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Chapter 499 – Dark Heaven Village

Immediately after, Mangnyang became engrossed in deciphering oracle bone script, searching through libraries across various regions to learn about ‘The First Character.’ Meanwhile, Cheon Woo-jin decided to head to a location with strong spirit power to enhance Zhuge Sa’s seal. Mangnyang spoke to me.

“Baek Woong. First, you should go to the secret library beneath the Arasa Empire.”

“Are you asking me to bring back the books that talk about Changqie?”

Mangnyang nodded.

“Unlike during the Thunder God’s era, Changqie showed no reaction when that book was touched. This means Changqie has cast spells that react to books or information concerning himself, scattered throughout the world, but could not do so with the stock of books held by the Great Race of the Prophet.”

“Hmm…”

That seems plausible. It’s wise to lay a fallback plan in case I can’t extract information from the Prophet. I decided to follow Mangnyang’s suggestion.

“Zhuge Sa’s magic is beyond imagination.”

Before departing, Cheon Woo-jin frowned.

“With this treasure, we can’t seal him for long.”

“You’re saying the Land and Earth Diagram can’t seal Zhuge Sa either?”

“Didn’t we witness that repulsion earlier? It’s lacking in capacity. The wooden armor you have probably suffers the same issue.”

Cheon Woo-jin replied curtly.

“There are limits to sealing powerful beings with treasures. It’s only natural, given that you’ve acquired 40% of a top-tier demon book, but Zhuge Sa’s pure magic has reached its peak, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

So Zhuge Sa has become that strong? Cheon Woo-jin slightly raised the Land and Earth Diagram and shoved it toward me.

“I will strengthen my spirit power to hold him for as long as possible, but I can’t guarantee more than ten days. Be ready, even if it ends up being ten days at most.”

Ten days. It was such an ambiguous time that I couldn’t help but frown. Suddenly, I recalled something from Cheon Woo-jin’s words and asked back.

“Preparing my heart for what exactly?”

“The readiness to kill Zhuge Sa with your own hands.”

“……!!”

“Killing him now would be the best option, but still.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued nonchalantly.

“If Zhuge Sa falls under the Demon King’s control, he’ll become ten times stronger than now. At that point, Zhuge Sa himself will become a calamity. It’s better to cut off his breath with a fire elemental sword and absorb that power before it happens.”

I grabbed Cheon Woo-jin by his collar.

“I told you, I won’t do that!”

“Ho. Reborn person Baek Woong, is it? You plan to protect the life of your companion?”

“Yes.”

Cheon Woo-jin shook off my grasp. It seemed he used a technique peculiar to Illusory Gods to do so, disregarding my internal power. He glared at me with an annoyed expression and said.

“I really hate demon sorcerers like Zhuge Sa, and I loathe you too, but I believe that attitude is nothing more than self-satisfaction.”

“What?”

“So what do you intend to do? Because I can hold Zhuge Sa for ten days with a treasure—that’s only because I’m at that level. A demon sorcerer who has obtained 40% of the pure magical power from a supreme demon book is already beyond human standards. Almost no sealing technique in this world will be effective. If you have the audacity to speak, how about proposing a plan?”

“……”

When I shut my mouth, Cheon Woo-jin snarled instead.

“I’m not saying you should pursue human sacrifices for maximum efficiency as Zhuge Sa might suggest. But if there’s no method, it’s better to kill him, thus strengthening the fire elemental sword. I’m sure the older brother has already thought of this method, but because it involves his blood relation, he can’t bring it up, so I’m saying it for him.”

“But what is left after going that far?”

I struggled to respond.

“Am I to continue living while sacrificing the lives of my companions for resources across multiple reincarnations, repeatedly and endlessly? That’s…”

“That is no different than the Master of the White Lotus Sect or the Master of the Twelve Joules, isn’t it?”

“… Yes.”

Cheon Woo-jin chuckled in disbelief.

