Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Paht!

I arrived at the ruined fortress where Yu Hee had last been seen. This place was a fortress near Gaixia, now nothing more than the remnants of an ancient ruin with no one overseeing it. In antiquity, it must have been the site of the brutal finale to the Chu-Han Contention, but now there were no heroes or armies left.

Wuuung...

Using the Heavenly Divine Scripture's technique, I summoned the powerful souls nearby. But even after calling them, there weren't any particularly famous figures—mostly subordinates of Xiang Yu from Gaixia. They must have died fighting in the final battle against the Han forces. Seeing Xiang Yu's men summoned one after another, I had a curious thought.

'Even among Xiang Yu's subordinates, there were quite a few unsung heroes unknown to history. So why did he lose?'

To be summoned by the Heavenly Divine Scripture meant they had possessed strength, wisdom, or talent far beyond ordinary mortals in life. They must have been at least on the level of Heavenly Human Scroll experts, yet Xiang Yu had retained this caliber of talent even in his final moments? Puzzled, I asked Mang Liang, who had come with me.

"The tide of the realm had already turned to Han by then, so whether he had many or few talents was already meaningless. Besides, Xiang Yu was insufferably arrogant and failed to properly utilize the talents he had. If he had at least crossed Dongjiang and Wujiang to rally in Jiangdong, there might have been hope—but he gave up on his own."

Mang Liang sighed.

"........."

Mang Liang didn't seem to hold Xiang Yu in high regard. I felt something off.

'Something... feels wrong...'

Mang Liang's assessment aligned with the views of most scholars and literati in the current Central Plains. Xiang Yu was seen as a tyrant who wielded brute force until he single-handedly met his doom, lacking any capacity as a ruler. But the Xiang Yu I had personally faced was remarkably cool-headed and insightful—not the sort to commit such blunders.

Above all, Xiang Yu alone could have faced tens of thousands of troops. So why had he been forced to flee from human armies and meet his end?

In any case, that wasn't what mattered now, so I questioned a general named Pilam, said to have accompanied Xiang Yu to the very end.

"Pilam, subordinate of Xiang Yu. I want to know what happened to Yu Hee. Did she truly, as history records, sing 'Four Sides Lament' and then take her own life so as not to burden Xiang Yu?"

[......]

Pilam wore an expression of deep anguish before speaking.

[Don't spout such nonsense. If you insult my lord and her honor, I won't answer even if it means hell for me.]

"Hmm."

He was a man of strong resolve. Being summoned by the Heavenly Divine Scripture meant he had gambled on reaching heaven out of fear of the afterlife, yet here he was, willing to forsake that chance out of loyalty! Convinced he must have been remarkable in life, I bowed politely and said with respect,

"The rumors I heard were as such. I apologize if I was rude."

[I accept your apology.]

"Could you tell me of Yu Hee's actions, if you know them?"

[After receiving 'power' from my lord, she left alone.]

The 'power' likely referred to sharing the Heavenly Calamity Star's might from Xiang Yu. Puzzled, I asked,

"The Han forces numbering in the hundreds of thousands had surrounded the Gaixia region at the time. How could a lone woman break through their encirclement?"

[I cannot know. But I suspect my lord and Liu Bang had some secret pact regarding her. I believe the Han army let her pass.]

"Hmm..."

[We do not resent our lord for it. By then, we had already entrusted our lives and deaths to him.]

Had Xiang Yu negotiated with Liu Bang to let only Yu Hee go?

It differed greatly from the historical accounts I knew, leaving me with a vague, uneasy feeling. As I pondered, Mang Liang beside me spoke up.

"Baek Woong. At this point, it might be best to summon Liu Bang with the Heavenly Divine Scripture. He was the one who let Yu Hee go, after all."

"Han Gaozu Liu Bang... Where might he be?"

"Probably at the tomb of the Han imperial clan. Near Luoyang. I know the location—let's go."

Paht!

I arrived with Mang Liang at the Han imperial clan's tomb. The Han royal mausoleums seemed remarkably well-preserved even now, and there weren't many people around. Amazed, I looked around.

