Reincarnation Sword God

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Heavenly Realm

The Treasure of the Suspicious Fishhook!

The fishing hook made and used directly by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors is right in my hands! And as I listened to Mangnyang’s words, my determination to annihilate the Namgung Clan in this life became stronger than ever. If I destroy the Namgung Clan, the fishhook comes as a bonus!

So I casually posed a question to Namgung Myeong.

“Now, it may be too late to ask, but considering you and Namgung Hwan were kidnapped, the fact that someone brought out the Suspicious Fishhook implies at least Namgung Palgyeom was aware of its identity and whereabouts, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Such an important artifact, did Namgung Palgyeom trust someone?”

“……”

As Namgung Myeong fell silent, Mangnyang chimed in.

“More than trust, it seems he had no reason to worry.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Suspicious Fishhook, even if someone knows its secrets, doesn’t pack much power on its own. Whether it’s purification ability or communication ability, it’s not something that can be directly useful in the Jianghu. However, in situations where someone is kidnapped or when scouting important targets, the Suspicious Fishhook allows for communication. For example, in a situation like now, where the clan head has been kidnapped, Namgung Palgyeom would likely try to use the Suspicious Fishhook to reach out…”

“In other words, the fishhook requires companions to be effective.”

“Exactly.”

“But inside the Void Space, the Suspicious Fishhook‘s communication wouldn’t work.”

I understood Mangnyang’s explanation. Looking at Namgung Myeong, who seemed utterly clueless, it was hard to believe he had received any communications from Namgung Palgyeom. The time-distorted void must have even blocked the artifact of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Mangnyang continued,

“The Suspicious Fishhook represents everything to our family. You’ve taken so much already; isn’t that enough?”

“Where did you usually keep the Suspicious Fishhook?”

“It was stored in the Star Hall using a mechanical device.”

“First, tell me the location.”

After learning the location of the Star Hall from Namgung Myeong, I headed to the abandoned Namgung Clan building to check it out myself. As I pulled a small handle, the mechanism made a cureung sound and opened.

“Hmm!”

Indeed, a space existed that could fit four or five adult men, where the Suspicious Fishhook was likely kept. Standing in the empty Star Hall, I couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.

‘From now on, I’ll be able to grab the Suspicious Fishhook directly from the Namgung Clan.’

Once I’ve visited a place once, I can teleport there next time. With that thought, I returned to Jinrang Valley in a cheerful mood, and I proceeded to question Namgung Myeong further.

“Is it just you, Namgung Hwan, and Namgung Palgyeom who know the secrets of the Suspicious Fishhook? Don’t think of lying, as I plan to interrogate all the Namgung Clan folks.”

“That’s all. I swear. Who would divulge such secrets to anyone outside?”

“Hmmm…”

Hearing this, Mangnyang stepped forward and interjected,

“Forget the Suspicious Fishhook; tell us where the Emperor Sword Technique and other martial arts secrets of the Namgung Clan are located!”

“Guh!”

Namgung Myeong gasped in shock but soon seemed to brace himself, saying,

“We pass down our knowledge through oral tradition, so we don’t keep any written records of such techniques.”

“Oh? You’re trying to be clever. If I find the secret techniques, I’ll dispose of you immediately, but if you claim it’s oral tradition, perhaps you think you might live a little longer?”

Mangnyang snorted and continued,

“Don’t deceive yourself. Your life is worth the same.”

“……”

“Or I could torture your son to get the information.”

At that, Namgung Myeong quickly exclaimed,

“Hwan doesn’t know any techniques yet since his martial arts level is still low. I’ll tell you.”

“Ah, torturing your son in front of you might be amusing.”

With that, Mangnyang grabbed the fainted Namgung Hwan and propped him up on a chair. Namgung Myeong’s eyes widened in horror as Mangnyang infused energy into Namgung Hwan’s eyes while speaking.

“I’m sure there’s something like hidden techniques. I’d wager even a single eyeball from Namgung Hwan is worth that secret.”

“Ugh.”

“I’ll count to three.”

Namgung Myeong agonized over the situation, and as Mangnyang began counting to two, he shouted,

“The secret techniques are held by Namgung Jo in Ezhou! He’s my uncle!”

As Mangnyang’s hand froze, about to gouge out Namgung Hwan’s eye, he glanced back curiously.

“Namgung Jo? I haven’t heard of him. What’s his nickname in the Jianghu?”

“……”

“Are you deliberately being obtuse?”

Peh!

Mangnyang muttered under his breath, tightening his grip on Namgung Hwan’s shoulder. Blood erupted from his shoulder, and Namgung Hwan awoke, screaming.

