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00475 Dark Heaven Village (暗天鄕) ————————————————————————

Is Mangnyang’s mother?

I looked at Mangnyang’s face in surprise. Come to think of it, he rarely talked about his parents. Could it be that his mother was killed by the Celestial Realm! Mangnyang, looking slightly flustered as if hearing it for the first time, spoke to Zhuge Bu.

“What… But my mother passed away due to illness.”

“That’s right. It was said she died from illness when you were young. But that was just a lie to protect the youngest in our family. In reality, it’s not that simple.”

Mangnyang responded as if dismissing the absurdity of it.

“I can’t believe it.”

“Why would I go this far and lie? Especially not to you, a blood relative!”

Zhuge Bu replied, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“The Zhuge clan already knew this fact, and I only confirmed it briefly using the Soul Exchange Technique. If you ask that guy, you’ll get the details. Ah! It seems he was busy with something, so he hasn’t heard about it?”

“……”

If I just asked the Zhuge clan, I could find out through the Soul Exchange Technique, so Zhuge Bu had no reason to lie about this. He must have understood that at any moment, I could rip the flesh from that guy’s bones.

Mangnyang clenched his fists and said.

“… Let’s say that’s true. What does it mean that the Celestial Realm directly killed my mother?”

“It means exactly that. The Celestial Realm’s divine general descended and executed your mother for breaking the heavenly law. The reason was that your father performed a ritual to foresee the future of this world and change it.”

“……!!”

What does that even mean?

I blinked, struggling to comprehend Zhuge Bu’s words.

“Did he use the White Feather Fan? But that’s…”

He could have used the White Feather Fan to foresee the future hundreds of years ahead, but using it would change that future the moment it was used, rendering it almost futile. And if Zhuge Yulong performed a ritual intending to change the future with the White Feather Fan, then logically, the sinner Zhuge Yulong should die at the hands of the Celestial Realm, not his spouse!

But it seemed Mangnyang understood the context right away. With a horrified look on his face, he said.

“Did my mother inherit… my father’s fate?”

“Yes. As you know, your mother possessed strong spiritual abilities and was one of the most prominent shamans of her time. Therefore, she changed her fate to die in your father’s place when the Celestial Realm was coming to kill him.”

“……”

As the explanation unfolded, I also began to understand. In other words, the sin committed by Zhuge Yulong was inherited by his shaman wife, and she died in his stead. Zhuge Bu spoke with an unusual emotional tone.

“Your father had to witness your mother being killed by the divine general.”

Mangnyang fell silent and knelt down, trembling his fists in disbelief before he spoke.

“I can’t believe it.”

“Whether you believe it or not is not the point. I got the right to share this information, so I’m just passing it along.”

“But if the divine general rampaged in the mortal realm, surely the sorcerers guarding the imperial palace wouldn’t just stand by idly.”

Zhuge Bu chuckled lightly.

“What do you think happened after they defeated the divine general? The Celestial Realm would have executed the Law of Cause and Effect and dealt with the traitors. So, surely stronger beings like the Thirty-Six Heavenly Generals would descend next. What if they defeated them? Perhaps the Great Immortal or the Fire Dragon Incarnate would come. No human could defeat such beings. You should understand that there’s no choice.”

Mangnyang was not someone to be easily put down like this. He was clearly overwhelmed with astonishment and despair, causing his mind to falter.

“……”

“Even if you question me, the past won’t change. Your father lost your mother due to his mistake.”

With vacant eyes, Mangnyang stared at the ground below. He seemed utterly devoid of energy to ask any more questions. I rarely saw Mangnyang in such despair, and I felt a sense of urgency.

“Mangnyang. Get a hold of yourself.”

So I hurriedly embraced him and helped him up, then turned to Zhuge Bu.

“I’m not really curious about your family saga. What I want to know is how Zhuge Yulong attempted to change the future.”

“Hehe. Why not ask the Zhuge clan? After all, I’m sure that guy knows everything I do.”

I glared at him, my killing intent flaring.

“Shut up. Just answer the question. What ritual did Zhuge Yulong perform?”

