without answering. Yi Cheong-un sighed.

"Beggar Immortal, your arrogance is excessive. Think you and your disciples alone can take everyone here?"

"Hm? These aren't disciples. They're fragments of my power."

Shururuk.

Shuruk.

"......!!"

Then something astonishing happened. The man and woman beside Beggar Immortal suddenly turned to smoke and were sucked into his body! As everyone gasped at the sight of humans dissolving into smoke and being absorbed, Beggar Immortal raised his hand.

"......We are here."

Susuru.

Unknown figures emerged from behind Beggar Immortal.

Including him, there were seven in total, all humanoid in form but impossible to gauge in prowess. Whether in martial arts or sorcery, their levels were strangely hard to measure.

The White Lotus Cult Leader, sensing the odd atmosphere, spoke.

[What are you?]

"Heh heh. Uncheon, no way you'd know who we are, but shall we introduce ourselves?"

Beggar Immortal smiled and said.

"We are the will and part of Cangjie—the Eight Lesions Divine Hosts. I am Gandharva among them."

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