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00442  Dark Heaven Village  ————————————————————————=

[What do you mean? How dare a mere human demand something from the Great Immortal!]

Namgung Se-ga looked like he was about to explode with anger. But I calmly responded.

“I simply want compensation according to the Offering Ceremony.”

[It’s forbidden by the laws of the Celestial Realm to pass on the Great Immortal’s techniques to humans. Such powerful magic disrupts the balance on earth, and that’s against the heavenly laws.]

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the predictable reply.

“In that case, I’ll add more offerings to make up for the shortage.”

[What?]

Namgung Se-ga’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting that. I seized the moment and began pulling out treasures one by one.

“I propose to offer the statue of Jeon Wook and Twin Broadswords first…”

[Hmm…]

“Here, I’ll also present the Yodo Muramasa and various precious metals.”

[…]

Namgung Se-ga appeared to be deep in thought. Then he cleared his throat and spoke.

[Hmm! Isn’t that a little lacking in sincerity…?]

“What?”

Namgung Se-ga turned away, staring at the sky, his hands crossed behind his back.

[Sincerity! If there were a bit more sincerity… I might consider it…]

“……”

Wow… that’s pretty blatant! Is it really okay for the Great Immortal to be this obvious?

‘Ew… disgusting!’

I couldn’t help but think that the exalted Great Immortal, whom the disciples admired, didn’t appear to need to cultivate virtue or be decent. Namgung Se-ga’s behavior was no different from that of a fallen human.

But for now, I chose not to show my disappointment and glanced at Mangnyang beside me. Since the Zhuge Clan sorcerer couldn’t attend this village’s Offering Ceremony, Mangnyang was my only ally here. Mangnyang nodded as if he understood and then confronted Namgung Se-ga firmly.

“Namgung Se-ga!! I wonder if you’re being too greedy.”

Namgung Se-ga frowned at that.

[What does the human way have to do with this?]

“I am a disciple of Jeong Mangnyang before being a mere human. Even now, the compensation for the Offering Ceremony would be sufficient, yet Baek Woong has generously added more offerings. But you, Namgung Se-ga, seem blinded by wealth, ignoring human sincerity.”

Mangnyang sharply criticized Namgung Se-ga, gesturing toward the shrine of Yeodong-bin.

“If you dismiss us like that, I have a thought. I will offer a tribute to my Master and ask him to dispatch you!”

[Hah!]

Namgung Se-ga looked astonished.

[Do you think such a thing is possible?! Even if you are Jeong Mangnyang…]

“It certainly is possible.”

At Mangnyang’s next words, I was a bit surprised too.

“Don’t you know my Master doesn’t fear the heavenly realm at all? I thought you knew that as the one who knows the most in the Celestial Realm!”

[……]

I subtly chimed in.

“Since you’ve been too greedy, I will have to take back the additional offerings. Please grant the Great Peace Technique.”

[You… you little wretches!]

“If you refuse to give it…”

As I took a step toward the shrine of Yeodong-bin, Namgung Se-ga flinched. He couldn’t help but do that since he had previously been annihilated by Jeong Mangnyang in one go. If we decided to ask Jeong Mangnyang to take down Namgung Se-ga, he wouldn’t be leaving this time with merely a sore back.

Namgung Se-ga then shouted like he was in despair.

[You insolent humans! Yes, I admit I have been greedy, but the compensation and the heavenly laws do not match. The Great Peace Technique is the technique of the Great Immortal; at the very least, hand over the statue of Jeon Wook and the Muramasa.]

Oh boy, that guy…

I felt irritated, but then Mangnyang conveyed a thought to me through the Suspicious Fishhook.

[Baek Woong, what Namgung Se-ga said this time might be correct. In truth, it would be excessive to get the Great Peace Technique just for mere offerings.]

That made sense. Although the offering of spirit energy over thousands of years was enormous, the Great Peace Technique was also a powerful magic capable of manipulating and resurrecting hundreds of thousands of people.

[Hmm… shall we compromise here?]

[That would be wise. If we provoke Namgung Se-ga too much, he might curse us and leave.]

[Understood.]

After exchanging thoughts with Mangnyang, I nodded.

“I will do just that.”

