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“I never thought the Master of the White Lotus Sect would show up here to form an alliance!”

I took a quick look around the hall and then a bright idea struck me. ‘…Should I just run away?’

It’s true that I currently have the potential to win against the Master of the White Lotus Sect, thanks to my skills, the Great Destruction technique, and all the treasure-like artifacts. But risking self-destruction by using that technique again didn’t sound appealing. Plus, I had no reason to clash head-on with a prominent figure like him.

Thinking about negotiating only gave me a headache. From my nineteenth life, I knew how cunning and tricky the Master of the White Lotus Sect could be. He could disguise his true intentions until the very end while picking only what he needed. Every time I thought I understood him, I found myself being played instead. He was a tough cookie to negotiate with.

So my remaining option was to run. I could ignore this power display and flee to look after my own safety first.

‘It’s tough.’

But the situation in the hall was pretty overwhelming. Han Baek-ryeong seemed to have lost consciousness, covered in blood. Plus, judging by the time that has passed, it didn’t look like the Fire Spirit Techniques had been defeated for long. In other words, the Master had anticipated my arrival and had already taken down Han Baek-ryeong and the Fire Spirit Techniques to wait for me. I needed to figure out just how much the Master knew about me before I could leave this place safely.

“……”

After a long pause, I spoke to the Master.

“I don’t quite get what you mean, Master of the White Lotus Sect. And how can you be so sure that I’m an Apostle of God?”

The Master replied,

[Someone provided me with the information. I heard that you are the Avatar of the Heavenly Fire Dragon and a powerful divine being.][/p>

“Who is it?”

[Haha…] The Master smiled mysteriously at my question.

“It appears you’ve had an interesting chat with the Fire Spirit Techniques. Care to do the same with me?”

“Why did you attack the Fire Spirit Techniques?”

[Because they rebelled.]

He spoke so decisively, indicating that he had a good grasp of Han Baek-ryeong’s plot. He had strikingly severed her ties with me before she could gain strength.

‘He doesn’t seem to want to attack me right now.’

It seemed that because of our previous conversation, he recognized my capability, and since he didn’t know the full extent of my potential, he wanted to proceed with caution. I thought I should make good use of this fact.

I pressed on, “So what’s the deal with wanting to form an alliance?”

[It’s simple. From now on, you will not hinder the White Lotus Sect’s efforts to expand in the Central Plains, and we’ll help each other achieve our objectives. We will provide all our support for that purpose.]

“Sounds reasonable…”

[It’s not a bad deal, so think it over…]

The Master didn’t rush me for an answer, indicating that he didn’t see me as someone he could easily manipulate, and that meant he was wary of me. I could sense his mental state subtly.

‘What he wants is for me to have a good impression of him.’

From his viewpoint, it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t respond right away. Just the fact that he became a negotiation partner instead of the Fire Spirit Techniques brought him a victory. I realized his intentions and figured I could maneuver the situation to my advantage.

“Do you plan on taking out the Fire Spirit Techniques?”

[I do. I cannot allow a traitor to live.]

I could sense an earnestness in his firm answer. Nodding, I continued, “In that case, I have no reason to discuss things with you.”

The Master seemed slightly taken aback. […Are you attached to the Fire Spirit Techniques?]

I bluntly replied, “The real problem lies not with Han Baek-ryeong but with your lack of virtue.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the hall shifted dramatically. The martial artists from the Elder Council and the experts from the Su Shin Sect looked flustered, and the captured members of the Fire Spirit Techniques were shocked. No one expected the Avatar of the Heavenly Fire Dragon to openly criticize the Master of the White Lotus Sect.

But the Master didn’t seem disoriented; rather, he appeared intrigued. [Lack of virtue? I’m not sure where you see that.]

“Han Baek-ryeong’s treachery came from your oppressive nature and lack of communication. Your subordinates, the Dharma Guardians, lived in fear of being discarded. Even the Elder Council, a group of your closest guards, was formed to apply pressure. This situation is solely due to your lack of virtue, reigning with an iron fist while hiding your true intentions.”

[……]

I could sense that the Master leaned back in his chair slowly. Though he didn’t show it, I could feel his discomfort in the air. The Master replied, [Fascinating… You speak as if you’ve peered inside the White Lotus Sect despite being an outsider. Did Han Baek-ryeong tell you all of this? This woman hides her true feelings even from her blood relatives…]

“So you don’t deny it. You admit your poor communication?”

[Yes, I admit it.]

Then, Dokgo Jun, positioned next to him, suddenly shouted in surprise. [Master!]

