Reincarnation Sword God

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Heavenly Realm

Upon returning to the base, I found Mangnyang waiting alongside Zhuge Sa and Cheon Woo-jin. As usual, it seemed they had forcibly dragged Zhuge Sa along, for he wore a sulky expression, trapped within the Land and Earth Diagram. Mangnyang waved cheerfully.

“Did you have a good trip?”

I nodded and then looked around.

“Is Jin So-cheong training?”

“Yes. He’s been hanging upside down in the Great Bamboo Forest, completely oblivious to the passage of time.”

“……”

There was still a little time left until the promised month was up. According to Mangnyang, it seemed Jin So-cheong was training as if his life depended on it. He must have been tapping into his genius based on the Memory of the Martial Arts that I had passed on to him.

“By the way, what was the reason for your outing?”

“I went south to look for the Fire Flower.”

“Hmm! That’s a good choice.”

As Mangnyang subtly nudged, Cheon Woo-jin grumbled.

“Older Brother has too many secrets.”

Soon after, Cheon Woo-jin exited the scene. I took this chance to tell Mangnyang about everything that had transpired on my journey to the south, such as my encounter with Dongbang Mu-gyeol, meeting Naresuen, the Zhuyong Tribe, the continent of Fire Flower, and the Colorful-eyed People.

After a long moment of contemplation, Mangnyang suddenly exclaimed,

“You’ve brought back quite a lot! But how did you come up with the idea to search for the Fire Flower?”

“I’ve heard that combining the powers of Su-yo and Fire Flower can yield strength capable of overthrowing even the gods. Since we were defeated by a god in the 17th life, I wanted to prepare as much as possible.”

“You certainly possess excellent judgment and discernment now…”

Mangnyang, impressed, continued,

“Then it means you’re holding four hostages: the group from Dongbang Mu-gyeol and one Colorful-eyed Person.”

“Correct.”

“And if they run into General Hwang Yeon’s group, won’t it cause quite the panic?”

I shook my head at Mangnyang’s question.

“I can compartmentalize their warning signals, separating them into different spaces.”

“Indeed… A remarkable magical weapon.”

After a moment’s thought, Mangnyang suggested,

“First, let’s examine the items we seized from the Colorful-eyed People.”

Clatter

Following Mangnyang’s lead, I spilled out the loot from the Colorful-eyed warship onto the Jinrang Valley. Hundreds of firearms, cannons, western melee weapons, compasses, maps, and various miscellaneous items. I had swept up everything, including books and odds and ends, piling up enough to fill boxes the height of a person multiple times over.

Mangnyang inspected the firearms, lifting them up and examining them before focusing on one particular gun with awe.

“Remarkable! What is this?”

In seconds, he had taken apart the firearm using a small wire.

“Do you have knowledge about guns?”

“As an astrologer, I’ve accumulated a great deal of knowledge, including firearms. In the Great Ming Empire, there are perhaps fewer than ten individuals who understand firearms or artillery better than I do.”

I glanced at the gun he was examining. It certainly looked like the one used by the commander among the Colorful-eyed, single-shot but with an impressively fast reloading speed. Upon stating this, Mangnyang observed,

“Look closely. This is very different from traditional firearms. Original rifles ignite with flint or use black powder. But look at this; the bullets are wrapped in paper. What an innovative idea for such a concept to exist!”

“……? What’s so great about that?”

“To put it simply, this can be called ‘cartridge.’ It uses a paper exterior to encase the bullet, effectively making it one with the primer. This is revolutionary enough to completely change the principles of firearms as I know them.”

Watching Mangnyang express pure amazement, I tilted my head in confusion. It seemed he had memorized the intricate inner workings of the gun and quietly reassembled it.

“Once this gun is mass-produced in the West, the world will be thrown into chaos. Or maybe it’s already in chaos.”

“Is that so…”

“Clearly, the Western powers are more technologically advanced than we initially thought. I suspect this firearm embodies the best technology available in the current world.”

I was uncertain. The reloading speed was indeed impressive, but was it enough to shake the world? I didn’t fully comprehend the significance of wrapping a bullet in paper either, but with Mangnyang declaring it remarkable, I had no choice but to accept that.

Finally, Mangnyang set the gun down and said,

“Well, this isn’t immediately relevant for us. Speaking of which, finding clues to the Fire Flower will be quite a hassle.”

“Hmm. I don’t understand what it means for the sun to be cloaked in darkness…”

Mangnyang then burst into a hearty laugh.

“Ha ha! That’s referring to a solar eclipse! Did you forget?”

“Gasp!”

I inhaled sharply.

Now that I thought about it, that description naturally evokes the concept of a solar eclipse. There sure were records and explanations about solar eclipses in the texts I had studied. It refers to the phenomenon where the sun is intermittently obscured by darkness.

‘How careless of me…’

As I scratched my head, Mangnyang calmly continued,

“If that’s the case, acquiring the Fire Flower will surely become difficult. The timings of eclipses vary based on the location of continents. In other words, at this moment, there’s almost no way for us to find out.”

