Reincarnation Sword God

---

Heavenly Realm

I thought his suggestion was quite absurd, yet I recognized it as a possible option. Until now, while such a choice existed, the circumstances were seldom right for it to be viable. The White Lotus Sect Leader’s external identity was ambiguous, and their archenemy was the Imperial Palace; simply killing the leader wouldn’t necessarily improve the situation, especially since the power of the Imperial Palace was still intact.

However, from Dokgo Seong’s perspective within the Thunder God Lineage, it made sense to eliminate the sect leader using that ability. If they could gain the power to defeat the Imperial Palace, the most significant obstacle left would likely be the sect leader themselves, making this a strategy worth considering.

I pondered for a moment and replied,

“I will do it. But first, I want to become the sect leader’s disciple to uncover his secrets.”

Just the thought of being able to kill the sect leader was enough to significantly change the situation.

At my words, Dokgo Seong nodded vigorously.

“That’s a good plan. Anyway, if we’re going to orchestrate something big in the future, we must always be prepared to get rid of the sect leader. Given your martial arts and cunning, they will be the biggest obstacle.”

“What happens to the White Lotus Sect if the leader is killed? Will one of the Dharma Protectors succeed them?”

“That’s uncertain. Those qualified to be a leader would likely hold a contest to determine succession.”

Dokgo Seong murmured,

“The Thunder God Sword Dance I’ve taught you will play a significant role then.”

“Yes.”

There was no need to rush into killing the sect leader right away. If I uncovered enough secrets first, then the viable candidates for leadership would compete among themselves. At that point, I might even be able to enter the contest for the sect leader position.

It was a plan with a decent chance of success. Just as I was secretly admiring Dokgo Seong’s idea, he added,

“And don’t hold too much resentment towards Lee Kwang. He’s not as much of a jerk as you might think.”

Gulp!

Those words brushed past the sensitive spots in my heart. Perhaps that was why I responded rather bluntly.

“That’s a matter between me and Lee Kwang, Master.”

Dokgo Seong sighed.

“I don’t know much about Lee Kwang’s life after the White Lotus Sect period, but he was once a promising talent within the Thunder God Lineage during his teenage years. As Zhuge Sa’s disciple, he was expected by everyone, and his personality was quite lively. I believe it was the trials of time that hardened him.”

“……”

Dokgo Seong’s words were laced with a hint of regret. It seemed he felt guilty for not being present in the Thunder God Lineage during its purge. There might’ve been an emotional thread of “things could have been different if I had stayed.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want to commit cruel acts against someone who knows nothing. I plan to settle things one-on-one with him in the future.”

After showing him my memories through the obsidian, I envisioned defeating him in a duel. I felt I must repay the pain of a hundred years.

“It seems you haven’t been completely honest with Lee Kwang so far.”

“I never really had a chance to be straightforward with such a challenging opponent.”

“You’ve been wronged a lot, haven’t you?”

Hearing my sharp tone, Dokgo Seong murmured with a bittersweet smile and turned his head away.

“Do as you wish. However, I do hope you give him at least one chance.”

I hadn’t expected Dokgo Seong to hold such thoughts about Lee Kwang. His words resonated with me, and I nodded.

“Understood.”

Until now, my mind had been filled only with thoughts of brutal revenge against Lee Kwang. But if Dokgo Seong said this much, I needed to have a genuine conversation with him and accept whatever reasoning he might offer. There might be a reason why Lee Kwang was the way he was.

As the conversation wrapped up, Dokgo Seong said,

“Then, let’s train hard until a month from now.”

“Yes.”

There was no need for further idle chatter. From that day on, I trained relentlessly in the Thunder God Sword Dance while Dokgo Seong and Cheongwol put their full effort into mastering the esoteric skills of the Wudang School. Especially Cheongwol seemed to be training furiously to make up for lost time.

A month flew by quickly, and we began our journey to find Taesan Noong. Dokgo Seong handed us large conical hats.

“We each have our own places to search. You go gather information on Taesan Noong from the Hwa Sin-ryu and then meet me in Mount Tai.”

“When will we meet?”

“That would take about a month.”

