992——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I couldn’t help but be surprised by Zhuge Yulong’s words.

“Mr. Gong Sun!”

This was something I could only have known when I saw Yeodong-bin’s memories from over a thousand years ago. When the young Yeodong-bin visited the Tomb of the Overlord, Gong Sun Byeok, the head of the Sagong Clan, appeared. Later, he became a public figure in Jianghu, only to see his clan utterly destroyed. If it were just that, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but the issue was that the Sagong Clan had inherited the Xuanyuan Sword for generations.

Because of this, the Divine Thief was also known to have teamed up with Gong Sun Byeok back then. Ultimately, after I directly contacted the soul of Gong Sun Byeok, I learned that the original Xuanyuan Sword had gone missing and that his descendants had scattered far and wide.

‘But why is Mr. Gong Sun here…?’

I had already heard from the Divine Thief that the “Xuanyuan Sword” was a fake. So, there was no reason for me to keep dealing with the Sagong Clan, which lost even the fake sword. But what does it mean that Sagong Lin is Mr. Gong Sun?

Not understanding, I spoke to Zhuge Yulong.

“Sagong Lin is Sagong Clan. The Sagong Clan is a legitimate surname that can be found all over the world, so why is she being referred to as a Gong Sun?”

“……”

“And what do you mean by her preparations for the end?”

After my barrage of questions, Zhuge Yulong fell silent for a moment before finally replying.

“Actually, I’ve been troubled ever since I received the obsidian.”

“……?”

“No matter how much you claim to be a Reborn Person, what you say seems completely out of place for me, who lives in the current world. If it hadn’t been for the genuine feeling embedded in the obsidian, I would have betrayed you long ago. But the information pouring in is such that I can’t help but remain logical about your existence. If I deny the rational conclusion, I cannot claim to be a descendant of Zhuge Mu-hu. Even so…”

He sighed.

“To tell you all the secrets means that the likelihood of you treating me poorly will only increase as we delve into your previous life. That’s why I’ve been hesitant to reveal all my cards.”

I shook my head.

“What do you mean, treating you poorly? I wouldn’t do that.”

“You don’t have to say empty words. Those who lack ability and talent have already been cast aside from your side, and our comrades have been organized for maximum efficiency. From the perspective of a Reborn Person, it’s impossible to treat all your past comrades equally. In fact, the mere existence of comrades for a Reborn Person could be strange to begin with…”

“……”

“If I were to reveal all my secrets, it would become mere memories absorbed into your obsidian. From that point on, I would merely be a subordinate at your service. It’s not just me; others would likely think the same at least once.”

“Um… I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. It’s simply that your path has been too thorny for me to consider these trivial issues. When struggling with the gods, who has the leisure to voice complaints? Everyone else would have felt the same way…”

Zhuge Yulong continued.

“However, Hyun and Sa have already trusted you enough to disclose the most critical secrets and visions. If they trust you that much, then I see no reason to hide anything further. Therefore, I’ve decided to disclose a significant clue regarding your previous life today.”

“… Thank you.”

“The story goes back to the time when Jin Cheon-hwi died…”

Zhuge Yulong glanced at the sleeping Sagong Lin and continued.

“Decades ago, I resolved to abandon the Great Ming Empire to save the fate of humanity facing the end, as agreed upon with Jin Cheon-hwi. However, I realized there was a significant flaw in that plan.”

“Flaw?”

“I could easily become a Priest of ‘Darkness’ as planned and could use alchemy and demonic rituals to aim for the Portrait Immortal, even teaming up with the Eight Parts of the Divine to build a Great Force. But I didn’t possess the strength needed to truly contend with the powerful gods of this world.”

“……”

“You’ve probably felt it too. Among the leaders of the Three Great Forces, I, Zhuge Yulong, possess the weakest raw strength… But I thought it was pointless to rectify this through my own efforts, so I didn’t put much into becoming stronger. That’s why, by the time your reincarnation started, I had no choice but to be the weakest.”

“Pointless, you say?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Zhuge Yulong, you’re a genius, right? Plus, if you set your mind to it, you could have achieved immortality. If you had continued to strive, wouldn’t you have been stronger than the Immortal?”

“Perhaps. However, the outcome is quite predetermined.”

Zhuge Yulong spoke with a cold look in his eyes.

“No matter how hard I try, I could never surpass the strength of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who attained Apostle-level strength in your 19th reincarnation. In fact, it was doubtful I could become that strong… Moreover, even if I desperately increased my strength, I would ultimately still fall short of the true power of the ‘Old Ruler’ or their direct celestial beings. Isn’t that right?”

“… That’s true.”

