Reincarnation Sword God

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Heavenly Realm

“What?!”

Mangnyang bellowed as he aimed the Seven Fires, Seven Golds Line at them.

“Jin So-cheong showed immense mercy that day! He could have wiped you all out and annihilated your clan. All he did was punish those who committed harm. So, you could have just elected a new clan leader, changed your name, and avoided total disgrace. Your reputation among the Five Great Families might have taken a hit, but you could have at least escaped being marginalized among the martial artists of Anhui Province.”

“……”

“Despite all the warnings, you simply moved your base and shamelessly cling to the Namgung Clan! It’s as if you gathered a bunch of idiots who can’t grasp reality or have underestimated Jin So-cheong. It was your choice to inherit the Namgung Clan’s infamy.”

“W-well…”

“If you want, I could wipe out your family members right now.”

With that cold remark, the Namgung Clan experts became as silent as a mouse. They realized that Mangnyang’s words were not just mere threats but were sincere. Just as Mangnyang was about to press further, Jin So-cheong waved his hand.

“Mangnyang, that’s enough. They’ve understood.”

“Hmm…”

“Though the situation has come to this, they should now know that all paths for outside help are blocked. Yong Junil will try even harder to obliterate you now that he’s involved.”

“……”

“If the Wind Spirit Sect sets its mind to it, even the peak days of the Namgung Clan would struggle. Right now, there are no options left.”

One of the Namgung Clan experts spoke up as if resigned.

“What do you want us to do?”

“Tell me what deal you were trying to make just now and who the Namgung Clan was trying to connect with. If you share that, I’ll help you start anew.”

“A new start…?”

“Just as Mangnyang said, change your name and start from scratch.”

The two Namgung Clan experts exchanged glances. After a moment of deep contemplation, they spoke up.

“If we tell you, can you guarantee our family members will be kept safe?”

Jin So-cheong asserted confidently, “Of course. I will make sure neither the Wind Spirit Sect nor any other martial forces lay a finger on you.”

“Understood…”

Eventually, they spilled the beans about the deal. The deal was that the Namgung Clan planned to bring out their family treasure as a last-ditch effort to trade with the Wind Spirit Sect. Given the immense power of Wind Spirit Sect’s martial arts, they thought they could shake off outside interference and make a comeback. Therefore, they arranged to meet with Yong Junil, the representative of the Wind Spirit Sect, near the Yangtze River.

Listening quietly, Mangnyang asked, “Where is this treasure?”

“It’s with the Lord of the Sky Hall.”

“Lord of the Sky Hall?”

At Mangnyang’s inquiry, the expert pointed silently at the corpse lying on the ground—the one who died first at the hands of Yong Junil and was still standing in death. He was likely the head of the Sky Team, the most powerful organization in the Namgung Clan.

‘No wonder everyone here seems somewhat formidable.’

The five Namgung Clan experts present were all near-elder level, which naturally upped the average skill level. Yet now, three were down, leaving a gloomy outlook ahead.

With a nod from Mangnyang, I searched through the Lord of the Sky Hall’s robes. Since I had to obtain the treasure anyway, it was better if I searched for it myself. Deep in the folds, I found a large fishing hook wrapped in silver cloth.

“A fishing hook?”

It was white.

I tilted my head, fiddling with the white fishing hook. It didn’t seem particularly special in material; it was carved from wood, but the unique feature was that the upper part was encrusted with bright white gems.

“What kind of treasure is this?”

“… We don’t know either.”

“Hmmm. Could it be that Yong Junil was unaware that you were going to bring this treasure?”

If he had known, he would surely have learned about the treasure’s purpose before trying to kill them.

Then, the Namgung Clan expert replied with a horrified expression, “That’s likely. The Lord aimed first to gauge his intentions before discussing the conditions for the secret transaction…”

Looking at Jin So-cheong, he nodded in agreement. It seemed in line with what Jin So-cheong had gathered through the reading of lips. Mangnyang smirked.

“He overthought it and got himself in deep trouble. Since he didn’t mention the treasure, Yong Junil likely decided to kill first and gather information later.”

Mangnyang then turned to Jin So-cheong and me, “The plan has suddenly changed. Since we’re at it, let’s negotiate directly with the Namgung Clan.”

We immediately used the Rising Cloud Technique to move to the Namgung Clan. Once there, we returned the two surviving members and urged them to change their name and start anew, threatening to kill them if they resisted. As expected, the surviving Namgung Clan members were left with no choice but to comply. After all, survival was their first priority.

