Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Yeodongbin gradually regained consciousness after falling asleep as if he had fainted, and after two hours, he finally recovered enough to exhibit the reflexive instincts unique to a master. Normally, his level of cultivation allowed him to respond reflexively to a master's ambush even in sleep, but the fatigue that had struck him this time was so overwhelming that he couldn't even react and simply had to sleep. As his deep slumber transitioned to lighter sleep, Yeodongbin instinctively circulated his qi, accelerating his recovery.

After three hours, Yeodongbin felt he had returned to his absolute peak condition. Of course, it was partly thanks to Fire Dragon True Person's restoration, but also due to the influence of that "something" he had gained upon encountering the War God. Seated in the rest area prepared within the White Lotus Church, Yeodongbin pondered.

What exactly was that?

The moment he touched the spiral, an enormous flood of information and experiences poured in, yet he couldn't describe what it was in words. It was more accurate to say he couldn't even define its essence. Yeodongbin found it absurd that he had gained insight yet couldn't use it, not even knowing what it was.

At that moment, White Lotus Church Leader Lee Gunak and the woman called the High Priestess entered together from outside.

"You've recovered now."

"My thanks for your help."

"You must have questions, so shall we talk over a meal?"

Soon, Yeodongbin headed with them to the prepared luncheon table. The spread wasn't extravagant, but Yeodongbin recognized that each dish was made from rare ingredients from across the world. Without showing it, he silently picked up his chopsticks and ate. Seeing this, Lee Gunak's eyes gleamed.

"You eat without hesitation. Does the Sword Immortal not suspect poison or treachery in this food?"

Yeodongbin replied coolly to the question.

"If you intended to kill me, you would have done so long ago. I don't take you for that sort of person."

"Haha! How do you know what kind of man I am?"

As Lee Gunak burst into hearty laughter, Yeodongbin set down his chopsticks.

"You're the kind who will help me. As long as the Immortal Master vouches for you, I won't suspect you lightly."

"...!!"

Lee Gunak seemed startled by the words. Then, as if genuinely letting go of something, he sighed with a relieved expression.

"...What boldness in the heart of White Lotus Church headquarters! I never imagined the boy from back then would grow into such a remarkable hero. Sword Immortal, you are truly a hero of the world."

It wasn't sarcasm. Lee Gunak sincerely recognized and acknowledged the Sword Immortal's capabilities. As a fellow absolute ruler of the martial world, he had discerned through a few exchanges that the man was his equal or superior.

"You must have stories you want to hear. Ask first."

"Understood."

Lee Gunak nodded and asked.

"What sort of being is this apocalyptic dragon that will force us to fight? To summon us despite the power of the Eight Immortals, its strength is beyond imagination."

"I don't know much about that existence myself. But... the Immortal Master has already admitted it cannot be handled by the power of the Eight Immortals. That's why you and I are speaking so boldly now."

"By Immortal Master, you mean the being behind you."

"No more questions?"

"Do you know why it appears?"

Yeodongbin answered Lee Gunak's question.

"There is a group of demonic sorcerers lurking behind Then Heaven Martial Empress. They serve an evil [Ruler] and are inhuman fiends who perform human sacrifices and murder without hesitation. I know they are preparing to summon the apocalyptic dragon."

"Hmm... those bastards."

"You know of them?"

Lee Gunak nodded gravely.

"Our church has made contact with them a few times. But each time, we realized they were utterly beyond human decency and cut ties. I myself received my predecessor's dying wish that they must be utterly destroyed."

"Hm... So you know about the demonic sorcerers and the [Ruler]?"

"Of course. It's deeply tied to our church's origins."

Lee Gunak turned to the High Priestess beside him.

"As a heavenly warrior, I'm not well-versed in these matters. From now on, our church's High Priestess will question you."

"Very well."