“Let’s do that.”

Dokgo Seong looked at me seriously and added,

“I should warn you, Han Baek-ryeong is not an easy woman to deal with. She’s a strong-willed woman who has reached the pinnacle of the Hwa Sin-ryu, so don’t let her favorable attitude fool you. Even Lee Cheong-un struggled to handle her.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ziiing!

I waved goodbye to Dokgo Seong and Cheongwol as I darted off. They seemed to prefer moving freely in their own direction anyway, and I didn’t feel the need to awkwardly tag along. I just needed to gather information on Taesan Noong for a month and then reunite with them.

The first place I headed wasn’t Hwa Sin-ryu but Muyeongmun, the domain of the Sword Demon. I wanted to share everything that had transpired recently with the Sword Demon. He stroked his chin, clearly intrigued by my tale.

“I see. Dokgo Seong will definitely be a powerful ally.”

“I’m sorry for deciding this on my own.”

“Not at all. You’re the reborn one here, and you are the one in control of this situation. Go ahead and push forward with whatever you deem correct.”

He chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

“By the way, about Taesan Noong… He has always been a bit suspicious. Whether it’s Gyeolsun or the Great Saint Myeongho, they’ve been somewhat visible in the community, but he has remained entirely enigmatic. No information organization seems to know anything about him.”

“Is he just a lackey of the Imperial Palace?”

“Well, regardless of how huge the power of the Imperial Palace is, they can’t just use someone like Taesan Noong as a mere pawn.”

He spoke calmly, continuing,

“I think it’s more apt to view it as a cooperative relationship. There’s definitely some intent on Taesan Noong’s part to align himself with the Imperial Palace.”

“Hmm…”

“Regardless, if we’re digging into Taesan Noong’s identity, I’d be happy to help. I just happen to be considering bringing the Martial Arts Alliance under my control.”

Suddenly, something popped into my mind, and I asked the Sword Demon,

“By any chance, has Dokgo Jun from the Shushin-ryu come by?”

In my previous life, Dokgo Jun, the Dharma Protector of the Shushin-ryu, had once come and successfully subdued the Sword Demon, the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance. Considering the patterns, it was highly likely it would happen again in this life. But the Sword Demon shook his head.

“I thought that would be the case, and I was prepared for it, but he never showed up.”

“He didn’t come?”

“I suspect your actions after your rebirth may have had some influence on Dokgo Jun? He didn’t attend the Martial Arts Alliance gathering, and he certainly hasn’t been coming around.”

“……”

It was true that I had taken actions that could influence the White Lotus Sect in this rebirth. I had met Han Baek-ryeong and acted on her words to topple the ruling family of the Sangsung Family. But what kind of change would overthrow the mind of Dokgo Jun?

“If it doesn’t pan out, we can look into it reverse-style. Anyway, I wish you good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Ziiing!

After thanking the Sword Demon, I moved quickly again. The next destination was Jinlang Valley. I wondered if Mangnyang had finished his training and would come looking for me. However, three months had passed, and I was still faced with the surly Cheon Woo-jin.

“Your brother isn’t here.”

“Hasn’t he come yet?”

“Don’t ask me.”

Indeed, he remained just as unfriendly as ever. I felt slightly irritated but gazed at him silently before saying,

“Please tell Mangnyang that I’m seeking information about Taesan Noong in connection with the Imperial Palace.”

“Understood.”

It was then.

“Damn it… What crime have I committed to be treated like this?”

A familiar voice came from beneath a pine tree. I peered over, and there was Zhuge Sa trapped in a small hut between the trees, unable to move. It seemed Cheon Woo-jin was using some kind of spell to restrain him. Cheon Woo-jin glared at him coldly and replied,

“Just the fact that I haven’t imprisoned you in another dimension should be considered merciful.”

“Ha ha… Damn it.”

I approached the complaining Zhuge Sa and asked,

“Do you happen to know anything about Taesan Noong?”

“Eh? Who are you?”

“I’m Baek Woong, Mangnyang’s friend.”

Zhuge Sa rested his chin on his hand while lying in the cramped hut, staring at me before saying,

“Are you an idiot? I’m stuck here because of Hyun, and you think I’d tell you anything?”

