Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

I searched among the souls of the dead for the spirit of the inventor who had created the printing press. Using the incantations of the Heavenly Scripture and the Great Soul Extraction Method, I was able to narrow it down somewhat. Eventually, that soul stood before me, but its condition was extremely odd.

[ Kraaah... Aaaah... ]

Its spirit body was torn apart.

'Should I call this lucky?'

If it had entered the belly of an [Ancient Ruler], I never would have found it, but thanks to the thing half-heartedly chewing up the spirit body, at least the soul remained in some form. However, it seemed impossible to maintain a normal spirit body after more than half of it had been devoured whole. I pondered what to do with it, then decided to try infusing it with Yin God Power, just like I had done with Gongsonbyeok.

Woooo—

A moment later, its spirit body stabilized, and the missing parts regenerated. The Yin God Power not only repaired the spirit body but also restored its reason, bringing it back to a normal appearance. Yet the soul trembled in terror, pacing back and forth anxiously.

[ Uwaaaah... Aaaah!! Save me!! ]

[ Dead? Me... Aaaack! Kraaaah. ]

It seemed to recall the moment it was devoured by the [Ancient Ruler], and it went berserk again. I used Yin God Power once more to calm it, though I felt it was a waste of energy. Every time I infused power into a spirit body, my own strength was depleted, delaying the time when I could fully master Yin God Power. After a while, it finally calmed down and spoke.

[ Thank you... So that monster ate me... What a horrific thing. ]

'I'm sorry I couldn't help you. But those monsters are gods, so there was nothing I could do.'

[ No, it's fine. But are you that magician I've only heard about in tales? You look Eastern, and you have mysterious powers. ]

'I am Baek Woong from the Illustrious Ming Empire in the East. You're the one who invented that double-sided rotary printing press, right?'

[ Hm... So that's why you sought me out. Yes, that's right. I'm Richard Hoe, the one who invented it. ]

'You're from the Western Continent, so what brought you all the way to this New Continent? You don't seem like a soldier.'

[ I was employed by the Holy Roman Empire and tasked with pioneering new territories for them in this New Continent. They recognized that my inventions and techniques would be helpful. But... ]

Richard Hoe fell silent.

Of course, who could have predicted he'd be devoured by an [Ancient Ruler] after arriving in the New Continent? He probably didn't even know what an [Ancient Ruler] was. I looked at him with pity and said,

'I need the knowledge of that double-sided rotary printing press you know. Tell me where the blueprints are, or teach me how to build the printing press.'

[ Th-that's not difficult, but I have a question first. ]

'What is it?'

[ What happens to me? After death, do we go to God's side, to heaven or hell? What happens to me next... ]

'You'll probably go to the underworld. Honestly, I don't know either. What happens after death.'

I really didn't know. I'd died countless times, but I was probably the only one in the world who didn't know what came after death. Richard Hoe sighed and said,

[ I understand. I'll teach you everything I know. As a craftsman and inventor, I don't want my knowledge to die with me. ]

He soon taught me the location of the blueprints and printing press, as well as the principles of the double-sided rotary printing press, how to read the blueprints, printing technology, and techniques. It was quite complex and difficult, so I couldn't grasp it immediately and struggled quite a bit. After listening for about an hour, my head began to throb, and I said,

'Damn it. If I stay here too long, another [Ancient Ruler] might show up... I need to leave now.'

[ Th-that monster's coming again? Please take me with you or send me to the underworld quickly. I don't want to be eaten again! ]

Richard Hoe's soul convulsed in terror.

'Did you get attacked right after arriving on the coast? There were no natives around?'

[ There were. There were people living like barbarians, but they had formed a massive empire, so the commander hesitated to fight rashly and was stationed along this coast. ]

'Huh? An empire?'

I tilted my head in confusion.

'What the hell?'

I knew the New Continent was vast, but an empire? Normally, I'd brush it off, but after seeing [Ancient Rulers] roaming like wild animals, it sounded absurd. Humans could never build a civilization on such a land! But there was no reason for the dead Richard Hoe to lie to me, so after some thought, I said,

'Tell me where that native empire is. If I use the Great Soul Extraction Method to pull your soul there, you won't get eaten again.'

[ I beg you. ]

Tadadak

Following Richard Hoe's directions, I searched the commander's corpse and found a map and compass, then headed toward the native empire's location. As I traveled, I used the Great Soul Extraction Method to pull his soul along, and it followed the attractive force.

'My Great Soul Extraction Method training is progressing.'

Once I felt I'd pulled his soul far enough, I released it in a suitable wilderness and said,

'Then we'll part ways here.'

The Great Soul Extraction Method consumed a lot of stamina and energy if used continuously. No matter what, I couldn't drag his soul for hundreds of li.

[ Ahh... God... Please send me to heaven. ]

Richard Hoe knelt on the cliff in spirit form, as if praying. Seeing him like that, I felt pathetic.

'God to him is an [Ancient Ruler], right? Who the hell is that fool praying to?'