I couldn’t bother the Zhuge clan with trivial inquiries. Besides, I might suddenly die of an accident before they completed the ritual of the Demon Book. I had to obtain whatever information I could. Zhuge Bu then answered.

“I truly do not know.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Piying

I immediately drew my sword and held the blue blade against his throat. However, Zhuge Bu didn’t even flinch.

“It’s true. My father never told me what ritual he intended to perform. Why not ask the Zhuge clan? However, I did hear that the ritual was something only my father could carry out.”

I screamed in frustration.

“Is your father Zhuge Yulong out of his mind? Does he really think he can change the fate of the world with just one ritual?”

Still, I secretly thought it would be great if such a ritual did exist. If it could truly change the despairing future of this world with one ritual, then I wouldn’t have to endure such hell through countless reincarnations, would I? But simultaneously feeling its absurdity made me yell at Zhuge Bu.

Zhuge Bu chuckled.

“I wouldn’t know… Huh!”

Puhkwak

I gripped his arm tightly until blood began to pour forth. The point I grabbed turned a deep purple from the bruising.

Clank

“Argh…”

As the chains around Zhuge Bu rattled in pain, I forcefully pushed my internal energy into his meridians while closing the distance, glaring intensely at him.

“Listen carefully. I’m from the Thunder God Lineage, and I know the infamous torture techniques known as Eight Trigram Seal and Six Harmonies Total Kill. This technique requires an immense amount of internal power, making it difficult even for most experts of the Thunder God Lineage to use past the third stage, but my internal energy is overflowing, allowing me to maintain up to at least the fifth stage.”

“……”

“And I have never met anyone who could withstand the third stage of the Eight Trigram Seal. I wonder just how far you can endure?”

This was the truth. Thanks to this exceptional torture technique, there was no need for me to learn any separate bone-torturing methods; I could gather information through torture whenever necessary. The torture techniques of the Thunder God lineage, boasting a thousand years of history, were remarkably effective. Having sensed my seriousness in my gaze, Zhuge Bu cried out desperately.

“Wait! Hold on! While it’s true I don’t know the ritual, I do know a clue!”

“Tell me.”

“Jin Cheon-hwi! General Jin Cheon-hwi knew.”

What?

I was taken aback by the sudden mention of that name. Why was that name coming up here? I turned pale and said to Zhuge Bu.

“What do you mean by Jin Cheon-hwi…”

“The prodigy of the former General’s Office! A genius of military strategy second only to Hwang Yeon! He is also your father’s close friend, and he must have revealed something about that ritual.”

He was also the father of Jin So-cheong and a member of the imperial family. I mentally added some context to Zhuge Bu’s explanation.

“… But he’s dead.”

I replied incredulously.

Yes. That’s the issue here. Even if Jin Cheon-hwi knew what ritual Zhuge Yulong had attempted in the past, he had already been executed by the former emperor.

As I was about to interrogate him further, Mangnyang, who had been swaying to the side, grabbed my shoulder.

“That’s enough. Baek Woong.”

“Mangnyang, are you okay?”

Mangnyang nodded and said to Zhuge Bu.

“… Brother. You might be wondering why the Zhuge clan is still keeping you alive.”

“……”

“It’s not to offer you as a sacrifice or to humanely torture you. It’s because Baek Woong here insisted on keeping you alive. Without him, you would have either been demonic beast food long ago or turned into a dark spirit.”

That’s true. It was I who forcedfully saved his life when the Zhuge clan was aiming to kill him. Somehow, I thought he could be useful, so I had let him live even though I could extract information from him using the Heavenly Secret Technique.

Zhuge Bu looked at me in disbelief.

“W… who the heck are you? Who are you to control that lunatic Zhuge Sa and possess such incredible martial arts at such a young age?”

“Mangnyang, you need to change your ways.”

Mangnyang sighed.

“Underestimating others and using your innate talent for your own gain is a path to self-destruction. There’s always someone above the one who excels. To make a better future, you must collaborate with one another.”

Mangnyang’s words were sage advice coming from a blood relation. It must be painful for him to watch me, a reborn person, be targeted endlessly for revenge by Zhuge Bu. Zhuge Bu seemed dissatisfied and growled.