“AAAAAAAH!! Ugh… Father!!”

“Would you like to see your son’s arm ripped off?”

“Ugh… I’ll talk! I’ll talk, just please…!”

Namgung Myeong shouted in a frenzy.

“Jo has been known as the Shadowless Sword Emperor in the Jianghu! Is that enough?”

“……!!”

Gasp!

“That person is from the Namgung Clan?”

At that moment, not only Mangnyang but also Jin So-cheong, who had been quiet, jumped up in surprise. Especially Jin So-cheong looked incredibly astonished.

“Impossible…”

I tilted my head in confusion, not fully understanding the significance of the name. So I turned to Mangnyang and asked,

“Mangnyang, who is the Shadowless Sword Emperor?”

Mangnyang stood dazed for a moment before regaining his composure.

“He was a peerless expert from over a hundred years ago. But I never imagined he would be from the Namgung Clan.”

“He must have been remarkable. But why the surprise?”

“Well… he was known as the World’s Number One Swordsman at the time.”

“……”

World’s Number One Swordsman!

It sounded simple but had an electrifying weight to it in the Jianghu. It meant being recognized as the strongest swordsman in a vast land filled with exceptional talents and reclusive experts, often putting a target on your back the very next day. Yet he survived, gaining worldwide fame, so anyone possessing such a title was undoubtedly impressive.

Mangnyang continued.

“You may not know this if you’re only concerned with the present Jianghu, but if you delve deeper, you’ll at least hear of the Shadowless Sword Emperor. He was a figure from a hundred years ago, a Correct and Neutral Sect master whose face was hardly recognized, yet his abilities were said to rival that of the White Lotus Sect’s leader. It was said there was no one in the Correct and Neutral Sect who could handle him with a sword, making him a living legend.”

“A White Lotus Sect leader… that’s hard to believe considering how monstrous he is.”

“Well, yes.”

“More importantly, over a hundred years ago, he must still be the same current leader of the White Lotus Sect, right?”

“That’s likely.”

Thinking about Dokgo Seong, who was already nearing old age during the Great Thunder’ incident, it’s plausible that he could be at least in his eighties or nineties today. If Dokgo Seong was calling him uncle, it means the current leader of the White Lotus Sect is likely to be the same as back then. Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I turned to Namgung Myeong.

“If the Shadowless Sword Emperor is your clan’s Namgung Jo, shouldn’t Namgung Palgyeom have called on him with the Suspicious Fishhook? During a time of crisis for the clan, he should have been required to step in. But it appears there was no sign of such a profound master.”

“Even if summoned, he likely wouldn’t have come. He severed ties with the Namgung Clan.”

“The Shadowless Sword Emperor cut ties with the Namgung Clan? Why?”

Namgung Myeong hesitated before replying.

“He felt discontent with the family’s policies. So, he completely withdrew from Jianghu activities for almost eighty years, living as a hermit.”

“Hmm. He must have abandoned the clan’s honor to live as a recluse, huh?”

“His name is Seoljo. He works as a blacksmith in a small village.”

The Shadowless Sword Emperor appeared to have opposed the Namgung Clan’s harsh expansion policies. Nodding thoughtfully, I continued,

“All right. But why did the Shadowless Sword Emperor take the martial arts secrets of the Namgung Clan with him?”

“He said we didn’t deserve to possess them. So, until a person capable of fully achieving the Emperor Sword Technique arises, he would take care of them.”

“I see.”

What Namgung Myeong said about passing down knowledge orally wasn’t a lie. If the past masters didn’t view them favorably, they probably saw it as blasphemous to even write down the secrets. So I decided to ask the crucial question,

“What are the contents of the secrets the Shadowless Sword Emperor possesses? Are they related to the Emperor Sword Technique?”

“Some are, but it also includes practical techniques of the Namgung Clan and sword techniques that only my uncle learned.”

“So it also holds his personal sword technique.”

Mangnyang scoffed coldly.

“That sounds like an attempt to deflect our attention. Are you trying to set us against the Shadowless Sword Emperor?”

“……”

“Baek Woong, that’s enough. Let’s start dealing with these people.”

“Understood.”

Realizing the time had come, I stepped closer to Namgung Myeong. He seemed to anticipate the outcome and clenched his teeth.

“You cowards! You promised to spare us, but you’re breaking your word!”

“We aren’t killing you. You and Namgung Hwan will be thrown to the victims and their families in this state.”

“Kheuhuh… Is that really the same?”