The woman called the High Priestess stepped forward. Meeting Yeodongbin's eyes, she was a peerless beauty with refined elegance even at second glance. Yet an intangible aura of majesty made it clear she was the White Lotus Church's High Priestess. Moreover, Yeodongbin realized the mysterious power she wielded rivaled that of any of the Eight Immortals.

She asked in a clear voice.

"Yeodongbin. While you rested, I divined the time of that existence's descent."

"...! Is that true?"

Yeodongbin was stunned.

No one had properly known anything about the "apocalyptic dragon" until now. Even the Eight Immortals, the finest in divination and sorcery among earthly Taoists and Immortals, had tried every method but failed. For a mere religious priestess to divine it?

She smiled faintly.

"It's true. My divination revealed it will descend at Mount Ye in three years."

"Our Eight Immortals can use sorcery and divination too, but not to uncover such information. Even Senior Jang, the most proficient in divination..."

"My divination is special. It's because this is my innate superhuman ability."

"Superhuman ability...?"

As Yeodongbin tilted his head at the unfamiliar term, Lee Gunak beside him explained.

"Yeodongbin, among our church's priestly bloodline, some are born with inexplicable unique latent abilities. As a fellow absolute ruler of the martial world, he had discerned through a few exchanges that the man was his equal or superior."

"What?"

"Your past encounter with me at Mount Ye was due to her prophecy that the Overlord's mark was there. The prophecy that it would be hard to obtain was also accurate..."

Lee Gunak smiled bitterly. Yeodongbin thought deeply before me.

"You're saying this superhuman ability surpasses sorcery?"

"At least that's how our church sees it. We consider it a third power, distinct from martial arts or sorcery. Moreover, she has refined her ability to a high degree, combining it with divination sorcery."

"......"

Yeodongbin couldn't easily accept it. Sorcery was the divine gift from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the foundation of human civilization. Without it, humans couldn't have built civilization swiftly or withstood natural disasters. Moreover, in over a thousand demon-subduing campaigns, Yeodongbin had never heard or seen of superhuman abilities.

But soon, Yeodongbin changed his mind.

'Right. What I know of this world is fragmentary and limited.'

Contact with the War God's domain had broadened and flexibilized his mental world. He now accepted that this world held things beyond his imagination and resolved to grow further. Quickly regaining his composure, Yeodongbin said.

"Very well. Then can you divine our chances of victory against that existence?"

"I've already done so."

"And the result?"

"......"

The High Priestess hesitated greatly. As she fell silent, unable to answer, Lee Gunak told Yeodongbin.

"She said she sees nothing but our total annihilation."

"Hmm."

"We've assessed the apocalyptic dragon as an absolute colossal dragon impossible to defeat with human power."

That explained the dark expressions on their faces when they entered for the meal.

Even grasping the situation, Yeodongbin remained calm. If they were too frightened to help, there was no helping it. Instead, he said.

"High Priestess. You said you had a question for me. Please ask it."

"Understood."

She took a deep breath and spoke.

"Yeodongbin. If there were a way to avoid fighting the apocalyptic dragon, would you take it?"

"...Is that so?"

"Yes."

Yeodongbin looked into the High Priestess's eyes. His gaze, honed by immense training, instantly pierced that she spoke sincerely. Completely dispelling doubts about her, Yeodongbin answered honestly.

"If possible, I would follow that path."

"Good. That's fortunate..."

She sighed in relief before continuing.

"The way to avoid fighting the apocalyptic dragon is simple. The karma summoning it is tied to Then Heaven Martial Empress, so right now. Joining forces with our church's guardian warriors and leader to storm the imperial palace. Kill Then Heaven Martial Empress, and the dragon's summoning will surely be prevented."

The High Priestess's words were clear.

Assassinate Then Heaven Martial Empress!

But it also meant overcoming an unimaginable ordeal.

Who was Then Heaven Martial Empress?