"I had no idea there was a place like this near Luoyang."

"Baek Woong. If you search with the Heavenly Divine Scripture, the successive Han emperors should appear. Find the one with the Azure Dragon's aura."

I did as Mang Liang suggested. Moments later, dozens of past Han emperors registered to me, just as he said. I searched for one with an especially potent draconic aura, but none stood out, so I tilted my head.

"None...?"

"Strange. Then let me try."

Mang Liang had also cultivated the Three Sovereigns Inner Gate's arts, allowing him to use the Heavenly Divine Scripture's techniques. He gathered energy within ten miles to locate souls, then spoke in bewilderment.

"Hmm...!! It's true—none."

"Maybe Liu Bang lost the Azure Dragon's aura after death?"

"That couldn't... No, that's impossible. But..."

Muttering, Mang Liang suddenly seemed to recall something.

"...There is one possibility."

"What is it?"

"That after death, Liu Bang returned to his true body, the Azure Dragon itself."

"...What? That's absurd..."

"It's not impossible. We thought Liu Bang was merely a human born with strong Azure Dragon power, but if he was truly the incarnation of the Azure Dragon as the rumors say... then an incarnation reverting to its true form is conceivable."

"........."

"Captain's words were true, after all."

Scratching his head, he continued.

"The problem is, what exactly is this entity called the Azure Dragon that granted Liu Bang his power?"

"Mang Liang, you're well-versed in Daoist studies—don't you know?"

"The Azure Dragon doesn't exist as a distinct deity in Daoist hierarchy. There are dragons, of course, but none specifically singled out as the 'Azure Dragon.' That's why I've always thought of this 'Azure Dragon' as a metaphor."

"A metaphor?"

"Something whose identity would be meaningless if revealed, or a secretive being that doesn't wish to be known... perhaps an entity troubled by its name spreading, secretly planting an incarnation like Liu Bang."

"Hmm, what could it be..."

It smelled of some convoluted conspiracy.

After deep thought, I said,

"In conclusion, we don't know whose agent Liu Bang was."

"The only certainty is that Liu Bang was never human from birth."

Mang Liang continued,

"We should discuss this further with Junior Brother. Let's head back."

I returned to the Southern Continent with Mang Liang. There, I shared what we'd learned with Cheon Woo-jin and Zhuge Sa and deliberated. Cheon Woo-jin spoke up.

"The most famous Azure Dragon I know of is the Southern Azure Dragon, King Guangli Ao Run."

"The Four Seas Dragon Kings."

Cheon Woo-jin nodded and replied,

"But as you know, the Heavenly Dragons including the Four Seas Dragon Kings have rarely appeared in the heavens since some point, and the Four Seas Dragon Kings vanished entirely. I suspect it's aftermath from blocking the Apocalypse Dragon during the Yeo Dong-bin era."

"That makes sense."

"The Apocalypse Dragon inflicted fatal wounds on all Four Seas Dragon Kings at that time. Some may have died. In this situation, even if we summon the Southern Azure Dragon King Guangli, he won't respond."

"Hmm..."

Then Zhuge Sa, sitting nearby, smirked.

"Isn't there one other famous Azure Dragon?"

"...You're talking about the Fire Dragon True Person?"

"She's an Azure Dragon nonetheless. If she regains her power, she'll likely be stronger than any individual Four Seas Dragon King."

Cheon Woo-jin shook his head as if it were nonsense.

"She's not her full true form—she's an incarnation of the Responsive Dragon. I've never heard of an incarnation creating another incarnation."

"Don't great yokai do similar things often?"

"That's possible because semi-demons have formless existences. For a divine being as mighty as the Fire Dragon True Person, attempting it would risk disintegration and annihilation."

"What a hassle."

Yawning, Zhuge Sa said,

"Instead of this endless back-and-forth traipsing between heaven and earth over Xiang Yu's request, why not just casually use the Black Tablet on the Ruler of the Jungle to revive Yu Hee?"

