Chapter 356
Pa-at!
It didn’t take long for me to make my way back to the earthly realm with the help of the bizarre demon after munching on some honey wine. Sure, I skipped past places called the Hungry Ghost Realm and the Asura Realm, but I wasn’t lingering in any spot for more than a moment. In less than a half a moment, I found myself standing in an ordinary mountain area.
“Where is this?”
“This is the back mountain of Jangryeong Valley. Just a little further, and you’ll find my residence.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll just…”
Zhuge Sa grinned.
“Want to guess what your and Mangnyang’s goal is?”
“……”
I was about to use the Golden Lamp to bolt when I stole a glance at Zhuge Sa. He was staring right at me before continuing.
“You offered up the Seven Luminary’s Ritual and got a spirit beast in exchange… But Hyun, that guy, absolutely despised both the Heavenly Realm and the Imperial Palace. For him to have negotiated without a hint of hesitation just shows that your intentions align with his.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“You’re aiming to topple either the Heavenly Realm or the Imperial Palace, aren’t you?”
I replied with a low rumble.
“Thanks for the help, but your involvement is a bit much. If you want to hear about it, you’ll just have to come with me to Jinrang Valley.”
“Heh heh. So now you can ride the Four Great Spirits without a hitch after arriving in the Present Realm? You’d rather not hang out with me, huh?”
“I never said that.”
Zhuge Sa pulled a strange face.
“Do as you please. I’m fine with either side.”
I took a moment to think before responding.
“Let’s go to Jinrang Valley.”
I could’ve shrugged Zhuge Sa off right then and there, but something told me that would be a wrong move. It was an unusually generous offer coming from him, and I suspected he had some ulterior motive. Rather than provoke him recklessly, it’d be better to take him along first and discuss matters with Mangnyang later.
Pa-at!
A little while later, upon using the Golden Lamp, we arrived in Jinrang Valley, and Zhuge Sa frowned.
“Is that the Alhazard’s Lamp? How are you using a demon artifact?”
“This is a Golden Lamp that I accidentally got in Shandong, which has teleportation abilities. I have no idea about its name from the Western Regions.”
“Hmm. So there’s a barrier over Golden Crow Island, preventing you from using the lamp, huh?”
Zhuge Sa continued with some self-satisfied realization.
“Hey, how long have you been using that?”
“Not even a few days.”
“Best not to overdo it.”
“What do you mean?”
Zhuge Sa walked into Jinrang Valley as he spoke.
“Demon artifacts are created through magic, so they tend to perform well. But magic isn’t a system made for humans; it’s specifically for the otherworld. Because of that, traps can sometimes be hidden within.”
“What are you talking about?”
I focused intently on what Zhuge Sa had said, climbing the mountain alongside him.
“Traps? Care to explain?”
“Well, didn’t you know? I’m not really sure, though~”
Zhuge Sa feigned ignorance. I realized he meant that I had to pay a “price” for information. It was in his nature to gloss over sharing information. As I mulled over my options, I said,
“Since I owe you my life, I’ll give you this.”
From my wooden box, I pulled out a box filled with gold bars. I picked out five and handed them to Zhuge Sa. He received them and muttered,
“These are ancient items infused with magic. They seem to be ancient gold bars.”
“What are…”
Zhuge Sa pointed to the back of the gold bar with his finger.
“Look at this. This is a magical pattern that controls the flow of time for objects. With five claws engraved representing the [Old Ruler], they haven’t been damaged even after so long. Am I wrong? No matter how much it’s gold, it usually wears down over time.”
“……”
“What a strange guy. You have so many magical items, yet you know nothing about magic? Hahaha.”
Zhuge Sa tucked the gold bars into his clothes and said,
“Anyway, thanks for the information fee.”
“Now, hurry up and tell me.”
Once Zhuge Sa climbed seven flights of stairs, he began to speak.
“The traps of a demon artifact occur when it’s chargeable.”
“Chargeable?”
“I’ve heard there are items that possess infinite energy, but most have usage limits. Since they were created by demon sorcerers, they have inherent weaknesses.”
“And you mean to say… that there’s a set number of times it can be used?”
“Of course! Once the number of uses is expended, it usually stops working and becomes an ordinary item.”
“But I’ve used this lamp a whole lot after getting it, yet I haven’t felt anything like that.”
True, I had survived for about a decade after acquiring the lamp and used it hundreds of times. However, the lamp never malfunctioned or failed to work and kept performing perfectly. When I objected, Zhuge Sa wore a peculiar grin.
“That lamp was created by a mad demon sorcerer from the Great Food Nation during his later years. Do you know what happened to him? He was eaten by transparent demons in broad daylight.”
“……”
“According to demon sorcerers who are unaware of their limitations, that’s how it goes. To put it differently, he made deals with evil and powerful beings to gain strength. That might explain how he ended up crafting such powerful items. Though I have a different perspective.”
“Get to the point.”
Zhuge Sa chuckled.
“That demon artifact was likely created to achieve a specific goal, and its efficiency might only last until that goal is accomplished.”
“Goal?”
“It sets conditions, and the moment those conditions are met, it could very well devour its owner. But hey, it’s not my problem, so I wouldn’t know.”
“……”
I felt a chill run down my spine.
‘A goal…?’
I had some inkling. The bizarre sight I witnessed when I first used the lamp in that devilish realm! The old ruler sea god’s existence near Goryeo, that evil god’s dwelling, and the scene of Dark Heaven Village flashed back in my mind. This Golden Lamp might serve to repetitively show the user those spots to lead them there.