“Damnit! Just because I’m in this position, do you dare lecture me? A dropout who was kicked out of the Astrologers for lacking magical talent!”

This bastard?

I nearly wanted to kill him right then, but Mangnyang restrained me. He gave a bitter smile.

“You’ll understand in your next life. Let’s go.”

I coldly said.

“I got it. But just one hit…”

Puh

“Ugh.”

I lightly struck Zhuge Bu in the solar plexus and walked outside. Of course, I didn’t use much internal power, only raw strength, so his internal organs wouldn’t burst, but still, I’m quite strong, so he would definitely feel pain. Rather than worrying about Zhuge Bu, I focused on Mangnyang and said.

“Mangnyang. Please tell me you’re not suggesting that we give him an obsidian and keep him as a companion?”

The mention of “next life” was a subtle hint towards me. There was no way he wouldn’t understand that. Mangnyang glanced back and said.

“That might happen later.”

“That’s absurd. I’d rather kill such a scoundrel than give him an obsidian.”

No matter how I thought about it, that was out of the question. Zhuge Bu possessed an innate intellect and talent but had no empathy for others, preferring to use anyone besides himself. There was no way I could ally with someone like him, who would commit evil without hesitation. Mangnyang muttered.

“… Perhaps because he might be lacking.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing…”

I realized Mangnyang was hiding something, but I didn’t pry further. I figured it was better to wait until he decided to speak rather than press him for answers. And I began training together with Mangnyang in Jangryeong Valley.

About three days had passed since then.

Whoooo—

While I was reading in the study with Mangnyang, we suddenly reacted to the surge of intense dark energy and dashed out. We found the door to the rundown building where Zhuge Sa was located standing open, with Zhuge Sa himself inside.

Zhuge Sa’s appearance was different from before. His eyes, once filled with madness, were now much calmer, and his left hand had darkened like obsidian. Moreover, a sinister purple energy emanated from his entire body, signaling that he had indeed changed.

Mangnyang looked at the Nameless Ritual Book in Zhuge Sa’s left hand and said.

“Uncle. You’ve acquired the techniques from the Nameless Ritual Book.”

“Ah, you’ve worked hard, Hyun Ah.”

“Are you stronger now?”

“I’ll show you in due time.”

After shrugging his shoulders, Zhuge Sa said.

“It seems something significant has happened. Tell me what transpired.”

I conveyed what I learned, embedding my memories in the obsidian for him. Zhuge Sa frowned slightly as he observed the events that unfolded since we parted ways last time. He tossed the obsidian back at me.

“You’re disregarding Hyun’s plan entirely, huh? Damn it.”

“Ugh.”

I quickly caught the obsidian. Zhuge Sa began to grumble.

“I told you to conceal your power for opportunities. Yet here you are flaunting power that surpasses the Great Immortal left and right. Damn it.”

I remembered Mangnyang’s advice to keep my power hidden and fell silent. Handing my body over to the Fire Dragon Incarnate and revealing my strength to the Fire Spirit Techniques didn’t seem beneficial in Zhuge Sa’s eyes. I tried to explain.

“At that time, it was the only way.”

“How ridiculous. Do you even realize the consequences your actions have caused? The chance of you dying within five years has increased by 50%. Hyun hasn’t said a word about it, so you think you’re in the clear?”

“……”

Zhuge Sa crossed his arms, still grumbling.

“Well, it’s not entirely the worst. There are still more options to try going forward.”

Mangnyang, who was beside me, said.

“I was stuck in my training too, so I can help you, uncle.”

“Not particularly needed… but you should probably aim for the Rank of the Enlightened Path sooner rather than later. That’s essential to gather information from the Celestial Realm.”

“I just need to raise my level a bit more.”

While Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang were talking, something suddenly struck my mind, and I interjected.

“Zhuge Sa. I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What exactly was the ritual that Zhuge Yulong tried? To change the world’s future…”

“Ah, that.”

Zhuge Sa replied resolutely.

“I don’t know either!”

“……”

“My elder brother is so secretive that there’s no way for me to know. At that time, I wasn’t interested in his affairs. I was going through a wild phase back then.”

Mangnyang chided him from the side.