[Hmph.]

A moment later, the statue of Jeon Wook and the Muramasa vanished from the altar. Then, after receiving the compensation, Namgung Se-ga stretched out his hand toward me, his eyes gleaming.

[Then I will pass on the Great Peace Technique, so receive it…]

Whoooooosh

For a long while, Namgung Se-ga reached out to me, imparting spirit energy and memories, only to suddenly look flabbergasted.

[Huh? What’s this? This…]

As he awkwardly stepped back, I tilted my head.

“What’s wrong?”

[… It’s prickling.]

“Pardon?”

Namgung Se-ga shouted in frustration.

[It’s giving me goosebumps!! I never expected you to be this talentless…]

“……”

[Ugh… Do I really have to give this to such a talentless person… I’d be embarrassed to pass it on to an outstanding Ji-seon!]

“You have to give it to me. It’s a contract.”

[Hmph!]

Namgung Se-ga finally finished the transmission. And just like that, I gained knowledge about the new Great Peace Technique, including the training methods and background! While simply receiving this wouldn’t increase my spirit energy, now I had yet another technique of the Great Immortal to use alongside the Heavenly Secret Technique!

Once the Offering Ceremony concluded, Cheon Woo-jin blinked, looking fatigued, and said to me,

“Baek Woong… do you know what kind of technique the Great Peace Technique is that you accepted?”

“Of course I do.”

“Good grief… there must be better techniques out there, so why this one…”

Cheon Woo-jin muttered as if unable to comprehend, folding his arms.

“Let me make it clear: don’t you dare train in the Great Peace Technique to create a cult or deceive the masses. If that happens, I will come find you to punish you.”

I felt a bit offended and retorted.

“And who do you think you are to punish me? Is merely training in the Great Peace Technique a crime?”

“It could be.”

“Really?”

“The Great Peace Technique is classified as a technique very close to the demonic arts in the sects of the Central Plains. Naturally, it involves necromancy and illusion techniques. Given that, it’s no surprise so many practitioners are corrupted by evil.”

“……”

So that’s why Namgung Se-ga turned out like that?

“Though I admit it’s a powerful technique with an attractive allure that causes practitioners to come out despite the high risks of falling into depravity…”

“I’ll handle it myself, so don’t worry.”

“Oh, you’re gonna shoot your mouth off about me?”

“Complaining is your job.”

I said firmly and then left the village with Mangnyang. We made our way to find Zhuge Sa, who was waiting outside the village, and informed him that I had learned the Great Peace Technique.

Zhuge Sa asked,

“So can you use the Great Peace Technique now?”

I shook my head.

“No. I don’t quite understand anything yet.”

“Try explaining it a bit more clearly.”

“Well… it’s like having absorbed two centuries of Mangnyang’s techniques and experiences. A vast amount of knowledge is stuffed into my head, but I can’t grasp it.”

“That makes sense; it’s equivalent to a whole sect being poured into you.”

I questioned, my voice filled with doubt.

“So, is this really going to work?”

“Of course!”

Zhuge Sa confidently replied.

“From what I know, the Great Peace Technique has another ability aside from the necromancy and illusion techniques you’ve seen. That power is controlling the weather.”

“Hmmm.”

“If the Great Peace Technique reaches the level of mastery, it might even advance the solar eclipse. The techniques of the Great Immortal have that kind of power.”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“It’s questionable when you’d be able to master it, considering you struggle with the Soul Exchange Technique and the Three Treasure Technique…”

But I didn’t let Zhuge Sa’s words disturb me. That’s because I had already vowed to stand against the Gods and witness their end, regardless of time.

‘Since I can’t acquire the Fire Spirit right away, I’ll just postpone it for now.’

Trying to forcibly obtain Fire Spirit using great luck is something I can do later. Now that I had gained the insights of the strategist Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa, it was essential to gather more information.

I turned to Mangnyang and asked,

“Mangnyang, do I need to contact the Thunder God Lineage in this life?”

“I’m not sure. The Thunder God Lineage was pretty unpredictable in your memories…”

Mangnyang sighed briefly.

“But if I were to give sensible advice, I’d say to conserve the powers of reversal as much as possible in this life. Since it’s confirmed that you can use that power only once, you need to be more cautious.”