“Ha! You don’t have the right to criticize them right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“They had beliefs. And while you do have beliefs, it seems you’re mistaking something crucial. You’re not trying to save your companions’ lives for Zhuge Sa; you’re just making excuses to protect your own mental strength.”

“……!!”

“I understand, but I can’t empathize. Regardless, at least prepare your own answer.”

His gaze turned icy.

“Provide me with a solution, not an excuse.”

Whoosh!

In the next moment, Cheon Woo-jin vanished. He poured out all that he wanted to say like a waterfall and left. I was annoyed by his demeanor, but it was overshadowed by a pang in my chest. His words touched the contradiction I had harbored deep within me.

‘Damn…’

To uphold ties with companions and pursue righteousness for the greater good.

That might be ideal behavior, but what I faced now was a reality beyond that idealism. If I sought to save Zhuge Sa, who had made a contract with the Demon King, I would ultimately be falling for Changqie’s tricks. And yet, there was no clear method to seal him either. There was no best path; I had to choose the lesser evil in this frustrating situation.

The problem wasn’t just this moment. In the future, I would have to weigh countless times between my companions’ lives and efficiency as I continued to reincarnate. I was bound to encounter even more frustrating dilemmas ahead.

Each time, I would have to make choices. Cheon Woo-jin had seen my past lives, predicting this situation and calmly telling me to decide my heart ahead of time as a third party. Otherwise, it was apparent that I would be stuck in the same troubles over and over.

“……”

An answer, not an excuse.

I whispered that to myself as I headed toward the Prophet. There was a time for introspection, but now I had to move a bit more to find a solution.

Boom!

I first used my explosive power to head toward the secret library of the [Great Race] located in the Arasa Empire.

Teeng!

“Ugh?!”

However, I suddenly felt a force rebound against me, and I was thrown into the snowy mountains surrounding Moscow. Looking up, I could see a castle in the distance, meaning I had been flung about ten li. This was a phenomenon I had experienced before; I was unable to enter due to a barrier.

‘There’s a barrier around the secret library, unlike before…’

Did the [Great Race] suddenly feel the need to protect their knowledge repository due to recent events? It was evident that they had put a powerful barrier in place that could not be breached using the basic teleportation ability of the explosive power.

Using suspicious fishhook techniques, I reported the situation to Mangnyang. He, deeply engrossed in deciphering, responded.

[Baek Woong. Then, don’t force your way in and negotiate with the Prophet.]

[Using the Apostle’s power, shouldn’t I be able to break through that barrier…?]

[They likely haven’t only cast a protective barrier outside. They may have guardians inside, or even placed tracking spells on each book. Wouldn’t a race with a strong obsession for knowledge like the [Great Race] do that?]

[Hmm. That makes sense.]

[I could forcibly extract it, but leaving a bad impression before negotiations with the Prophet is not advisable. If it’s urgent, we can consider that later.]

[Understood.]

I felt some disappointment, but according to Mangnyang, it was impossible to extract books from the secret library right now. I then used my explosive power to arrive before the Prophet in Astana.

“Prophet. I am Baek Woong.”

[Ho… Apostle of the Three Sovereigns, is it?]

The greeting was different. In all my prior reincarnations, a Prophet had welcomed me as an unexpected visitor to their residence, but this time he recognized me as an Apostle immediately upon seeing me. I gazed at the Prophet quietly and asked.

“Do you know me, Prophet?”

[Of course… You are the great hero who defeated the Sea God… the Apostle chosen by the Three Sovereigns… Your feats are quite famous.]

The Prophet appeared genuinely curious. I thought he likely hadn’t noticed the mark identifying me as a reincarnator yet.

“I have come to trade with you. And let me say this.”

[What is it…]

“I am a reincarnator.”

[……!!]

The Prophet’s tentacles twitched as he displayed some strange geometric shapes in the air. After what seemed to be a confirmation process on his part, the Prophet let out a groan.

[Indeed… I understand… You were able to defeat the Sea God due to the cause and effect you’ve built in such a fleeting human lifespan… But why are you telling me this?]