She was the supreme being above all under heaven, wielding all the mighty power of the Great Tang Empire, even called the Living God Incarnate. The title seemed absurd for a human ruler, but it was fitting. From when Emperor Gaozong took to his sickbed, she had seized all power, commanding a million troops with a flick of her finger, extinguishing small nations overnight at her whim. All humans across the Tang Empire's thousands, tens of thousands of li of territory revered her. Needless to say, now that Emperor Ruizong had yielded the throne, placing her on the emperor's seat.

Currently, all Tang scholars and intellectuals cautiously suggested she might be the greatest and strongest ruler in Chinese history. No emperor in history had wielded such unchecked power. Some even praised her comparing her to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Moreover, success in assassination couldn't even be divined. Even if the Eight Immortals and White Lotus Church combined forces, taking the emperor's head wasn't simple. Luoyang, the Tang capital, teemed with the world's martial masters, with heads of renowned orthodox sects guarding her personally. Her elite guards, called the Six Heroes, were all among the Ten Great Masters of the current martial world.

Killing Then Heaven Martial Empress meant destroying the Tang Empire's brain.

At the same time, it meant the heroic Eight Immortals, who acted for the people, intervening in human affairs and twisting history. Failure would lead to unimaginable consequences.

It was such an enormous gamble in every way that Yeodongbin had to ask.

"I don't understand. Why must we kill Then Heaven Martial Empress to stop the dragon?"

"That's..."

"I can't accept 'divination results' alone. We Eight Immortals receive heavenly mandates to pacify the earth, so meddling in human politics brings severe punishment."

To Yeodongbin's words, the High Priestess replied.

"...Then it can't be helped."

Instead, Yeodongbin was baffled.

"Is there truly no basis beyond your superhuman ability?"

"Yes..."

"......"

If the Eight Immortals launched an assassination based solely on a diviner's words, even a passing child wouldn't buy it. It was laughable. As Yeodongbin felt baffled, listening, Lee Gunak spoke.

"It's just the High Priestess's opinion, not the church's consensus, so don't be too disappointed."

"White Lotus Church Leader Lee Gunak. What will you do?"

"I too couldn't accept the High Priestess's words before meeting you. But the fact we must help you remains. So instead, we ask you."

Lee Gunak crossed his arms and continued.

"Have your Eight Immortals investigate Then Heaven Martial Empress. If she's tied to dark forces, you'll have cause to subjugate her, won't you? Then we'll mobilize all our power to aid you."

"Hmm!"

Yeodongbin let out a groan. He felt the ball had come full circle back to him.

'Is investigating the world's supreme human ruler not against heavenly precepts?'

Yeodongbin had no choice but to ponder. Alone, it was one thing, but his actions always implicated Fire Dragon True Person. Acting rashly against heavenly rules would burden his master too.

As if reading his dilemma, Fire Dragon True Person spoke mentally to him.

[Dongbin! Don't worry—accept it.]

[Master.]

[I'm essentially an outsider in heaven anyway. I can't hold back my disciple's righteous deeds due to my status! Even if expelled from heaven, I'd just return to the Pantheon—worry not.]

Yeodongbin knew it wasn't that simple. Fire Dragon True Person returning to the Pantheon meant his avatar dissolving, absorbed by his true body, Responsive Dragon. No one knew if Responsive Dragon would retain the avatar's ego and memories; it might mean true death.

[...Understood.]

Still, Yeodongbin accepted his master's will. He had wielded his sword and roamed the Jianghu all these years, captivated by his master's righteousness. To Yeodongbin, Fire Dragon True Person was greater than his nameless, faceless parents. He could never disappoint him.

Before leaving, Yeodongbin heard from Lee Gunak.

"Sword Immortal. One more thing I must tell you..."

"What is it?"

"You've heard that after the renowned Gongsun Family was exterminated, a new supreme family under heaven has emerged."

Yeodongbin, well-informed on martial world affairs, nodded.

"Yes. The Han Family, was it?"

Originally, the Gongsun Family had reigned as the supreme clan based on their world-shaking Gongsun Swordsmanship, but Patriarch Gongsun Bi died entangled in the fight for the Overlord's swordsmanship. The problem was he perished suddenly without transmitting much of the swordsmanship's essence, weakening the family's arts. Moreover, Gongsun Bi's peak master strength had been their pillar.