“I heard that you were just lost in madness, choosing only to commit crazy acts. Like randomly slaughtering high officials or participating in cannibal acts…”

“Did those things really happen? Anyway.”

So even Zhuge Sa didn’t know?

As I pondered, Zhuge Sa continued.

“I’m curious about that too, so you find a way to get to the bottom of it. There are many ways to figure it out.”

“I will.”

“Regardless, what’s important right now is that I’m about to make a very significant declaration.”

“A declaration?”

Zhuge Sa grinned and began to recline in his chair.

“It’s vital. Though it might not be entirely connected to our current situation…”

“Stop dragging it out and just say it. I’m ready to hear whatever it is.”

At my urging, Zhuge Sa began his lengthy explanation.

“Hehe… I’ve managed to decipher the first part of the Nameless Ritual Book and have started the process of connecting with the spirit of the Demon Book for the second part. This ritual grants access to the true secrets of the Nameless Ritual Book and is a process to register myself as its user. In other words, I currently hold about 40% of all the magic contained within the Nameless Ritual Book.”

Boasting this, Zhuge Sa continued.

“Thanks to that, I can access mysteries that could never be understood through a surface reading of the Nameless Ritual Book.”

I asked Zhuge Sa.

“What do you mean by mysteries?”

“Primordial history… perhaps? It refers to the truths from an era so ancient that even the otherworldly beings feared it and sealed it away. While the history of Chinese civilization spans roughly 5,000 years, the discussions of those past events are at least a thousand times what we know. It must pertain to divine secrets, given it predates human history.”

“A thousand times 5,000 years? What is that… are you kidding me?”

I scoffed at Zhuge Sa’s comment. But when I looked closely, he seemed serious.

“This is no joke. The history of this world is far older than you think. It might not just be a thousand times but ten thousand times.”

“…….”

If that’s the case, it suggests an immeasurable time beyond human comprehension. Could the Demon Book contain such an unfathomable history?

“The otherworldly beings or the so-called ‘Ancient Rulers’ thrived with powerful sorcery and civilization since that distant age. It’s no wonder humans feel like insects before them.”

Mangnyang, who had been listening silently, interjected.

“Uncle, your introduction is lengthy. What was the fact you discovered about that primordial mystery?”

“Well…”

Crack!

“Kuhak!”

At that moment, Zhuge Sa’s eyes darkened ominously. Chaos energy swirled and emanated from his body, and black breath exhaled. It was clearly an abnormal phenomenon, and as I hurried closer, Zhuge Sa waved his hand and gasped for breath.

“Ugh… Hah… Mentioning it brings my sanity at risk. Darkness calls out across the void… He’s watching me… Hehehe…”

There was a shade of madness in his ranting, as he seemed entranced by something invisible in the air. He manifestly appeared possessed by the darkness.

Mangnyang frowned at the ominous sight.

“It’s true then, what they say about the sorcerers losing their minds when discussing the world’s secrets. In that case, didn’t accessing the Nameless Ritual Book mean your lifespan has been cut short?”

“Yes.”

“Mangnyang must find Baek Woong in ten years. Isn’t that quite irresponsible? If you die before that…”

Mangnyang spoke reproachfully, worried about Zhuge Sa’s life. Zhuge Sa smiled faintly and said.

“You’re here, Hyun. You could devise a plan to find Baek Woong. Even if I die, you’ll be prepared; I’m merely pursuing maximum efficiency.”

“That’s downright absurd…”

Not just Mangnyang, but I was also astonished by Zhuge Sa’s reckless words. While it was objectively possible, that didn’t justify recklessly hunting down information at the cost of one’s own life!

Zhuge Sa continued nonchalantly.

“Was it all just talk, the determination to lead to a short-term victory by sacrificing my life? With your reincarnation abilities, our lives are just resources to be consumed. Even if we are annihilated, if Baek Woong takes a step forward, it’s a guaranteed profit.”

“…….!!”

“The Nameless Ritual Book needed to be deciphered at all costs. The top magic books hold the unfiltered truths about the ‘Ancient Rulers,’ so it was absolutely essential to uncover them. One cannot hope to defeat an opponent without knowing them.”

Zhuge Sa glared at us.