“There’s a limit for pure humans. From a human perspective, I may be called a genius and a unicorn, but in the end, I’m just a lower species. Since I was well-acquainted with the knowledge of ‘Darkness,’ I could quickly give up.”

“But the Master of the White Lotus Sect is trying to do that.”

“That’s because he is a direct descendant of the Reborn Person, Master Dharma. Such a path wasn’t visible to me back then, nor was it presented as an option.”

“Um.”

“Remember that the Master of the White Lotus Sect is a particularly unique case among human demon sorcerers.”

After saying that, Zhuge Yulong took a sip of tea and continued.

“A human cannot grow stronger beyond a certain point. So, the only option is to borrow the bloodline of the gods. And that too, the strongest bloodline.”

“Wait…”

“Yes. I thought that among the Three Sovereigns, the strongest would be Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen. And I believed that his bloodline would exist as a legacy left on earth after uniting with humans in the Divine Age. Therefore, while operating as a Priest of Darkness, I sought out the bloodline of the Emperor through my role as the Old Sage of Mount Tai.”

He grabbed Sagong Lin’s wrist.

“As a result, I discovered that among the current Sagong Clan, the Sagong Escort Agency itself is the true descendant of the Gong Sun Clan that perished a thousand years ago…”

“How did you find that out?”

“It was simple. I scoured all ancient texts and investigated the records of Jianghu without missing a single character from over a thousand years ago. And I discovered that 350 years ago, the descendants of the Gong Sun Clan had indeed transformed into the Sagong Clan.”

“Um.”

So that’s how it happened.

‘So you thought the bloodline of the Gong Sun Clan contained the power of Gong Sun Xuanwen, trying to secure divine strength…’

Up to this point, I could understand Zhuge Yulong’s actions. I nodded slowly and said,

“…But Sagong Lin is just an ordinary human. Not just Sagong Lin, but her brother and her father, the head of the Sagong Escort Agency, are ordinary humans too. They’re so weak they can’t even stand up to Yong Junil from the Huashan Sect. How can they be called a bloodline of the gods?”

“True. As you said, the Sagong Clan is unusually weak in martial arts for being descendants of the Gong Sun Clan. They had even lost the sword technique that symbolizes them.”

Zhuge Yulong muttered bitterly.

“That’s why I, as the Old Sage of Mount Tai, undertook another task. That was to find the Gongsun Sword Technique.”

“Gongsun Sword Technique?”

“You might not know it, but there’s a legend about the Gongsun Sword Technique in Jianghu that has circulated since ancient times. The legendary female master, Gongsun Da-rang’s unparalleled swordsmanship was said to be preserved somewhere in the form of a sword manual.”

“Wait a minute. That sounds familiar.”

I struggled to recall and then suddenly said,

“Gongsun Da-rang was a person from the Tang Dynasty, right? That means it was before the Gong Sun Clan was exterminated.”

“Exactly. Gongsun Da-rang lived about two or three generations before Gong Sun Byeok. She would have been his great-grand aunt.”

“Whoa…”

“She was once called the number one beauty in the world, leaving the Gong Sun Clan and establishing the Sword Clan through her own strength. Because of that, the main family of the Gong Sun Clan has been pursued by Jianghu for a thousand years and lost the Gongsun Sword Technique. However, a contradiction arose because Gongsun Da-rang’s sword manual, having severed relations with the main family, still remained and continued on.”

“……”

“Anyway, after searching for several years, I finally found the Gongsun Sword Technique… And I taught it to Sagong Lin, making her my disciple to pass on the Gongsun Swordplay. But…”

“But?”

Zhuge Yulong suddenly let go of Sagong Lin’s hand and said flatly.

“There was no change at all.”

“Huh?”

“I didn’t teach Sagong Lin the Gongsun Swordplay because I wanted to raise her as a master of Jianghu. I hoped that a descendant of the Emperor having the Gongsun Swordplay would unleash divine powers. However, as you know, Sagong Lin failed to exhibit any extraordinary powers…”

“……”

“The reason why, at the time of your reincarnation, the head of the Imperial Palace, Zhuge Yulong, didn’t take Sagong Lin with him was simple: it was a failed plan. Even when Wind Spirit Sect’s Yong Junil was using the Huashan Sect to threaten the Sagong Clan, he only cautioned not to go too far.”

So, it all amounts to nothing.

Listening to Zhuge Yulong’s words, I felt a sense of despair.

“… So, it’s meaningless, then. Sagong Lin isn’t a blood of the gods, and you can just say the plan failed in one sentence.”

“Because of your obsidian, I realized that wasn’t the case.”