Namgung Min spoke up, seemingly resigned, “Have the clan head and the young master succumbed?”

“Not yet. But you won’t see them again.”

“……”

She whimpered, “Just return their bodies to us. Even if they were lowly men, do we need to further humiliate them after death?”

Both Jin So-cheong and I felt a bit softhearted at that. After all, the Sword King Namgung Myeong and Namgung Hwan were alive within my Pocket Dimension, and I could kill them any moment. Still, hearing this plea tugged at our hearts.

Then, Mangnyang issued a formidable warning.

“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible. They must be punished for their sins.”

“What kind of punishment do you have in mind?”

“I will strip them of their martial arts and then tear them apart limb from limb, while their victims and families will likely chew and burn their body parts.”

“Ugh!”

Namgung Min gasped, widening her eyes in horror, but Mangnyang continued calmly.

“Only by reducing them to mere fragments can we offer minimal comfort to those who were tortured as slaves.”

“Uhhh… Huhuhuh…”

Namgung Min and the other Namgung Clan members collapsed in despair, crying their hearts out. It wasn’t just a handful; many could be seen weeping loudly. In the blink of an eye, their respected clan head and young master faced such vicious fates. Given their ignorance of the situation, it was only natural for them to be in shock. But Mangnyang held his ground and said,

“You may feel wronged. However, it is your fault for failing to notice that they had been acting inhumanely for years. No one was unaware of the Namgung Eight Swords kidnapping dozens of women! Someone must have known, but turned a blind eye since it didn’t concern them!”

“……”

I could sense a few within the crowd flinch at his words. Mangnyang’s voice turned icy.

“Baek Woong, let’s go.”

We returned to the Shadowless Gate to inform the Sword Demon of the changes in our plans. The Sword Demon was unconcerned since, in his view, the demise of the Namgung Clan was inevitable. Once administrative tasks were concluded, I retrieved Namgung Myeong and Namgung Hwan from the Jinrang Valley. I directly crushed their Dantian to seal their martial arts.

Thud! Thud!

“Ugh…”

“Gah…”

The father and son writhed on the ground in pain, but not a single soul looked at them with pity. Neither Mangnyang, Jin So-cheong, nor I offered any sympathy, gazing at them with cold eyes. After a deep breath, I infused Qi into Namgung Myeong to clear his mind.

As his eyes slowly regained clarity, I asked,

“Namgung Myeong, what exactly is this fishing hook?”

“What… Who are you…?”

Namgung Myeong appeared bewildered, likely because time in the Pocket Dimension hardly elapsed. His last memory was of being beaten by Jin So-cheong. I calmly explained,

“The Namgung Clan has been annihilated.”

“……!!”

When he gasped in shock, I calmly recounted everything that transpired. Namgung Myeong shivered on the floor, trembling as he screamed.

“You bastard!! I won’t forgive you!!”

“Won’t forgive me?”

“AAAAAAHHHHH!!”

Namgung Myeong attempted to lunge at me but staggered instead, feeling the oddity in his body. Realization dawned on him as he understood his martial arts were gone, his Dantian shattered. Despair washed over his face. I looked down at him with a deadpan face and said,

“This isn’t the time to be making threats. If you want an easy death, you’d best answer my questions honestly.”

“Wh-What vendetta do you hold against me to commit such heinous acts?!”

“Heinous? Isn’t it just you and your son who have been kidnapping and raping women?”

“Ugh…”

“Last warning. If you don’t answer my questions truthfully, you and your son will die in the most painful way imaginable.”

Having sensed my sincerity in his gaze, Namgung Myeong hesitated. Finally, he stammered,

“If I tell you, will you spare me?”

“I might spare you. Your kid’s life also hangs in the balance.”

“……”

Namgung Myeong bit his lip but saw no other option. He lowered his head in defeat.

“I’ll say anything. I’ll die, but please, spare my son.”

“Hehe.”

I chuckled inwardly.

‘Even this bad guy has some protective instincts for his child.’

It’s not unheard of; I’ve seen village heads dote on their precious offspring. The women abused by these two were treated worse than animals, yet they’d still go out of their way to protect their bloodline. Disgust bubbled within me as I realized that.

“Alright, then.”

I picked up the white fishing hook with my finger and asked Namgung Myeong,

“What is this fishing hook? The Lord of the Sky Hall brought it out claiming it was your clan’s treasure.”

