Reincarnation Sword God

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Sky Realm

The 18th life has begun.

I decided to step out of the barn.

As I moved, I had a lot on my mind, but even more to do. The situation was so convoluted, and the aftereffects of dying in my 17th life still lingered. I instinctively knew that just sitting still in a negative and despairing mindset would only make it impossible to regain my footing.

I silently set out to obtain the Heavenly Secret. After acquiring it, I wasted no time heading straight to Shandong to get the Rising Bubble. This part of my adventure was essential, a process that couldn’t be condensed any further.

Finally, after pulling the Rising Bubble out from the holdings of the Great Dragon Escort Agency, I stood on the rooftop of a building at night and let out a sigh.

“Hah!”

A long sigh escaped me. I could tell I’d be running around busily again. There was so much to do. Above all, thinking of the colossal entity called ‘God’ filled me with despair. Could humanity really defeat such a being?

I sat on the rooftop and contemplated.

In my previous life, after obtaining the Rising Bubble, I went to Neuroc to fight the Giant Toad. After that, I rescued Huang Yan and delivered him to the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School, then went to the Sword Demon to pass on memories using Obsidian. I remember leaving the pirate business and entrusting the liberation of prisoners to the Sword Demon, then bestowing memories to Mangnyang before going to offer the Power of Makiya as a tribute.

If nothing special happens this time, it would be right to proceed the same way. But I suddenly felt that something was different.

‘At this rate, I’ll end up liberating Makiya through the Offering Ceremony. To obtain Makiya’s Power, the Offering Ceremony is unavoidable. However, since Zhuque is eavesdropping on the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai, it means that sooner or later, I will have a direct confrontation with Zhuque.’

In my 17th life, Zhuque‘s quick actions and cleverness had always put me a step behind, leaving me blindsided. With White Lotus Sect‘s help, I managed to succeed in attacking the Imperial Palace, but I ultimately lost due to the descent of the god.

Right now, it felt premature to clash with Zhuque. Not only was he physically powerful, but he also possesses the ability to read the optimal conditions for his strategies. Facing Zhuque unprepared would drastically increase the difficulty.

Then should I take out Zhuque as a top priority this time?

‘Can I do this with my martial arts?’

Zhuque‘s innate abilities were so strong that even Lee Kwang would fall short. Most importantly, he had the power of the Seven Luminaries’ Earthly Trigram, which could seal his opponent’s powers. If I assumed my martial arts were equal to Lee Kwang, then it was impossible to assassinate Zhuque with my power alone.

After carefully organizing my thoughts, I concluded:

I should discuss plans with Mangnyang but prioritize the removal and control of Zhuque above all else!

‘The Emperor is not the problem. Zhuque must be eliminated to dismantle the Imperial Palace.’

Though I could leave everything to Mangnyang, I felt this was not the right approach after he was abducted. Mangnyang is human too and can make mistakes. Additionally, having premeditated my thoughts would clearly make planning with Mangnyang easier.

Whoosh!

First, I went to Neuroc. Seeing the Giant Toad there, I called out for Yeodong-bin. While I could struggle and fight myself, it felt better to leave it to Yeodong-bin rather than exhaust myself.

[Help me!]

Yeodong-bin immediately accepted my request and took over my body. At the same time, he brandished his sword and charged at the Giant Toad.

[Hah!]

It didn’t take long for Yeodong-bin to slash at the Giant Toad. I gathered the Book of Demonic Arts, Obsidian, and two swords to rescue Huang Yan and the hostages. After rescuing them multiple times, I had memorized their names, identities, and so on.

‘Hmm. Let’s not just drop Huang Yan straight into the Azure Dragon Martial Arts School.’

The anxiety of increasing variables outweighs the benefit of quickly getting rid of a bothersome task. I first stuffed all the rescued individuals into Obsidian before heading straight to Dongyeong to extract some Obsidian. After that, I went to Muyeongmun to pass on Obsidian’s memories to the Sword Demon.

Whoooosh!

“Ugh…!!”

At first, when I said I was giving him the Obsidian, the Sword Demon was dubious. However, after gaining the memories from my 17th life through Obsidian, his expression turned from confusion to composure. He organized his thoughts and addressed me.