[Be quiet, Jun. This is an important discussion.]

[Yes.]

With that, the Master continued, [However, this remains our internal matter, something you shouldn’t involve yourself in. I am the Master of the White Lotus Sect, and I have the authority to deal with traitors. No matter how nicely you package it, you have no business interfering with the fate of the Fire Spirit Techniques since you are an outsider.]

“Who said I was interfering?” I replied bluntly. “I simply don’t like your actions. And if you go against my mood, I have no reason to talk with you.”

At that moment, the experts from the Su Shin Sect and the Elder Council surrounding me all released an aura of malice at the same time. Every one of them was an exceptionally strong expert; the overwhelming pressure was mounting with their intent to kill. Even the Dharma Guardian, Dokgo Jun, seemed to be glaring at me. However, when the Master waved his hand, all that malice vanished, and he spoke angrily. [Anyone who releases an intent to kill without my permission will be dealt with immediately.]

The hall fell silent. The Master sighed and said, [I apologize. As you said, I will postpone the fate of the Fire Spirit Techniques indefinitely.]

“That should’ve been your first action.”

[Now, I’d like to hear your answer about the alliance.]

As the Master spoke, I calmly replied, “Earlier, you mentioned you wanted to form an alliance to expand into the Central Plains. Is that your ultimate goal?”

[Indeed.]

That’s a lie.

I knew his true goal was the True Martial Home. There was no way he would reveal such a closely guarded secret to me right now. For the Master of the White Lotus Sect, expanding into the Central Plains would be like flipping a lid; it couldn’t possibly be his goal.

Still, I thought it would be better not to reveal that I was aware of his actual objective. If I acted too eager, he’d become overly cautious of me. Moreover, I couldn’t risk exposing myself by knowing too much about the obsidian.

I said to him, “So even if we form an alliance, I won’t aid you in your endeavors. I won’t lend my hand to your affairs.”

[That’s fine. Although it’s regrettable, I’ll be satisfied as long as you don’t oppose the White Lotus Sect.]

The Master probably believed that as long as I didn’t obstruct him, occupying the Central Plains would be a piece of cake. I thought my exploration had been enough at this point and spoke up, “Understood. Let’s form an alliance. But keep in mind that this is just a promise made as the Avatar of the Heavenly Fire Dragon.”

[……?]

“And don’t touch the Fire Spirit Techniques.”

[Understood.]

The Master seemed taken aback, but there was intent behind my words.

‘I need to create an escape route as the Master of the Twelve Joules.’

Since I obtained the position of the joint Master of the Twelve Joules, if I agreed to the alliance here and now, it could be interpreted as an alliance between the Twelve Joules and the White Lotus Sect. That’s why I emphasized the identity of the Avatar of the Heavenly Fire Dragon instead of the Master of the Twelve Joules. It was a very political maneuver, but what I learned over time was that, surprisingly, having a good cause mattered a lot. Setting up safety measures like this wouldn’t hurt.

In the end, I could just agree to the alliance as the Master of the White Lotus Sect wished, then make my exit. As long as he didn’t interfere with my search for Chi You, this would turn out fine. I found myself almost wanting to laugh at how well I had navigated this situation.

“Since we’re forming an alliance, I’d like to know the source of your information about me…”

[Hmm, I can’t reveal that.]

“Why not?”

[I want to tell you, but the identity of my information source is a highly sensitive secret. It concerns the Sect’s safety, making it hard to divulge. But I can at least say I know almost everything you’ve been up to in Luoyang, including your secret pact with the Dharma Guardians.]

So it was a not-so-subtle threat about not spilling any secrets. It annoyed me, but I had to agree that exposing the identity of such a secret informant just for a verbal promise would be foolish. Instead, I said, “One of my companions, the Sword Demon, is here. What’s happened to him?”

[He’s been locked away, but I can have him brought here if you wish. Just wait a moment.]

About a quarter of a moment later, one of the Elder Council’s experts appeared, leading the Sword Demon, bound with ropes. As soon as the Master gestured, the ropes fell away, and the Sword Demon walked towards me. He sighed dramatically.

“Sorry. I didn’t even have a chance to escape.”

“No worries. I understand.”

No matter how much of a Master he was, there was no escaping the White Lotus Sect’s net when they coordinated with the Elder Council. Since Han Baek-ryeong was subdued, it was a hopeless fight. After confirming that the Sword Demon didn’t have any injuries and wasn’t poisoned, I told him, “Please take a moment to rest.”

“I feel terrible about this.”