“Are you saying it’s impossible?”

“It’s not impossible, but at least we need to pin down the expected location. Calculating the time of the sun and moon’s phases upon arriving at the site would be one thing, but if we’re still thousands of miles away when the eclipse occurs, we won’t be able to enter the Fire Flower seal in that brief moment.”

“I see…”

I inadvertently sighed. It seemed Mangnyang could calculate the eclipse date with his intelligence, but it would surely require considerable time and effort. Plus, locating somewhere in that vast southern continent would be as challenging as finding a needle in a haystack.

‘Acquiring the Seven Treasures is truly difficult…’

While I was lamenting silently, Mangnyang said,

“For the time being, since that’s not an immediate task, let’s discuss another matter regarding Dongbang Mu-gyeol and Hwang Yeon.”

“Hmm.”

“Although a bit tangled, I believe we can resolve it adequately, provided that Dongbang Mu-gyeol’s memories are fully manipulated.”

“The Zhuyong Tribe are masters of mental abilities, so we don’t need to worry about that.”

“In that case, let’s move on with leaving Hwang Yeon in Liaodong City. As for Dongbang Mu-gyeol, releasing him back to the Southern Barbarian royal palace should prevent Naresuen or the others from catching on.”

I wasn’t particularly worried about Dongbang Mu-gyeol‘s disposal as I predicted this turn of events. However, I raised my brow at the sudden mention of Liaodong City for Hwang Yeon. That city, located east of the Liao River, was a place you passed through on the way to Goryeo. I couldn’t grasp why we were sending Hwang Yeon there instead of dropping him off at Qinglong Martial Guard or under the Half Heaven Alliance’s control.

Then Mangnyang explained,

“Liaodong City is home to North Dragon Troops, Hwang Yeon’s most loyal subordinates, and his strongest military stronghold. Besides, it’s also where large elite troops trained through their wars with the Steppe are stationed. Leaving Hwang Yeon there will allow him to thrive like a fish in water.”

“Ah!”

Considering that North Dragon Troops, dubbed the finest of the Great Ming Empire, were indeed Hwang Yeon’s subordinates, I remembered their immense power displayed during the great war. However, upon hearing Mangnyang’s strategy, I was puzzled and asked,

“Then why haven’t we sent him to Liaodong City until now?”

“There are two reasons.”

Mangnyang took a deep breath before continuing.

“First, staying in Liaodong is by no means safe if the emperor or Golden Eagle Guard has set their sights on Hwang Yeon. Although it’s not publicly declared, the emperor could easily declare him a criminal. That would push Hwang Yeon to lead the Liaodong City forces in a rebellion. Without proper reasoning or preparation, it would be an exceedingly low-odds fight.”

“Hmm.”

“Moreover, it’s questionable whether Hwang Yeon‘s subordinates can handle Golden Eagle Guard. If they had properly protected Hwang Yeon, then Golden Eagle Guard wouldn’t have been able to kidnap him and imprison his family. If Golden Eagle Guard were to strike during a covert attack, it would be incredibly difficult for Hwang Yeon to withstand.”

That made sense. Golden Eagle Guard had a significant number of peak experts as well as well-trained assassins. Should they commit to scheming a battle, they would indeed be a potent force. As I dwelled on this, Mangnyang continued,

“The second reason is that keeping Hwang Yeon within our sphere of influence is beneficial. You know how successful he was in commanding troops on several occasions, right?”

Of course, I was well aware. When Hwang Yeon’s rebellion almost reached the palace, it felt as if everything was coming to an end. General Hwang Yeon held more influence than we had initially assumed. I suddenly recalled something and said,

“Something feels off.”

“What do you mean?”

“Back then… didn’t we almost conquer the palace with Hwang Yeon‘s assistance? In my 13th life, that is.”

“That’s right.”

I still vividly remembered. As I recalled the memories from that time, I continued,

“Although I unfortunately had to take my own life due to the intervention of the [Ancient Ruler], everything had seemed to go smoothly. If we proceed as we did then, shouldn’t we succeed? We have way more talented individuals now and our capabilities have significantly improved.”

“……”

“Come to think of it, what was Zhuque doing during that time? If he had intervened, things would’ve been extremely difficult for us…”

Mangnyang let out a sigh.

“That relates to the true intent of Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace.”

“True intent?”

“I suspect that for Zhuque, the emperor’s life isn’t of much importance. To him, the emperor is merely a useful pawn. In the 13th life, when Hwang Yeon‘s rebellion altered the balance, Zhuge Yu-ryong simply abandoned that game.”

My face contorted in disbelief.

“He abandoned the game? That sounds insane! Why…?”

Mangnyang waved the Ethereal Halo Formation lightly.

“Well, Zhuge Yu-ryong could wait for a new contender to emerge and then regroup, minimizing the risk of exposing himself while still maintaining safety, right?”