“What?”

“Baek Woong. Do you remember your life after being missing for 50 years? It was your 23rd life.”

“… Of course.”

I certainly remember. My expression turned complicated as Zhuge Yulong continued.

“When you returned, do you recall the report from the current king, Yeon Jong-hwi?”

“He briefed me on the events during those 50 years and the report he conducted on the Ten Great Masters.”

“Try to recall well what was said about the Heavenly Demon.”

“Um…”

Heavenly Demon?

I pondered deeply to remember what had been said.

[ The entity known as the Heavenly Demon is presumed to be fighting alone against the Nine Lotus Sect.]

[ For some reason, the sorcery and magic of the Nine Lotus Sect have no effect on the Heavenly Demon. Moreover, it has been reported that each time he kills a member of the Nine Lotus Sect, his power increases. In fact… he even devoured a bishop to defeat him.]

[ There are rumors that no form of magic has any effect on him.]

[ The intel on his identity showed that his surname is Gong Sun, nothing more.]

[ His skill is… undoubtedly at an absolute realm. I observed him from a distance, but he was incredibly powerful.]

At that moment, I gasped.

“Wait, could it be…”

“Yes. That’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

Zhuge Yulong threw a sharp gaze at Sagong Lin, who was snoozing on the table.

“I believe it’s highly likely that the Heavenly Demon, who will emerge 50 years later, is Sagong Lin, or rather, Gong Sun Lin.”

“… That’s impossible. No, wait.”

I took a moment to collect my scattered thoughts and said,

“If your words are true, then if Sagong Lin awakens her powers from the blood of the Emperor in 50 years, it means she will gain abilities that no magic or sorcery can counter, and she’ll grow stronger by killing demons…”

Moreover, the fact that she could even devour a bishop from the Nine Lotus Sect means her resistance to magic is absolute. As I contemplated, Zhuge Yulong spoke.

“So I have a proposal for you, Baek Woong.”

“What is it?”

“As of now, we don’t know what will trigger Sagong Lin’s awakening. Thus, we only have the option to artificially provoke her power. The only one capable of doing that is your Spirit Power.”

“……!!”

I frowned at Zhuge Yulong’s words.

“You mean to inject my Spirit Power into Sagong Lin like you did with Seo Mun-hye?”

“Exactly. Spirit Power is divine power, so it should have a considerable impact.”

“Damnit… Spirit Power isn’t stable like Qi Techniques. While you can try moving it through the Eight Extraordinary Vessels, if an ordinary human receives Spirit Power, their blood and flesh will turn white and freeze immediately! If Seo Mun-hye wasn’t of divine blood, she would have died long ago, and now you want me to do this to Sagong Lin?!”

I shouted at Zhuge Yulong. Injecting Spirit Power into someone else was extremely dangerous and could not be done on an ordinary human. Especially now that I was without Heuk Woong, I had no way to control it and was left to chance, and they wanted me to do this to Sagong Lin?!

As I got angry, Zhuge Yulong responded.

“Then next life, try another method. Isn’t it simple?”

“… What?”

“You could also use the Black Medallion to resurrect the dead Sagong Lin. The key is to unleash the powers of the gods, so you’d have no qualms about using the Black Medallion.”

“……..”

I felt utterly baffled as if my mind had frozen.

‘This guy… considers Sagong Lin’s life to be of no importance.’

From her perspective, she would be unexpectedly attacked and killed after being called by the Emperor she trusted. Yet, Zhuge Yulong appeared as if he felt no guilt whatsoever. I clenched my teeth and said,

“Thank you for the information. But I won’t do that.”

“Why not? Are you in such a comfortable position? If by some chance you could take on the Heavenly Demon’s powers, you might survive the onslaught of Dongyoung Martial Artist, whom you fear the most. This is no time to be picky.”

“Shut up!! I will absolutely not do it.”

I abruptly turned my head and stepped out of the room.

‘Damn it…’

It is true that I obtained a huge clue. As Zhuge Yulong suggested, there is a need to test Spirit Power on Sagong Lin, but I couldn’t bear the thought of her being sacrificed. When I walked outside, Mangnyang was waiting for me.

“Baek Woong.”

“Mangnyang. Did you know too?”

He faintly nodded his head.

“The people of Zhuge Clan likely all had their suspicions that Sagong Lin might be the Heavenly Demon. But it was just a matter of letting her master, Zhuge Yulong, tell her.”

“I can’t force Sagong Lin into sacrifice. I will let it go.”

“You don’t need to refuse arbitrarily like that, Baek Woong. There are two options.”

“Two options?”

Mangnyang nodded his head.