“Th-that is…”

“Hurry and tell me.”

Namgung Myeong hesitated but finally admitted,

“It’s an heirloom left by the first clan leader.”

“An heirloom? What kind?”

“It’s said to have existed before the times of the Xia Dynasty, but I don’t know the details.”

“It must have some special powers or abilities so that you kept it safe.”

“……”

“Tell me what powers this fishing hook contains.”

Namgung Myeong hesitated, as if it were of significant value. Without delay, I drew my sword and pressed it against the neck of Namgung Hwan, who lay bleeding and groaning on the ground.

“You have until I count to three to speak. One, two…”

“It’s called the Shun Yu Gu!!”

Namgung Myeong cried out, desperate to save his son’s life. He explained with a pale face,

“The Shun Yu Gu has the abilities of purification and Thousand Miles Connection.”

“Thousand Miles Connection?”

We exchanged astonished glances, especially with Mangnyang, who looked significantly impacted.

“Is it possible that this is…?”

Namgung Myeong shouted in desperation while I kept the sword against his son’s neck.

“Take the blade away from my son’s neck! Please!”

“Fine. But you need to explain what purification and Thousand Miles Connection are.”

Namgung Myeong‘s veins bulged with tension.

“Everything touched by the Shun Yu Gu becomes purified. All poisons, parasites, and contaminants are instantaneously purified.”

“Does this mean it can neutralize any kind of poison?”

“Of course.”

“Even if it’s the poison of the Four Heavenly Sect?”

Namgung Myeong nodded.

“Records from my clan state that it even neutralized the venom of a thousand-year-old monstrous beast. Although I haven’t attempted any antidote yet, I believe it can.”

“Oh…”

I pretended to pull the sword away but then aimed it back at Namgung Hwan‘s neck. I silently urged him for the explanation about Thousand Miles Connection. Namgung Myeong ground his teeth but reluctantly continued.

“And with the Shun Yu Gu, one can convey their intentions to anyone, regardless of distance.”

“Only convey intentions?”

“No. You can also hear the other party’s response.”

“……!!”

It became clear why Mangnyang had reacted so profoundly just moments ago.

The ability to freely share intentions over vast distances! It was a power no skilled master could replicate. It was also evident that the Namgung Clan didn’t rise to prosperity and reputation by sheer luck.

“What is the usage method…”

Namgung Myeong explained the usage of the Shun Yu Gu in detail for about half a minute. Only after his explanation did I pull the sword away from Namgung Hwan‘s throat.

Listening intently, Mangnyang suggested, “Let’s put it to the test.”

“How?”

“Take me to the southern continent.”

“Understood.”

Vroom!

I used the Rising Cloud Technique to transport Mangnyang to the southern continent’s shores. After returning to the Jinrang Valley, I again sent my will through the Shun Yu Gu.

[Mangnyang, do you read me?]

I remembered to visualize the receiver while sending my intent. Shortly after, Mangnyang’s response came back clear.

[I can hear you.]

[Amazing.]

I brought Mangnyang back to the Central Plain’s Jinrang Valley and looked at the Shun Yu Gu with awe.

The distance from here to the southern continent was at least several thousand li away, if not over ten thousand. Yet I was able to communicate with Mangnyang as if he were right next to me. After all the risky adventures, I’d rarely seen an item with such remarkable capabilities as the Shun Yu Gu.

Mangnyang then said, “Baek Woong, this is not a magical item.”

“Huh? Not a magical item…?”

I had assumed the Shun Yu Gu was indeed a magical relic, akin to magical items like my Pocket Dimension or Rising Cloud Technique. But Mangnyang shook his head firmly.

“There’s a record in ancient texts that goes like this: Emperor Shun once visited a place where farmers had disputes, and he worked the fields, leading to properly plowed furrows within a year. Fishermen along the Yellow River fought over fishing spots, but after Shun fished there for a year, they yielded to him. Although the pottery made by the eastern tribes was of poor quality, after Shun made some, it improved within a year.”

“……?”

I frowned, puzzled by the seemingly unrelated story. But after a moment, its meaning dawned on me, causing me to exclaim in surprise,

“C-could it be…?”

“Exactly!”

Mangnyang held the Shun Yu Gu admiringly in hand.

“This is the fishing hook that Emperor Shun himself used, a supreme treasure crafted and used by none other than Emperor Shun, right alongside the legendary seals of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors!*”

Fixed some character names due to errors in the Chinese characters.