“……!!”

“Rather than forcing a losing game to victory, he prefers to create a new opportunity. After all, he is loyal to the Great Ming Empire, not the emperor.”

Mangnyang rambled on.

“His son, Zhuge Bu, rather than confronting Hwang Yeon, decided to negotiate with you, a figure thought to be a power broker. Consider the fact that Zhuge Yu-ryong is behind Zhuge Bu. All those moves were intended as preparations for the future.”

I felt a chill run down my spine as Mangnyang spoke.

‘What… what depth do these strategists foresee?’

Just the thought was terrifying. Had I not rejected the summon of the [Ancient Ruler] and chosen to take my own life, Zhuque would have certainly intervened behind the scenes. Even now, confronting Zhuque was difficult with my improved skills, so at that time, I would have been utterly toyed with. If Zhuque had decided to seize Su-yo, preventing me would have been impossible.

Mangnyang concluded,

“Well, in any case, I’ve always considered assigning Hwang Yeon to Liaodong City. If we want to avoid entanglements with Lee Kwang, it wouldn’t be feasible to place him under Qinglong Martial Guard. Thus, while capturing Zhuge Sa, I made these various arrangements.”

“What kind of arrangements?”

“I met with the Twelve Regulations Headquarters.”

“Gasp!”

I was taken by surprise. Did Mangnyang actually meet with the Twelve Regulations Headquarters?

As I stared at him in shock, Mangnyang smiled broadly.

“I had the chance to indirectly grasp the nature of the Twelve Regulations Headquarters through your previous life. Thus, I felt confident entering negotiations.”

“Is that safe? Did you avoid getting played somehow…?”

“That’s why I specifically took Cheon Woo-jin along. He could whisk me away in case I faced the Three Master. And perhaps due to that, the Twelve Regulations Headquarters took my concerns seriously.”

Mangnyang then continued,

“Thanks to the negotiations, if we send Hwang Yeon to Liaodong City, the Twelve Regulations Headquarters will commit to protecting him. They also promised to assist in keeping the Golden Eagle Guard’s talons away from Hwang Yeon. If Hwang Yeon grows in strength under the implicit protection of the Twelve Regulations, even the emperor wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him. After all, the Twelve Regulations Headquarters practically controls Goryeo, and a misstep could lead to a national war.”

Involving the Twelve Regulations Headquarters!

I was slightly taken aback, realizing I hadn’t considered that angle before. The Twelve Regulations Headquarters were notoriously treacherous and powerful; would it really be wise to involve them? When I questioned this, Mangnyang replied,

“Of course, the Twelve Regulations Headquarters won’t do this for free. By putting Hwang Yeon in the spotlight, I will persuade them on how much they can restrain the Great Ming Empire. Moreover, I have offered the Silver Phoenix Fragment I obtained from the Taekyung Village as payment.”

“Ah!”

Now that I recall, I had given Mangnyang the Silver Phoenix Fragment I had taken from the library in Taekyung Village, thinking it might be of assistance. It seemed he put that to use as collateral in this negotiation with the Twelve Regulations Headquarters.

“So the Twelve Regulations Headquarters accepted that as a trade?”

“It’s not just that. The Silver Phoenix Fragment allowed my previous self to grasp the secrets of the Palace Diagram. It certainly isn’t an ordinary treasure. Hence, I felt confident in presenting it, and it was received well.”

After stating that, Mangnyang continued,

“I believe it’s beneficial to accept the help of the Twelve Regulations Headquarters in this life. That way, we can pull off a grand scheme.”

“Hmm… I shall go with your judgment.”

I wasn’t entirely clear on what Mangnyang meant by his grand scheme. While he might offer an explanation if I inquired, I feared the scale of it could be beyond my comprehension. Nonetheless, trusting Mangnyang because he always made the best plans, I resolved to follow his lead.

Mangnyang stood up.

“Now, let’s handle other matters until the time is ripe.”

“Understood.”

I got up after Mangnyang. From here on, I would use Rising Cloud Technique to return the Dongbang Mu-gyeol group to the Southern Barbarian royal palace, while also placing Hwang Yeon in Liaodong City. Surprisingly, the follow-up went smoothly, especially when I dropped off Hwang Yeon, the Lord of Liaodong City welcomed him eagerly.

“Conversations with the Twelve Regulations Headquarters have gone smoothly. You need not worry; the general shall be treated with utmost consideration.”

Standing beside the Lord of Liaodong City were skilled members of the Twelve Regulations Headquarters already gathered. The proximity to Goryeo made it a crucial influence of the Twelve Regulations Headquarters, and the lord could not defy them.

“Thank you for your diligence.”

Once I had wrapped up the arrangements, I returned to Jinrang Valley, quietly waiting for Jin So-cheong to conclude his training. After all, if Jin So-cheong was set on speaking, I needed to see if he would keep his promise and observe as a friend.

Jin So-cheong arrived on the exact morning of one month.