Thus, the Gongsun Family hastily shrank their forces to regroup. They still had many peak experts, but with no future, they chose dormancy. However, having made too many enemies while expanding, they faced a coalition attack, were wiped out, and vanished from martial history in under a decade.

Succeeding them, rising as the new supreme family in Luoyang, the martial world's center, was the Han Family. Direct descendants of Han Feizi from the Warring States, originally a scholarly house, they had steadily advanced their martial arts across generations into a mighty clan. With immense wealth and high prestige, they naturally replaced the Gongsun Family.

Having brought up the Han Family, White Lotus Church Leader Lee Gunak continued.

"If your Eight Immortals are investigating Then Heaven Martial Empress, seek the Han Family Patriarch's help. He was once her close aide but suddenly withdrew, so he likely knows something."

"My thanks."

After hearing Lee Gunak's advice, Yeodongbin returned to his fellow Eight Immortals and relayed the information. Requesting they investigate Then Heaven Martial Empress, Jong Ri-kwon said troubledly.

"Yeodongbin! We can't rashly investigate such an exalted human ruler based on mere White Lotus diviner's conjecture."

"I know that."

"Don't push unreasonable ideas—focus only on earthly demon subjugation..."

Rumble.

At that moment, Fire Dragon True Person's apparition suddenly appeared, glaring at Jong Ri-kwon, whose voice trailed off meckly.

"...or not, whatever..."

[You fool.]

"Why pick on me alone... sob..."

As Jong Ri-kwon whined, nearby Eight Immortal Yi Cheol-goe clicked his tongue.

"Heh heh. Even so, impossible is impossible. We can freely use ancient spells on earth now only because demons rampage. Tamper rashly with a ruler, twist history, tangle heavenly mechanism—who bears that karma?"

To that, Yeodongbin said firmly.

"I'll take responsibility. And Immortal Mangyang will oversee it, so worry not."

"Gasp! Th-that's..."

"If the apocalyptic dragon descends as is, we'll surely lose. And if Then Heaven Martial Empress is behind the demons, what a catastrophe that would be? Expelling lesser demons without eradicating the root means endless repetition."

"Hmm..."

"Trust me."

Yeodongbin persuaded the remaining Eight Immortals with unwavering, passionate resolve.

"Fine."

"Let's try."

Ultimately, the Eight Immortals agreed to Yeodongbin's will, uniting to investigate Then Heaven Martial Empress.

About ten days after the investigation began?

As earthly demons quieted greatly, among the Eight Immortals monitoring her, Jang Ga-ro urgently summoned all in shock.

"G-Good heavens..."

"Immortal Jang. What is it?"

He groaned before speaking.

"I've been watching Then Heaven Martial Empress with my far-sight... but this dawn, my talisman became like this."

Jang Ga-ro held up his talisman, the Tongcheon Song. At its end hung a silver ornament imbued with sorcery, now shattered pathetically. Examining it closely, Eight Immortal Han Sang-ja said.

"To detect Immortal Jang's far-sight and destroy the sorcery's origin talisman with such curse power—it's greater thunderclap immortal level."

"Heh heh... Her guard is formidable. How can such a sorcery wielder exist?"

"A barbarian tribe?"

"Unlikely. If a greater thunderclap immortal-level high barbarian descended, karma would react, summoning combat Immortals. What's going on...?"

The Eight Immortals were all flustered. No one expected a greater thunderclap immortal-level spellcaster guarding a mere human emperor. Even a human emperor would be insignificant to such power, making the situation incomprehensible.

Watching, Yeodongbin thought.

'No point in indirect surveillance anymore.'

Resolving himself, Yeodongbin told the other Eight Immortals.

"I'll go directly to Luoyang, meet the Han Family Patriarch, and investigate Then Heaven Martial Empress."

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