Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

At the request of Zhuge Sa, the White Lotus Cult Leader summoned the Dharma Protectors and simultaneously sent an alliance request to the Twelve Laws. The alliance conditions were that the White Lotus Cult Leader would cede half of the Central Plains to the Twelve Laws, share ownership of the White Lotus Cult's Four Great Divine Artifacts going forward, and transmit the Water God Style martial arts. The response came back in about three days, and the Twelve Laws Lord arrived in person with the Three Elders.

The Twelve Laws Lord smiled faintly.

"I figured you'd come up with some nonsense, but you've put forward proper terms. The alliance is established."

[Even though I could have lied about possessing these Four Great Divine Artifacts, you're just believing me?]

"Heh, who knows?"

The Twelve Laws Lord glossed over the White Lotus Cult Leader's words, but at that moment, everyone present at the meeting instinctively realized it.

The Twelve Laws Lord 'definitely' knew what the White Lotus Cult's Four Great Divine Artifacts were!

Otherwise, there was no way he would have accepted the request so immediately and come in person with the Three Elders.

Zhuge Sa inwardly frowned. Though an enemy, the Twelve Laws Lord was truly a man of riddles, hiding an enormous amount of prowess. Zhuge Sa was convinced that if they could capture him and extract his information alone, Baek Woong's journey would be shortened by more than half. In this web of conspiracies across the Central Plains continent, he was an unparalleled existence.

In that instant, Zhuge Sa considered whether, with Baek Woong who had used the Great Raksha Annihilation Formation and the allied experts present, they could cooperate with the Cult Leader right there to capture the Twelve Laws Lord alive. But he soon realized it was impossible. Without knowing what sorceries the Twelve Laws Lord possessed, they could end up in dire straits instead.

Soon after, the White Lotus Cult Leader informed the Twelve Laws Lord of the current situation: the existence of the rival Eight Divisions Divine Generals and the great crisis they faced. After hearing the story, the Twelve Laws Lord said,

"If it's against divine beings that powerful, I don't think I'd be of much help? Moreover, the majority of the Twelve Laws sect leaders lack the capacity to stand against such foes."

[If you want the alliance's reward, commit sincerely. Do you think they'll leave you alone after they destroy our cult?]

"Well... fair enough. I get it."

After a moment's thought, the Twelve Laws Lord said,

"I'll cooperate fully. Tell me what I can do."

Zhuge Sa then stepped forward and said,

"Twelve Laws Lord, I wish to borrow the power of the Liberation Wood Fish to cast a grand sorcery."

"Heh. So you know I possess the Wood Fish?"

"No need to measure each other anymore at this juncture. If we lose to the Eight Divisions Divine Generals, we're all dead."

Zhuge Sa replied calmly and explained his plan. As the explanation continued, the faces of the Three Elders behind the Twelve Laws Lord shifted to shock, and even the Twelve Laws Lord fell silent. Once Zhuge Sa finished, the Twelve Laws Lord interlaced his fingers and said,

"...Impressive. To think a strategist of your caliber still remains in the Central Plains."

"Will you agree to the plan?"

"Of course I will. Defeating the Eight Divisions Divine Generals will make my own plans far smoother. But first, I'd like to know what kind of liege you serve."

"I have no idea what you mean."

The Twelve Laws Lord leaned his upper body forward.

"You don't seem like you're working for the White Lotus Cult Leader. What kind of master would a strategist and powerful demonic sorcerer like you serve so diligently?"

"I'll just say he's the most foolish liege in the world."

As soon as the meeting ended, they began preparing the plan. The battlefield would inevitably be the White Lotus Cult, but they had to ready themselves for combat as much as possible before the Eight Divisions Divine Generals returned.

Looking down from a tall building at the council elders diligently training their martial arts, the White Lotus Cult Leader said,

[They are all peak experts who would be counted among the top in the Central Plains martial world, but against the Eight Divisions Divine Generals, they mean nothing.]