I had no idea who would save him. And what the hell was heaven?

I gave him a pitying look and rode on. I was curious about how the natives of this New Continent lived.

How far did I go? After passing through dense forests and rugged terrain several times, I sensed signs of human habitation. I spotted natives, half-naked, forming a civilization. Watching from afar, I realized they had well-maintained roads everywhere and knew how to ride horses.

'If I follow the roads further, a big city should appear.'

It was astonishing. Even with [Ancient Rulers] roaming, there were at least thousands of humans. They didn't seem to possess any special power, so how were they surviving?

I followed the road. After a long while, I discovered a massive city inside a huge basin. It was clearly a type of civilization I'd never seen before in my lives. Curiosity drew me toward it, but a chilling sensation made me look up at the sky.

Something was there.

'Damn it...'

Soon, I realized it was an [Ancient Ruler]. I cursed involuntarily. Just seeing those massive tentacles writhing from the clouds filled me with dread.

The 'something' floating in the air, brimming with immense power and malevolent aura, was undoubtedly one of them. I didn't know its exact name, but confirming even a fragment of its presence left me stunned.

'What the hell is this?'

This place defied understanding in every way. It was the first time I'd seen such a high density of [Ancient Rulers], and they were blatantly wandering near a human city? How could humans live with something like that around?

I remembered the city's spire-like peak and retreated from the spot, returning to the Central Plains via teleportation.

Paat

I handed the acquired double-sided rotary printing press to Zhuge Sa and transmitted everything I'd memorized from Richard Hoe via Silver Phoenix Jade to him. Zhuge Sa absorbed the knowledge and said with interest,

'This is more than enough. If we start working on it right away, we can evolve the Central Plains' printing techniques within a month.'

Zhuge Sa seemed to understand Richard Hoe's explanations that I hadn't grasped all at once. Cautiously, I called out to him.

'Zhuge Sa.'

'Yes?'

'What exactly are those [Ancient Rulers] in the New Continent? And how are those barbarians in that intact empire surviving with them around...?'

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

'Why think so complicated? They're no different from the ancient Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.'

'What?'

His hypothesis that followed made my face stiffen.

'Those guys are probably performing regular human sacrifice rituals to the [Ancient Rulers]. In exchange for offering humans as tribute, the [Ancient Rulers] grant them prosperity and abundance, allowing them to live well.'

'...!!'

He smirked coldly.

'Do you think the total annihilation of the Western Empire's expedition was a coincidence? The New Continent's barbarian empire saw the expedition as a threat and held a human sacrifice ritual, asking their worshipped [Ancient Rulers] to eliminate the Western invaders. It wasn't coincidence—it was inevitable.'

'Th-that's ridiculous...'

I said to Zhuge Sa in disbelief,

'Aren't [Ancient Rulers] supposed to be cruel, brutal monsters who see humans as insects? Is coexistence like that even possible?'

'You saw it yourself. Atop that massive empire's city's sharp spire is probably a human sacrifice altar. They've survived that way for hundreds, no... thousands of years.'

'......'

'And since you're a reincarnator directly challenging the [Ancient Rulers] with your sword, you've forgotten: originally, they're opponents humans can't even antagonize. Humans either serve them or go mad upon perceiving their existence—those are the only two options. [Ancient Rulers] are actually quite generous to the insects that serve them, so those barbarian empire folk seem far more rational than you?'

Zhuge Sa continued nonchalantly.

'The difference between the Central Plains and the New Continent is just one thing: whether the [Rulers] lurk behind history's shadows or stand out in the open. Oh, and whether mid-level managers like the Heavenly Realm exist or not.'

'Scary. I can't go to the New Continent anymore.'

'Is it just the New Continent?'

'What?'

'The [Black Continent] you haven't visited yet, the South Pole, North Pole, even Paechun—there's a high chance the [Ancient Rulers'] influence reaches there too. Let your guard down even a little, and you'll run into them out of nowhere and get eaten. Stay alert.'

'... Got it.'

As I replied to Zhuge Sa, I was reminded anew of how disgustingly difficult the challenges I faced were. The Central Plains continent was relatively livable, but the other continents and oceans teemed with [Ancient Rulers] awaiting apocalypse and revelation—this hellish situation where even what happens after death for humanity is in the state of fatality.

Zhuge Sa took the double-sided rotary printing press from me and successfully replicated it in just three days. He examined the copy with dissatisfaction and began improvements. Ten days later, he created a machine that printed automatically, much faster and more stably. Amazed, I watched, and Zhuge Sa said,

'I can adjust the metal's quality and quantity freely with the Crystal Stone Tablet, and the blueprints aren't that hard compared to magic tomes. Now, shall we put this to use?'

'What do you plan to do?'

'I'll create high-quality iron with the Crystal Stone Tablet and make paper via alchemy too. Keeping it from Zhuge Yuryong's eyes will be a bit of a hassle.'

About three months passed?