“The first is to give Sagong Lin obsidian as well, drawing her into your reincarnated comrades. After fully explaining all the dangers, you inject Spirit Power into her. If she chooses her own death willingly, then that’s different, right?”

“… That, that’s.”

“The second is for you to hurry and gather Spirit Power to regenerate Heuk Woong. Once he is revived, you can skillfully control Spirit Power without harming Sagong Lin’s body.”

“I’m not in a position to do that right now.”

“That might be true. But, Baek Woong.”

He looked at me with a sorrowful gaze and said,

“If you postpone this choice to the next life, you’ll only wander again in the same dilemma… Remember that the countless lives wasted because you kept delaying similar choices don’t deserve to die.”

“……!!”

I felt like I had been stabbed in the gut. It hit me so hard that I grunted instinctively. The strangely uncomfortable sense of my heart was instantly soothed by Mangnyang’s brutal truth. I hesitated and replied,

“Bu-but, since the Twelve Joules provoked first…”

“Then just select your elite troops to defend and suddenly strike at the base of the Twelve Joules and take that person’s head. Or you could use the Black Medallion to wipe out their lives. However, you opted to confront the provocation of the Twelve Joules head-on.”

“……”

“Of course, we are advisors, so we respect your decisions unconditionally. Your choice certainly has valid reasons, allowing us to devise strategies accordingly. Because you are our unwavering lord and king… Even if the path you tread is a road of blood and slaughter, we will accompany you until the end. But!!”

Mangnyang spoke with intensity.

“The reason a king walks that path is due to their convictions. Those convictions must not be rashly weighted and should possess at least a modicum of fairness, while firmly shaking off any self-contradiction. Only then can you discuss the ‘Way of Kings’.”

“……”

“This is not merely a matter of good and evil. If you blindly dispense kindness without a plan, creating non-rational hierarchies of life and death, the other comrades will lose faith in you as their leader.”

I strangely felt I could understand Mangnyang’s words.

After reflecting, I said,

“I see now. I realize I was thinking incorrectly.”

“What are your intentions?”

“I will go with the first option you proposed.”

“So you’ll give Sagong Lin the obsidian.”

“That’s right. But I will not force her to accept Spirit Power and will first nurture her to the absolute realm.”

At my words, Mangnyang folded his fan open.

“That’s understandable, but don’t you feel sorry for the soldiers who will die as you carry out your commands in this war?”

“Of course, I feel sorry. What I’m doing is a capital offense. But…”

I suddenly sparkled with determination.

“Now that I’ve made my choice, I won’t hesitate. It’s my duty to end this war as quickly as possible, or to stop it if the sacrifices become too great.”

“Good.”

Mangnyang smirked.

“That’s all that matters. When you fall into the flames of hell, I will go with you.”

“Mangnyang…”

I realized how immature I had been by his words.

‘I might have underestimated the weight of war.’

Waging war means entangling many lives into it. And no matter how just the reasons for that war might be, it ultimately results in some dying. Moreover, the other advisors who assist me in devising strategies and governing the nation also bear that burden, making it a profound sin in itself.

“……”

However, even so, there’s no way to turn back a war that has already begun. I didn’t start this venture without the resolve to see it through.

‘What I must do is… one day, destroy the Ten Thousand Gods and save all their souls.’

The task appointed to me by Dharma.

To achieve true peace that even the Outer Gods cannot escape!

If I can accomplish that, I will provide myself with a chance to reflect on the countless wrongs I’ve committed. I can only ask forgiveness for the current sacrifices on behalf of the suffering humans.

Eventually, I awakened Sagong Lin and passed her the obsidian. After gaining all her memories, she said,

“Your Majesty. Please inject Spirit Power into me. I believe it is worth sacrificing my life for.”

“……”

“But in return, I would like to request one price.”

“Price?”

Then, Sagong Lin said with calm eyes.

“Starting from the next life, please allow me to strike Zhuge Yulong whenever I want. If you grant me this, I will serve you loyally for eternity.”

“……!! Must it be so?”

“You may also inquire with him for permission.”

Having come this far, there was no choice. I called Zhuge Yulong to ask whether I could allow Sagong Lin to strike him as she wished, and surprisingly, he nodded his head readily.

“That’s fine.”

“……”

“It’s quite a bargain for gaining the Heavenly Demon.”

He showed no emotional reaction even with his life on the line.

‘If he agreed, then there’s no other choice.’

I never expected to formalize a contract to permit slaughter among comrades. I reluctantly nodded.

“Alright, Sagong Lin. Even if you want to strike Zhuge Yulong, I will ensure not to stop you in the next lives.”