“I see. You tried your best but ultimately faced defeat…”

That was a cute little remark about my past life from the Sword Demon. I felt a mix of embarrassment and gloom as I stared at the ceiling. The Sword Demon interlocked his fingers and spoke.

“Basically, Zhuque has monopolized the information from the Sky Realm, so we cannot act carelessly.”

“Indeed. As long as Tai Shan Laoong guards the Heavenly Altar in Mount Tai, information about the Offering Ceremony will inevitably leak to Zhuque at any moment.”

“And from then on, we’ll have to face Zhuque‘s full-on wicked strategies.”

“Precisely.”

After pondering for a moment, the Sword Demon added,

“You did well by bringing this up to me before discussing it with Mangnyang. There’s something you should be cautious about before relaying this information to him.”

“Really?”

Cautious about what?

I appeared puzzled, and the Sword Demon said,

“First, you need to keep in mind that Zhuque is Mangnyang‘s father.”

“Mangnyang is not someone to betray due to blood ties.”

When I firmly asserted that, the Sword Demon chuckled.

“Ha ha. I agree. Mangnyang is a genius and not the type to be hindered by such ties. What I’m worried about is Mangnyang’s mindset at the ‘present time.’”

“……?”

“Think about it. No matter how high the memory retention rate of Obsidian is, from Mangnyang’s perspective, he’s receiving entirely new information. Among this information is the shocking truth that his father is the Three Great Masters of the Orthodox Sect, Tai Shan Laoong, and that he is stealing information from the Sky Realm for the Great Ming Empire‘s malicious use. How can a person who was just lounging about in Jinrang Valley, having been ostracized from his family, accept such a reality?”

“Gah!”

I swallowed hard, grasping the meaning behind the Sword Demon‘s words. The Sword Demon smiled faintly and continued,

“I got wrapped up in your former life, but while receiving this memory transmission, I’ve still managed to benefit in my own way. In other words, I have the chance to evaluate information objectively. However, Mangnyang is too closely tied to you, so the impact of this information will likely hit him hard.”

“That, that makes sense.”

I pondered over a perspective I hadn’t considered before.

Indeed, it’s true.

Since Mangnyang had always embraced the information and remained on our side, I hadn’t foreseen this situation. But this time was different. The information about Zhuque’s identity revealed in my 17th life pertained directly to Mangnyang’s bloodline. This meant that I was arbitrarily handing him another problem that he must resolve throughout his life. Even if Mangnyang were not directly involved, anyone in his position would surely be thrown into disarray.

The Sword Demon added,

“Of course, since Mangnyang is an extraordinary individual, he will likely manage to steady himself and assist you. Still, the fact that it will consume a significant amount of his mental strength cannot be denied. I think you should take this into account moving forward.”

“Consideration?”

After the Sword Demon nodded, he said,

“It means you should present your reason for him to trust you. The fact that a strategist can find light in the darkness just by that alone can make a monumental difference. Moreover, that means you can indirectly support Mangnyang.”

“……!!”

I understood the Sword Demon‘s message. Bowing deeply, I expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you for your guidance.”

“Not at all.”

Suddenly, I realized why the Sword Demon was the supreme of the outlaw faction. It wasn’t just his martial prowess; his insights and techniques in using people were truly exceptional. If it hadn’t been for the Sword Demon, I would have pressured Mangnyang to the brink of breaking under stress.

In fact, I had sensed something before. Each time I transferred memories to Mangnyang, he seemed to detect his failures reflected in those memories, disappointment etched across his face. Who would feel good hearing they’ve failed countless times in experiences they’ve never even had? Yet, Mangnyang always managed to stabilize his mind and assist me.

When I was deep in thought, the Sword Demon spoke up,

“First, take Muyeongmun and me to the Rising Bubble and transport us to Pirate Island. You should do that, then you can go about your business.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll wait for your return from Pirate Island.”

Whoosh!

I finally transported the Sword Demon and Muyeongmun to the Pirate Island of the Blood Blade Alliance. Last time, I actively helped the Sword Demon while exterminating pirates together, but this was a task I had already passed. Thus, the Sword Demon had become somewhat cold and decided it was better to minimize my wasted time.