“You both need to brace yourselves. If Baek Woong continues to reincarnate for hundreds or even thousands of years… from that moment onward, the difficulty will rise to terrifying proportions. We have to conclude everything before then.”

“I understand.”

Mangnyang solemnly nodded his head.

Crackle crackle

Crack…

For a while, the dark energy crackled around Zhuge Sa’s body. After calming the energy with purple hues, Zhuge Sa finally opened his mouth after some time.

“… 500 years from now, during the time of the emerging calamity at the rise of the foul gods, it’s not simply to destroy humanity.”

“What do you mean?”

Zhuge Sa was drenched in sweat, and blood flowed from his nostrils. It seemed like every word was a struggle for him.

“Within the Nameless Ritual Book, part of the content of the Demon Book [Gospel] was included. Written by ‘The Wanderer of Time,’ ‘The Infinite Fetus,’ one of the ‘Ancient Rulers,’ it deals with the divine concepts of time, death, and obliteration. This is irrefutably written by a highly esteemed being among the ‘Ancient Rulers’… some being that transcended time has remarked that the calamity will not arise to eliminate humanity.”

“…….”

“Humans have never once crossed the minds of the ‘Ancient Rulers.’ They are simply collateral damage.”

I didn’t comprehend what he was saying. It seemed Mangnyang was equally puzzled. What Zhuge Sa had just mentioned was advanced magical knowledge, something beyond our understanding. Zhuge Sa smiled wryly and added.

“It is not a coincidence that the ‘Ancient Rulers’ fabricated the calamity as a sign of cease-fire. According to the Demon Book, the ‘Ancient Rulers’… had already foreseen that calamity would manifest.”

“……..!!”

“Furthermore, the fact that the ‘Ancient Rulers’ and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors created the calamity as a token of cease-fire is no mere coincidence. The Demon Book states… they had foreseen the emergence of calamity.”

Plop

“Zhuge Sa!!”

I quickly supported him. It appeared Zhuge Sa had entirely fainted. I noticed his body felt like a burning ember, and tears of blood streamed from his eyes. I hastily moved him into a room and checked his pulse, discovering his brain was on the verge of melting down.

‘In this case…!!’

Puh-puh-puh

I hastily deployed the healing techniques of the Hua Tuo lineage to seal the vital energy in his brain from melting down. The Hua Tuo lineage is well-versed in human anatomy, including the brain, so they have countermeasures for situations like this. By temporarily relieving the heat that had inundated his body, I managed to prevent damage to Zhuge Sa’s brain. However, I couldn’t predict when he would wake up.

“Baek Woong. How is it?”

“Not good. If we’re not careful, he could end up lying like a vegetable for the rest of his life…”

With my medical knowledge, I knew that giving him a spiritual pill carelessly could worsen his condition. If I messed up, crucial parts making up his brain could be compromised, resulting in dementia. The brain is a very delicate area, and not even the most renowned medical techniques should be applied rashly.

Then, Mangnyang said as if there was no other choice.

“Step aside.”

Whooooo

Mangnyang raised an amulet and placed it on Zhuge Sa’s five parts, chanting the incantation. Zhuge Sa’s breath gradually slowed to a stop until he lay completely still as if frozen. When I looked at him, Mangnyang said.

“I’ve temporarily halted his body’s time. While his condition won’t improve further, it also won’t deteriorate.”

“Is that even possible?”

I looked at him in astonishment. In the past, Mangnyang had struggled even to use basic techniques, yet now he was skillfully performing advanced methods?

“This is a technique my master taught me in the past.”

Mangnyang replied like that.

“Baek Woong. From what I can see, it might be best to bring a more renowned physician to treat Zhuge Sa. His body hardly has any magical energy left, so this must be a medical issue.”

“I see.”

I agreed with his assessment. Thus, I immediately understood the implications of Mangnyang’s words and nodded.

“I will bring the Five Great Physicians of the world.”

While my medical skills were at the level of a standard Hua Tuo physician, I could not even begin to compare with the Five Great Physicians. If anyone could solve a brain-related illness or any complex disease, it would be them.

————————— Author’s Note —————————

I apologize for the mistake made with the date adjustment.

Correction has been completed!