""

[I despaired endlessly while poring over ancient secrets in the library. This world's martial realm is merely a rural village, a mere lid on the underside... Even reaching the realm of the absolute sovereign falls short of the Heavenly Realm's lackeys.]

Zhuge Sa, who had been listening, smirked.

"You're spouting such obvious drivel after dismissing busy people?"

[Yong Jung-il has arrived.]

The White Lotus Cult Leader turned his head toward Zhuge Sa and continued,

[Why did you summon him? I requested it at your behest, but still.]

"Well, don't we need a new successor for the Heavenly Spirit Pill? Since our side killed Yong Bi-cheon, the Wind God Style Dharma Protector position is vacant."

Zhuge Sa's eyes gleamed sharply for a moment.

"I'm actually curious why you haven't passed the Heavenly Spirit Pill to Yong Jung-il as Yong Bi-cheon's successor until now. Why leave it vacant?"

[......]

"Is the Heavenly Spirit Pill really nothing special?"

After a silence, the White Lotus Cult Leader replied,

[Yong Jung-il is in the guest hall. Go meet him.]

"Will do."

Zhuge Sa withdrew from the White Lotus Cult Leader and went to meet Yong Jung-il in the guest hall. Of course, meeting alone risked a sudden ambush, so he had brought Jin So-cheong along.

Sss...

The moment Zhuge Sa faced him, Jin So-cheong behind him and Yong Jung-il locked eyes, and the surrounding air grew intensely cold. Zhuge Sa, whose martial prowess wasn't high enough to sense it clearly, still perceived that the two transcendent experts had exchanged some form of probe. Zhuge Sa smiled faintly and greeted Yong Jung-il.

"Hey, good to see you."

"Likewise. You're Zhuge Sa, the traitor cult's leader?"

"And you're Yong Jung-il, the next Wind God Style Dharma Protector, right?"

Yong Jung-il nodded.

"Indeed. What business do you have summoning me to the main headquarters?"

There was clearly enmity between them.

It was Baek Woong's group who had wiped out Yong Jung-il and the Wind God Style forces.

Yet, even facing his father's killer, Yong Jung-il's expression showed not the slightest change.

"Heh."

Zhuge Sa looked at him and said,

"Nothing major. Just hoping you'll step up as the Wind God Style Dharma Protector soon. We're facing an overwhelming foe right now."

"......"

"I hear you've been refusing the Heavenly Spirit Pill with all sorts of excuses. The Cult Leader knew your intentions but left it alone... What's your reason for rejecting it?"

"I see no reason to tell you, an outsider to the White Lotus Cult."

"Fair enough, no reason to tell. But mind if I share my guess?"

Yong Jung-il closed his eyes as if ignoring Zhuge Sa. But Zhuge Sa paid no heed and spoke.

"You know exactly what the Heavenly Spirit Pill is and what you lose in exchange for its infinite inner energy. That's why you're refusing it. Right?"

"......"

"The Cult Leader probably noticed that you've figured it out. But he's deliberately not pressuring you because your prowess is on a level incomparable to the likes of Yong Bi-cheon."

"I don't know what you're talking about..."

"Knowing the true nature of the Heavenly Spirit Pill already means you've dipped your foot into the world's underside..."

Zhuge Sa grinned slyly.

"And you were once an elite Confucian agent, wandering and delving into all sorts of truths? Yet you founded the Yellow Mountain Sect to become one of the Nine Great Sects' leaders, and even without the Heavenly Spirit Pill, you've surpassed the Wind God Style arts to reach a level matching its possessor... Even if I were the Cult Leader, I wouldn't give you the Heavenly Spirit Pill. He couldn't control you once you had it."

"......"

"The Cult Leader wouldn't want to face a second Yi Cheong-un after half a century."

At that moment, Yong Jung-il subtly opened his eyes. With Zhuge Sa exposing all his secrets, his reaction changed. He spoke in a gloomy voice.

"Your reason for seeking me out isn't just to persuade me to accept the Heavenly Spirit Pill."