Namgung Myeong let out a hollow laugh, tears streaming down his face.

“Yes, my son and I are doomed. But who do you think you are, assuming the mantle of justice to judge us? Do you think you have the right to presume to act as Heaven’s emissaries?”

“……”

Upon reflection, it was indeed tragic for Namgung Myeong, who was caught in a storm overnight, facing such doom as a once-renowned swordsman. But because of his misdeeds, there was no chance of sparing him. While I hesitated, Jin So-cheong suggested to me,

“Baek Woong, let’s give him a clean death.”

“What do you mean? We must execute him in a disgraceful manner as planned…”

“Just let this slide this time. The outcome will be the same, regardless.”

Jin So-cheong continued after his mutter.

“This Namgung Myeong has provided us with significant information, so he deserves a peaceful death. But in the next life, he won’t get such a chance. He can only have this one peaceful demise.”

“Hmm…”

I began to understand what Jin So-cheong meant. I would continuously annihilate the Namgung Clan and destroy them, likely multiple times in the future. As I reincarnated, the Namgung Clan might face their demise just as many times. Given that I would no longer find any useful information and they would be rendered useless, they wouldn’t even deserve the chance to plead for mercy. Thus, giving them a single opportunity for a peaceful death seemed to be Jin So-cheong’s suggestion.

But I remained unconvinced.

“That perspective is yours, Jin So-cheong.”

“……”

“I’m the one reincarnating. Even if I inherit memories indirectly, you are not Jin So-cheong from the past. Your life only happens once.”

I sighed.

“Right now, the one feeling the most furious at the Namgung Clan is you. After simply letting this chance go, can you really contain yourself? Is it possible to endure that?”

“Of course.”

With calm eyes, Jin So-cheong replied,

“Namgung Myeong treated me kindly when I visited the Namgung Clan in the past. I consider it a debt repaid.”

“If that’s how you feel… I understand.”

I glanced at Mangnyang, who shrugged.

“No objections. Do as you wish.”

“Understood.”

Swish!

A moment later, Namgung Myeong’s head rolled off from my sword strike. Having reached the level of a master, I made sure it was as clean as possible to avoid pain.

Namgung Hwan, writhing in agony, sat there in shock as he witnessed his father’s beheading.

“Father!!! Aaaaah!!”

Though they had committed heinous acts, it still tugged at my heartstrings to kill a parent before their child’s eyes. But recalling the monstrous deeds of the Namgung Clan, I spoke slowly,

“Don’t get angry. Soon, you’ll envy your father.”

“AHHHHH!! I’ll kill you! I’ll…”

“Shut up.”

I grabbed him by the hair and suppressed his blood, knocking him out. Then I headed to Shadowless Gate, where the survivors were being protected, to explain the situation to the Sword Demon. He readily agreed,

“Leave him be. I shall recruit someone to tear Namgung Hwan into thousands of pieces.”

“Thank you.”

“Sounds like a fun task.”

Once I wrapped up with Namgung Hwan, I returned to Jinrang Valley. Finally feeling the aftermath of the Namgung Clan dealings settle, I stretched and remarked,

“Now we just need to seek out the Shadowless Sword Emperor?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

Mangnyang shook his head.

“Leave that for your next life. It’s too dangerous right now.”

“Hmm. Should I…?”

“Even if he has cut ties with the Namgung Clan and turns a blind eye to their downfall, once Namgung Hwan faces the death penalty, he won’t be able to stay calm. There’s a possibility that he might engage in battle with the former World’s Number One Swordsman, filled with rage.”

“……”

That’s true. I had underestimated the Namgung Clan. The Shadowless Sword Emperor could very well be a tremendous expert, possibly stronger than all of Namgung Clan combined. Facing someone like that would be quite the burden. Following Mangnyang, Jin So-cheong also added,

“If we’re talking about the Shadowless Sword Emperor, he might have already reached the next realm. I wouldn’t want to encounter him until I become significantly stronger.”

“The next realm?”

“I believe his retreat with the Namgung Clan’s secrets was to avoid forgetting the foundation of martial arts. That alone shows he is a top-level expert in the Central Plains.”

If even Jin So-cheong was warning against it, it would indeed be unwise to proceed.

‘Seoljo, the blacksmith residing in Da Zhou.’

It seems I should remember that name.

Then Mangnyang stated,

“The matters regarding the Namgung Clan are wrapped up for now. The next task we need to tackle is one.”

“Are you talking about the White Lotus Sect?”

“Exactly.”

Nodding, Mangnyang declared,

“It’s time to infiltrate the White Lotus Sect.”