Then, I immediately headed to the Ruins of Demand. In the past, I had prioritized Demand over the Rising Bubble, but since I had amassed enough strength now, it was no issue to adjust the order a little. I extracted as much of the Black and White Lotus from the pond as I could before diving into the ruins to slay the Giant Spider and obtain Makiya. As a bonus, I also went underground and stuffed Anyang’s Statue of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors into Obsidian.

Once I was finished harvesting the Rising Bubble, I did not linger and went straight to Jinrang Valley. I barged into the hut where Mangnyang was reading a book by candlelight.

Mangnyang looked surprised and stared at me.

“Who are you?”

“I am Baek Woong.”

I plopped down in front of Mangnyang and fixed my gaze on him, saying,

“I must tell you one thing. I do not resent you in any way, and I am prepared to endure whatever happens and move forward to the end.”

“……?”

Mangnyang stared at me in disbelief.

“What kind of ghostly nonsense is this? Are you out of your mind?”

“Well, of course, that’s what you’d typically say.”

Scratching my head, I pulled Obsidian from my pocket and presented it to Mangnyang.

“This is the magic of Obsidian that conveys memories to others. I obtained it from the Prophet of Astana. To continue our discussion, you need to read my memories with Obsidian.”

Mangnyang shouted,

“What a hilarious fellow! Even assuming such magic exists, why should I accept it?”

“Mangnyang, let me tell you something else.”

I shifted in my seated position and calmly continued,

“Mangnyang, the first time I met you was a long time ago. At that time, I was lost, tangled in empty desires, wondering where I should go. Then I met you, and suddenly, I could see the future. I’ve felt thankful for you ever since.”

“Huh…? But we didn’t know each other back then.”

“It’s a reunion (舊面). Because this isn’t our first meeting.”

I said concisely, then I looked directly at him, adding,

“Once you accept this Obsidian, you may experience a profound shock. Because inside it lies a secret about your bloodline that you have yet to discover.”

“……!!”

“It’s not just that Zhuge Bu is the custodian of Zhongyuanji or that he’s cooperating with the Imperial Palace. You are going to be greatly shocked.”

Mangnyang didn’t appear frightened. Instead, he took on a curious expression, as if intrigued.

“You’re quite a character. You plan to convey Obsidian‘s memories while attempting to scare me?”

“I’m just doing this to lessen the shock you might experience.”

“Keuk… Well, let’s see just how great those memories are.”

Mangnyang extended his hand. I nodded and handed him the Obsidian. The moment it touched his hand, the memory transmission began.

Whoooosh!

“Ugh…!!”

Mangnyang looked stunned, as if hit by a curse. After a moment of gazing blankly at the air, he uttered,

“… What a meaningless consideration, Baek Woong.”

“…….”

He stated bluntly,

“I’m not that weak.”

Mangnyang had obtained the memories from my 17th life.

I chuckled a bit at his response and said,

“As I mentioned earlier, I’m ready to keep moving forward. How about you?”

“Give me a moment. I want to reflect on this memory.”

“Sure.”

Mangnyang thought quietly for about a quarter of an hour after mulling over the memory in silence. Once that long meditation was over, he finally spoke.

“Zhuge Yu-ryong… he was my father, a man who lived his entire life as Lord of the Inner Imperial Pavilion. Both Mangnyang and Zhuge Bu had great respect for him and he was among the top sorcerers in Zhongyuan. He was also known as a moral and just figure among sorcerers. He was so resolute that when my uncle Zhuge Sa dabbled in wicked practices, he immediate sealed him off and exiled him.”

“……”

“Until the moment I received your memory, I believed that was all there was to him.”

He sighed softly and spoke,

“However… who would have thought my father was such a person? If it hadn’t been for you, I would never have discovered this secret in my entire life.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s there to apologize for? I’ve simply found out that he was a hypocrite (伪善者). And I’ve learned that he was a minion of the Demonic Arts that fell far from Zhuge Sa. Instead, I should feel grateful to you.”

Mangnyang broke into a smile.

“Let’s continue to work together moving forward, Baek Woong.”

I felt something swell up in my heart.

It was clear that Mangnyang had managed to overcome the shock himself.