"Sharp mind, as expected of a Nine Great Sects leader."

"State your demand. I'm willing to talk with you."

Zhuge Sa didn't retort with 'Haven't we been talking already?' Because he knew the 'talk' Yong Jung-il referred to meant acknowledging him as a true negotiating partner.

Zhuge Sa said,

"Nothing big. The White Lotus Cult will likely fall soon, and after it does, you and I could make good business partners, so I came."

"You're speaking carelessly before the Wind God Style's successor."

"Ha! I don't see your identity as its successor as that significant? If you truly cherished the Wind God Style, wouldn't blocking the sect's decline take priority, Heavenly Spirit Pill constraints be damned?"

"...What reason do you have to help a crumbling White Lotus Cult?"

"For now, it's a shared front, and we need each other for mutual benefit. But for me, this isn't all—I'm thinking ahead, and I see you as a prime business partner."

"Hmm..."

Yong Jung-il rested his chin on his hand. Then, suddenly, he unleashed a flying sword.

Puk!

In an instant, three Blood Shadows scattered thickly like mist around them. They were transcendent experts of the Water God Style, monitoring their conversation on the Cult Leader's orders, and they were slain in a flash. Seeing this, Zhuge Sa said admiringly,

"Impressive! Isn't the Yellow Mountain Sect leader too strong? Each of those was a direct council elder under the Cult Leader, stronger than Nine Great Sects leaders."

With a sigh, he added,

"What a nasty personality. You could've handled Jin So-cheong's listening ears yourself, but you force me to do it till the end."

"Hahaha... No idea what you mean. You must've been anxious since they were about to report back."

"Get to the point."

"Alright then."

Zhuge Sa replied nonchalantly and said,

"Soon, my liege will return. After the White Lotus Cult falls, I'd like you to aid him in battle. You have the prowess for it."

"No reason to."

"I'll make the reason. If you accept our proposal..."

Soon, Zhuge Sa made a devilishly sweet offer to Yong Jung-il. Yong Jung-il was startled, pondered deeply, and inevitably nodded.

"Very well. I'll join hands with you."

"Good choice."

"Handle the Heavenly Spirit Pill matter smoothly."

Sssst

Yong Jung-il vanished using his movement technique right there. Lingering in the headquarters offered no benefit, so he was returning to Yellow Mountain. Zhuge Sa swung his arms around and said,

"Now, let me handle this guy's cleanup... and while I'm at it, extracting all his secrets would be ideal."

Muttering to himself, Zhuge Sa turned to Jin So-cheong behind him and said,

"Jin So-cheong, what do you think? Yong Jung-il's current level."

"Strong."

"Don't turn me into Baek Woong. Explain so I know how strong."

Urged by Zhuge Sa, Jin So-cheong glanced at the Water God Style experts' mangled corpses strewn about and said,

"On par with me."

"As expected? So he's at the initial stage of the Absolute Realm too."

"Probably. If we directly clashed, it would come down to luck that time."

"I remember he wasn't that strong before. What went wrong?"

"...Even when he destroyed the Nangong Family in the past, it seems Yong Jung-il didn't reveal his full power. I think he's only shown his true strength today."

Zhuge Sa clicked his tongue.

"Tch! What a grudge-holding bastard. Could he even be as strong as that Miyamoto warrior or the Cult Leader?"

"Absolutely not. If so, he would've simply acted here to slaughter us outright. Or accepted the Heavenly Spirit Pill and settled things with the Cult Leader himself."

"Hmm, true. Any guesses about that sword form martial art he possesses?"

"None. You'd only know by fighting him directly."

Jin So-cheong glanced at Zhuge Sa.

"What now?"

"What do you mean, what?"

Zhuge Sa said,

"Victory hinges on a single moment. If we can't land a blow on the Eight Divisions Divine Generals borrowing the Wood Fish's power, it's all over."

"Then everything rests on Cheon Woo-jin."

"Yeah."

Zhuge Sa looked up at the sky.

"...It also depends on Monk Mangnyang's will."

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