"......!!"

"That'd be easier."

"Oh, there's that option!"

As I inwardly thought it sounded plausible, Mang Liang said,

"Uncle. It's a waste to spend such a precious power on one of Xiang Yu's requests. It's an ability that could shake heaven and earth, yet for something like this..."

"Well, it is a waste. Truth be told, I wanted to use it to revive someone else."

Smacking his lips, he continued,

"But are you really going to hunt down Yu Hee's soul and storm the underworld? That'd be putting the cart before the horse."

I agreed.

"Yeah... you're right."

The underworld.

The realm where the souls of the dead gather.

Sorcerers seemed to have some vague inkling of its nature, but the living couldn't go there. Zhuge Sa had once said the underworld was special even among other realms and that he rarely visited. Moreover, being closely linked to the heavens, one mistep could land us in the grasp of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

"It might be fun to die once and rampage through the underworld, but this life's goal isn't the underworld—it's Dark Heaven Village. Heading there fully prepared, only to suddenly die and go to the underworld instead? That'd be too inefficient. I'd be throwing away decades of cultivation."

"Hmm..."

"Even if we save it, it'll just go to waste. I say we use the Black Tablet."

Mang Liang and Cheon Woo-jin pondered Zhuge Sa's opinion. After a moment, Cheon Woo-jin said,

"There's risk. We're assuming Yu Hee, bearer of the Heavenly Calamity Star, can be revived by the Black Tablet's power—but what if not?"

Zhuge Sa understood and gave a cold laugh.

"Heh! That's even funnier. The Chu-Han era was nearly two thousand years ago, and she's still alive?"

"We can't rule out the possibility. She received a constellation's power."

"We already confirmed with the Imperial Seal of the Warring States that Yu Hee isn't in this world. So she'd have to be wandering other realms for two thousand years and still alive—but can that even be called human?"

"...No, it wouldn't. She'd be beyond human by now."

Zhuge Sa seemed annoyed.

"Quit yapping about possibilities and just use the Black Tablet. What's the big deal?"

But I felt Zhuge Sa's suggestion was too hasty.

'Right. As Cheon Woo-jin said, she might still be alive...'

What if we request to summon a living being?

We couldn't rule out the possibility of slaughtering a perfectly fine Yu Hee just to summon her.

The [Ruler of the Jungle] doesn't give a damn about human convenience—it's an [Ancient Ruler] that toys with the world for its own amusement. It might even delight in her despair from a forced interpretation.

And if we act rashly and fail, we'd ruin any chance of later giving the obsidian to Xiang Yu and making him an ally. Relying on an [Ancient Ruler]'s power was dangerous thinking, so I had to be cautious.

After much thought, I said,

"I like Zhuge Sa's proposal, but let's hold off for now. Once the Fire Dragon True Person regains her power, then we can proceed."

"You plan to ask her about the Azure Dragon?"

"Yes."

"Do as you like, but don't waste too much time. It's not impossible for the White Lotus Cult Leader to come to the Southern Continent, and we don't know what tricks the Twelve Laws Lord might pull next."

"More importantly, Zhuge Sa, I have a favor to ask."

"What?"

"Teach me a technique for traveling to other realms."

Zhuge Sa let out a mocking chuckle.

"That's summoning sorcery using otherworldly demons—extremely difficult. Think you can learn it? Even I struggled with it."

For Zhuge Sa to openly call it difficult meant it truly was. Still, I gritted my teeth.

"I have to."

"Even if it takes decades?"

"I'll learn it."

With a resolute expression, I clenched my fist.

'I need to master it anyway to find the White Lotus Cult's Four Divine Artifacts going forward.'

This won't do.

While operating the Imperial Seal of the Warring States this life, I'd realized relics were likely scattered not just in this world, but others. But I was dependent on Zhuge Sa to travel other realms, limiting me.

I needed the ability to explore other realms myself—that way, I could search the underworld and locate the White Lotus Cult's Four Divine Artifacts.

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