“……”

“Seriously, if that Hyun guy wants friends, he should pick someone smarter.”

Zhuge Sa said discontentedly.

“Listen, you. If you can tell me about Taesan Noong, I’ll get you out of here. I can’t take it anymore.”

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin, who had been watching from behind, interjected loudly,

“Don’t waste your efforts. He can’t help you even if he wants to.”

Hearing that, Zhuge Sa murmured,

“Somehow, Cheon Woo-jin seems like a mean little guy.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.”

We exchanged some whispers behind Cheon Woo-jin’s back.

“Whatever… I’ll just take a nap.”

Finally, Zhuge Sa flopped back down and began snoring. It seemed he realized the futility of escaping Cheon Woo-jin’s barrier. This was the first time I saw Zhuge Sa in such a state, and while it was refreshing, it also showed how powerful Cheon Woo-jin’s sealing technique was.

‘Well, I could get him out if I wanted to.’

Maybe I could swing my energy into freeing him. But whether my energy could break Cheon Woo-jin’s barrier was uncertain, and even if I did manage to shatter it, I wondered if releasing such an unpredictable variable like Zhuge Sa would be helpful.

I turned to Cheon Woo-jin, who was looking at me with a disapproving glare, and he said,

“Don’t associate with such people. Even if he seems decent, he’s a very wicked sorcerer.”

“I’m aware.”

“And you also might want to tone down the gossiping.”

He seemed genuinely annoyed. I scratched my head with a wry smile.

“I’ll think about it.”

Zing!

My next destination was the Sagong Beacon. Previously, to obtain the legendary Thousand-Year Mystical Ginseng, I had worked there as a gazetteer for a few years while digging for information around Huangshan. I entered the Sagong Beacon’s entrance, looking for Sagong Pae.

Soon, I witnessed a beautiful woman in white leading the gazetteers. Her eyes, clear and mesmerizing, were proof of her exquisite beauty that could capture anyone’s gaze. The stunning elegance she exuded was anything but ordinary; even someone like me who had seen countless beauties could not deny that she was astoundingly gorgeous.

I blinked for a moment before speaking to her.

“Excuse me.”

“Hmm? Hey, little guy, what’s on your mind?”

She smiled innocently as she spoke to me. It seemed that by using my inner energy and techniques to suppress my aura and momentum, she assumed I was just an ordinary child. I hesitated before sending her a message.

[I’m here to inquire about Taesan Noong.]

“……!!”

Sagong Rin’s expression turned shocked. Then, after glancing around, she asked,

“Who are you?”

“I’m Baek Woong. My intentions are as stated.”

“Go back. I have nothing to say.”

Sagong Rin answered firmly. Well, I couldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to disclose the whereabouts of their master to a mysterious boy. I figured that was fair enough, so I sent her another message.

[The pressure from the Huangshan Sect will likely be intense. I plan to visit Sagong Hwan, the leader of the Sagong family, to lend assistance. After that, would it be possible to speak again?]

“……”

She stared at me with a puzzled look.

“Whatever you want, the Sagong family isn’t an easy gang to toy with.”

“I don’t plan to fool you. I just want to proceed in a mutually beneficial direction.”

At that moment,

“Rin! What’s going on?”

“Brother!”

A group of warriors in white burst forth from within. Among them was Sagong Pae, the brother of Sagong Rin. Sagong Pae looked at me and exclaimed in anger,

“How dare you, little brat, lay a hand on my sister?”

Misunderstanding the situation, Sagong Pae lunged at me with his sword drawn. I was in no mood to laugh at him, so I merely glanced at Sagong Pae and redirected his attack with my energy, not even raising a finger.

“Yaahhh!!”

Sagong Pae, confused about what was happening, continued to swing his blade wildly. This went on for about fifty seconds while he apparently realized something was amiss.

Watching this scene, Sagong Rin sighed.

“Remarkable skill indeed. Are you a master of the reverse flow?”

“No need for bloodshed. It’s best if we deal with this wisely.”

“……”

She seemed resigned to my reasoning.

“Please follow me.”