Was this lamp devised as a trap to lure users to the otherworldly race?
‘But if that’s the case, then why am I unaffected?’
Of course, if such a trap existed, it would have to apply pressure on the user’s mind to drive them insane or to dazzle them. However, aside from the fear I felt when I first got the lamp, I never experienced anything of the sort again. According to Zhuge Sa, the Golden Lamp was indeed some kind of contradictory entity.
While I mulled over that thought, we had entered a hut in Jinrang Valley. Upon searching for Mangnyang, I answered,
“Mangnyang has urgent matters, so he’s in another place. He’ll be back in a few days.”
“Did you deceive me?”
“Absolutely not. Right now, Mangnyang is taking care of his priest, who’s caught a divine fever, so I don’t want to trouble him.”
Perhaps sensing my sincerity, Zhuge Sa chuckled and said,
“So you want me to stay here a few days, is that it?”
“If you don’t want to, you’re free to leave right now.”
“Nah, I want to see my cute little nephew, so I can bear this much, heh heh.”
Zhuge Sa cackled as he plopped down by a nearby well. I watched him with an absent gaze and then asked,
“What about that woman you were with… isn’t she a companion? Shouldn’t you go look for her?”
I desperately wanted to pry out some information regarding the Fengshen War. I could never figure out her identity through any of my past lives.
“What’s with you? Why are you so persistent?”
“I’m worried about her. Golden Crow Island is a formidable demon realm, and I’m concerned about her being alone…”
That made Zhuge Sa burst into laughter, almost as if he found it ridiculous.
“Hahaha!! You’re worried about her? You should be worried about Shicheng instead!”
“……?”
“Forget your worries. She’s not the sort to worry about. If anything, it’s you or me who might need to be concerned.”
“No, I mean what exactly does she do?”
Zhuge Sa scowled.
“You’re really persistent, aren’t you? Not so popular with the ladies?”
“Why is that coming up?”
“Hey, hurry up and answer. Popular or not?”
“……”
I contemplated for a moment.
Had I ever been popular with women?
In my first life, I obviously had zero popularity, and during my reincarnation as CheonAma, I had retained my unfortunate looks, so I had no relationships with any women. Sure, I had encountered many stunning beauties, but aside from Miho, there were no bonds to speak of.
I had rejected sharing a bed with Hwa-ryeon and had turned down Seo Mun-hye as well, but I preferred to gloss over that. On second thought, there were instances when women flocked to me after I got cosmetic surgery, but that didn’t count either since it was just for looks.
“……”
No, this is absurd.
Did I actually have a bit of popularity with women? There seemed to be moments where I could’ve been popular if I wanted to…
Confused, I replied,
“I think I had at least as much as the average person.”
But Zhuge Sa didn’t listen to my answer and suddenly pulled out a watermelon and started cutting it up. It seemed like it came from his own space. As he munched on the watermelon, Zhuge Sa said,
“Huh? What were you saying?”
I was baffled as I growled at him.
“Why are you just casually eating watermelon out of nowhere?”
“Why not? Why are you suddenly prying into my personal life?”
Zhuge Sa mocked me. He clearly didn’t want to discuss anything about Fengshen War. Spitting out a watermelon seed, he added,
“We’re just in a mutually beneficial relationship based on necessity. My advice is, if you want to live long, it’s best not to dig too deeply into her matters. You’ll definitely meet your doom.”
I scoffed.
“That sounds terrifying. But I’m not afraid of the Emperor. Even if she’s the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, I won’t be frightened.”
“The Emperor and the Martial Arts Alliance Leader? They’re not even comparable, haha.”
“What?”
“Anyway, at least tell me her name. It’s Fengshen War.”
“……”
Now, that I already knew!
Zhuge Sa tossed the watermelon’s bottom away.
“I don’t eat the green part. It tastes terrible.”
I was annoyed.
“What a waste! You should eat all of it!”
“What’s the point in eating something that tastes bland? Just go for the sweet stuff.”
“But the blandness has its own subtlety… Wait, why am I even having this ridiculous conversation with you?”
“Forget it, I’m taking a nap. Don’t call for me.”
Swish!
As soon as Zhuge Sa finished speaking, he wrapped himself in a strange scroll and vanished. He likely entered the other space within the scroll. I thought about poking the scroll, but there was no way that the sly Zhuge Sa would leave himself exposed. The chance of falling into a trap or being framed was far too high, so I sighed without touching it.
“He really does whatever he wants.”
Zhuge Sa seemed to provide some help during my past life, but with him acting recklessly now, it seriously dampened any semblance of affection.
A few days later, I went to fetch Mangnyang. Mangnyang was leisurely staying in the village, likely having finished taking care of Cheon Woo-jin. I shared my unexpected journey to Golden Crow Island, where I met Zhuge Sa and Fengshen War.
After hearing my story, Mangnyang replied,
“To subdue Zhuge Sa, we’ll need to take Woo-jin along. But right now, he’s just entered a stable phase after recovering from his divine fever, so we can’t push him too hard.”
“Then we’ll wait for him to get better and…”
“No one knows how long it’ll take to calm the divine fever of several Great Immortals. He could be bedridden for an entire year…”
“What should we do?”
Mangnyang let out a sigh.
“We just have to talk things over with Zhuge Sa.”