I set the Sword Demon beside me to rest. He seemed completely drained, quickly losing consciousness. I infused him with internal power to stabilize him and then turned to the Master. “At least you didn’t harm the Sword Demon…”

[Baek Woong!!!]

Suddenly, a strong vibration resonated through the Suspicious Fishhook I kept hidden in my pocket. Normally, it would sit in hand, but it was possible to communicate through contact. I had been smoothly negotiating with the Master of the White Lotus Sect, so I hadn’t felt it necessary to exchange thoughts with Mangnyang, but this sudden summon startled me.

[Mangnyang, what’s the matter?]

Mangnyang spoke urgently, sounding as if he was about to run out of breath. [Big trouble! You need to hurry to Jangryeong Valley!]

[The Master of the White Lotus Sect is here at the Han Clan, and the alliance discussion is underway…]

What I had said was surprising enough, but Mangnyang seemed even more anxious. [This is not the time for trivial matters! Hurry!]

[Oh, I understand. I’ll leave right away.]

He said forming an alliance with the Master was a trivial matter? Mangnyang’s level of worry indicated something significant was happening that made the alliance seem minor in comparison. I tried hard not to show my stiff expression as I spoke to the Master.

“I need to go. Something’s come up, but I’ll see you soon.”

[Oh… What a disappointment. I had so much more I wanted to discuss with you.]

“Let me reiterate: do not harm Han Baek-ryeong, the Fire Spirit Techniques, or the Sword Demon.”

[Understood.]

With that, I hastily grabbed the Sword Demon and returned to Jangryeong Valley. When I got there, I was met with the distorted faces of Zhuge Sa, Mangnyang, and Cheon Woo-jin. They all stared at me in unison as I arrived.

I immediately inquired, “What’s going on?”

“It’s bad. Things have escalated way too far.”

“What’s happened?”

“…First, lay the unconscious Sword Demon down.”

“Understood.”

I entrusted his care to Sibi, making sure the Sword Demon had a comfortable spot to rest. Then I returned to the group, but no one was eager to break the silence. After a prolonged pause, Mangnyang finally spoke up.

“Baek Woong, two massive incidents have occurred.”

“Let’s hear them one at a time.”

“First, the entity we referred to as the Tao King Fengshen… is actually the first leader of the Baehwa Sect and has reached the level of a Demon King, now stepping out into the human world.”

“What?!”

What on earth is happening?

I turned to Zhuge Sa, who looked dejected. “Not long ago, I visited that Demon King, obtained his approval, and signed a contract extending my lifespan. I was supposed to join his ranks but received a reprieve. I’m sure you know the reason for that?”

“I understand.”

Of course, he had tried to buy some time to help me. Zhuge Sa, who had no desire to cling to his mortal life, had chosen to remain in the world of humans because of me. His words continued.

“However, for reasons unknown, he has decided to resurrect the heretical sect and has now surfaced fully to the human world. He is currently manipulating a martial arts organization named Blood Shadow Valley from the shadows while gathering followers for the heretical sect.”

“…… ”

What kind of nonsense is this? I stared at him in bewilderment, asking, “Wait. What does that mean for you? Didn’t he send you to the human world to start the heretical sect because you’ve reached the level of a Demon King and could affect the laws of causation? Why…?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, but it seems he has found a way to avoid the backlash from the laws of causation. And having a Demon King intervene directly is far more effective and powerful than anything I could do on my own.”

Suddenly, Zhuge Sa stumbled, clutching his shoulder as if a sharp pain had struck. “Ugh… He’s calling me again.”

“You’re telling me…?”

“Yes. He’s commanding me to lead Blood Shadow Valley as a commander and draw humans into the realm of demons. This call started just a short while ago, allowing me to understand his plans.”

“That was the catalyst then.”

“I’m resisting with the power I gained from the Nameless Ritual Book, but I have a contractual relationship with him, so I won’t be able to hold out for long…”

“…… ”

What kind of crazy situation is this? Just when I was starting to adjust my strategy to manipulate the Master of the White Lotus Sect and the Master of the Twelve Joules to gather information from the Prophet, out of nowhere, this situation with Zhuge Sa emerges! And it’s about the long-neglected issue of the Demon King of the Heretical Sect showing up!

Mangnyang composed himself and said, “And there’s one more thing…”

“Mangnyang, is there something worse than this?”

“Indeed.”

“I’m terrified to hear it.”

While Mangnyang hesitated, Cheon Woo-jin, with arms crossed, leaned against a pillar, saying, “I visited my Master after hearing about these odd occurrences. According to him, in 49 days, the Heavenly Sovereign has decided to descend from the Celestial Realm.”

“……”

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