Soon after, Zhuge Sa seemed to have succeeded in advancing printing technology. More precisely, he'd distributed many printing presses, but mass-producing books naturally revolutionized the industry itself. Steam engines appeared here and there, and I could feel Zhuge Sa was determined to change the Ming Empire's civilization map.

Back at the Long Ridge Valley, I said to Zhuge Sa with a worried tone,

'If you make this a big fuss, Zhuge Yuryong will get suspicious.'

'What's the problem? If that happens, we just knock him down. Don't tell me you're not confident?'

Zhuge Sa replied curtly.

'There are countless ways to crush imperial palate factions like his. If you're willing to use any means, including unorthodox paths like the ones you have, you'll have more than enough. They've been grinding their teeth and searching for weaknesses to strike all this time—why fear now? Isn't this cycle one where you don't care if you die in Dark Heaven Village anyway?'

'Now, once we get the novels from Oh Seung-eun, we'll mobilize Mangyang's forces to spread them quickly as a trend. That'll wrap up this plan.'

Zhuge Sa said that and jerked his chin.

'The Sword Demon said he has something to tell you. I'll handle things here, so go see him.'

I went to the Sword Demon as Zhuge Sa instructed.

The Sword Demon said,

'There's good news and bad news. Which first?'

After a moment's thought, I replied,

'Bad news first.'

'Good choice. The bad news is... we failed to find the Tomb of the Gods. Despite steadily sending Shadowless Sect experts to the Youdong region to search, we found nothing. Not even similar records or documents...'

It was something I'd half-expected, so I nodded calmly.

'I'll have to get help from the Twelve Laws later.'

The Sword Demon gauged my expression and continued.

'The good news is that the plan I was working on with the Dragon of Fame succeeded.'

'I knew you were up to something with him, but what exactly?'

'Heh heh. Hasn't Jin So-cheong been completely absent lately?'

I nodded. We'd sent Jin So-cheong entirely to the Shadowless Sect because he was needed for the Sword Demon's plan.

'Yes, but...'

'Jin So-cheong, come in.'

Jin So-cheong entered the Shadowless Sect's inner quarters through the door. He looked no different from usual, but the Sword Demon's following words shocked me.

'Up until yesterday, he dueled and defeated all Eight Demon Lords of the Eight Demonic Sects, and he also bested the sect leaders of the Nine Great Righteous Sects in spars. As a result, he's now hailed across the righteous and demonic factions as the World's Greatest Spearman.'

'Whaaat?!'

'You've been secluded in Long Ridge Valley, so you wouldn't know.'

'What is this...'

Then, Jin So-cheong beside him spoke.

'Baek Woong, the top executives of the Central Plains' righteous factions conspired to boost my fame quickly. The Nine Great Righteous Sect leaders, under the Dragon of Fame's influence, admitted defeat without even fighting me, and the same goes for the Eight Demon Lords of the Eight Demonic Sects. I actually only fought less than half of them. They all stuck strictly to the plan and kept it secret.'

'How did you convince them?'

'The pretext for convincing them was planting me as a dagger at the heart of the White Lotus Cult to uncover the White Lotus Cult Leader's secrets. They outwardly submit to the White Lotus Cult but desperately want to overcome it.'

'Ah...'

'Now, I'm known in the martial world as a man with the supreme ambition to claim the title of world's greatest expert. In other words, they targeted the pride of the rivers and lakes.'

'You're paving the way to become the White Lotus Cult Leader's disciple, aren't you?'

'Exactly.'

Jin So-cheong said,

'Five days from now, I'll go to the White Lotus Cult with my so-called followers who've latched onto me and challenge the White Lotus Cult Leader to a duel. After losing, I'll be so impressed by his martial arts that I'll beg to become his disciple.'

Now I understood the full plan.

Jin So-cheong, the world's greatest expert and successor to the Thunder God Style, finally bared his fangs in the martial world—but he could only ultimately lose to the enigmatic supreme being, the White Lotus Cult Leader! Awed by that unfathomable martial prowess, Jin So-cheong would naturally request to become his disciple.

It was unlikely the White Lotus Cult Leader would refuse this flow. He already knew Jin So-cheong was a Thunder God Style expert and would want to uncover its secrets through him.

'Do you think it'll work? In the worst case, if the White Lotus Cult Leader finds you suspicious, he might just kill you with Infinite Sky-Heartless.'

'I'll consider that my fate.'

Jin So-cheong laughed softly.

'That's why I've worked so hard until now to avoid dying by his hand while minimizing suspicion.'

'......'

My chest felt heavy.

Jin So-cheong had truly cast aside all his previous life's duties to his sect and his thirst for revenge, vowing to fight solely for my reincarnation journey. It was sincerity so profound that I no longer needed to harbor any doubts about him.

The Sword Demon said,

'Still, just in case, blend into the crowd as a spectator when Jin So-cheong fights the White Lotus Cult Leader. You might gain something from watching that duel.'

And five days later.

At the White Lotus Cult's main altar, the promised duel between Jin So-cheong and the White Lotus Cult Leader to determine the world's greatest began.

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