“Sounds like we’re on the same page.”

Zhuge Sa chimed in.

“Another thing. I’d dive into the Twelve Joules from here on out.”

“That’s what I was thinking too.”

After replying to Zhuge Sa, I pondered for a moment before saying,

“The dilemma is whether to start from the ground up within the Twelve Joules or negotiate directly with the Joule Leader.”

We all agreed that it was necessary for us, having faced the Twelve Joules in our past lives, to uncover their secrets. This is because, while the objectives and means of the three major forces dividing the world—Imperial Palace, White Lotus Sect—had become quite clear, we had no clue about the inner workings of the Twelve Joules and Joule Leaders. Therefore, I needed to investigate the Twelve Joules to strategize accordingly.

Simply put, I could just use the powers of reversal to assassinate the Joule Leader, but I really didn’t fancy dealing with a forest ruler, and it felt meaningless to borrow the power of God. I could attempt that once I learned enough about the Twelve Joules.

Zhuge Sa said,

“You can do as you wish. Ultimately, you tend to proceed in a way that leads to chaotic issues arising, and you either live or die from it. At times, you stumble upon crucial clues out of the blue.”

“……”

“I guess I’ll head to Jangryeong Valley then.”

Paa-at

Zhuge Sa used some strange magic to summon a bizarre creature that he rode on. It was a Bi-yaki, a beast capable of moving at tremendous speed. Once the Bi-yaki disappeared, Mangnyang spoke.

“Baek Woong, you have countless strategies to try out now.”

“I know that.”

“Both I and Zhuge Sa have piles of advice or possibilities we want to share with you. But we can’t speak so rashly. Your adventure has expanded too broadly to be measured by mere human intelligence.”

Mangnyang looked up at the sky.

“Just consider the issue with the Heavenly Spirit Pill of the White Lotus Sect. We all acted under the assumption that we needed to acquire it, yet it turned out to be a trap. There are just too many unpredictable things in this world. And what’s most crucial in this situation is your instincts as a reborn person.”

“Hmmm… so you’re refraining from giving advice to not interfere with my instincts?”

“That’s exactly right.”

After Mangnyang nodded, he continued,

“You can now choose your path freely; hence we cannot inject our strategies too forcefully. Instead, refine yourself and choose a path that seems favorable. Whatever it may be, I believe it will lead to good results.”

With that, Mangnyang left.

‘Is this their consideration as strategists?’

From an efficiency standpoint, it would be best if Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa stuck by me right now, brainstorming various strategies. However, the two did not do so, heading off to mind their own business, believing in my ‘intuition.’

I thought it over and made my decision.

“Then, shall I go meet the people I haven’t encountered until now?”

Immediately after, I used the Wooden Armor and the Golden Lamp to release all the people I had rescued. After releasing the pirate prisoners, I visited the Shadowless Gate, returning my daughter, Seo Mun-hye, to the Sword Demon and handing over my Obsidian.

The Sword Demon seemed quite surprised after reading my memories.

“Hmm…!! I can’t believe such a thing happened.”

“Sword Demon, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve brought all the women who were victims of the Namgung Clan. Please persuade the Master of Shadowless Sword to cooperate in punishing the Namgung Clan.”

“……”

The Sword Demon crossed his arms and fell silent. Eventually, he spoke.

“I think I understand your thoughts. You aim to resolve the prisoner matter while introducing me to the Master of Shadowless Sword, right?”

“If that’s how you see it, then you’re not wrong.”

“That’s fine by me. There’s no downside to me if it’s done that way. But…”

The Sword Demon trailed off.

“Now I’m starting to worry about you…”

When I looked at the Sword Demon, he said,

“I can tell that your resolve to fight against the Gods is genuine. But to go so far as using your life as a tool for that purpose… I fear you might lose your humanity and become a monster in the future.”

I sighed.

“Your Honor, humanity is useless in front of the Gods…”

I came to that realization after over twenty deaths in direct encounters, which led me to choose the path of fighting with my life on the line.

“… I see.”

The Sword Demon rose with a bittersweet smile.

“Then I shall take my leave.”

 

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