“As you know, you’ve marked me, so there’s no point in hiding it. For the sake of mutual trust, I decided not to conceal it.”

[Hehe… It seems you’ve been trading with me for quite a while… Do you know my personality…?]

The Prophet seemed to find something amusing. Then he said.

[Very well… Speak your business. I will gladly engage in trade.]

“What I want are the details about Changqie. Why the Demon King has emerged, and information about ‘The First Character’ that can control the incarnation of Changqie.”

[……]

After a lengthy period of silence, the Prophet replied.

[I have been dragged into a complicated game… Will the victor of this game seize the authority of the world… Hmm…?]

The Prophet, who had been murmuring strange things, continued.

[Personally, I’ll hold off on judgment… I can’t predict who would win, you or Changqie… So I cannot side with either of you.]

“Stop with the nonsense and tell me if you can sell the information.”

[Of course, I can trade. If you present a suitable price…]

“Here it is.”

Swish!

I took out everything from my wooden armor, including the bracelet for summoning demon beasts, the Divine Portrait, the Crystal Stele, and various miscellaneous treasures. Literally, I took everything out except for essentials like the fire elemental sword and explosive power.

‘This is all I can mobilize right now.’

In this life, I’ve achieved so much that the treasures I’d accumulated early on had significantly diminished. Those treasures were consumed in exchange for various blessings and advantages. So, although this still felt lacking, I had no choice but to extract as much information as possible from this.

While the Prophet was gazing at the treasures I laid out, he said.

[You have quite a lot… But…]

“But what!”

[Changqie has a confidentiality treaty with me… So with this alone, I cannot divulge his secrets… Though I do not know much about them…]

“What do you mean…”

[Furthermore, save for some items you possess, the rest holds not much interest for me…]

I felt a dull ache in my head.

“A confidentiality treaty! Are you lying?”

The Prophet’s tentacles twitched.

[That’s impossible… It’s an agreement I made with Changqie long ago… He had an abnormal obsession with keeping his secrets… So, he took measures to make sure anyone who could extract his secrets, including me, remained silent… Though we established a treaty that was equal in value, many have been killed or sealed by Changqie back then…]

“……”

Just then, I recalled the moment when the power of the National Seal was sealed through a sudden ability of the sub-administrator. When the situation began to feel like I would be explored, Peng Zuo quickly placed a seal on the National Seal; there was a desperate determination behind his effort to hide his secrets. If Peng Zuo and Changqie were allies, Changqie would surely have a similar, if not greater, obsession with protecting his secrets.

‘That doesn’t sound like a lie.’

If that’s the case, Changqie and Peng Zuo lived for thousands of years, secretly operating in the worlds of China and the West, thoroughly hiding their identities. Yet, wouldn’t they be entities of a higher caliber than the Great Immortal? What were they afraid of to hide their secrets to that extent?

“Please wait a moment. Let me think this through.”

[Take your time…]

I folded my arms and pondered.

‘There’s still hope.’

While the Prophet sounded convincing, he was fundamentally close to information traders. If the price was right, he might break the treaty and sell information. I understood that through my many reincarnations. In other words, the treasures I offered simply didn’t meet his criteria for betrayal.

There is a way to get the Prophet to open his mouth. However, I hesitated considerably.

‘Should I sacrifice the National Seal?’

What a dilemma this is.

The value of the National Seal is equivalent to ten treasures, so it would undoubtedly open the Prophet’s closed lips. However, since the National Seal supplied immense power, it acted as a catalyst that allowed the Great Immortal, who had descended upon me, to fight against overwhelming foes. Without the National Seal, not even Jang Sam-bong could fight effectively for long, potentially causing him to consume his potential and self-destruct.

In simpler terms, sacrificing the National Seal to extract information would leave me lacking the means to contend against potent foes of the Apostle rank. Naturally, it would be a massive loss, which is why I couldn’t help but hesitate.

Finally, I opened my mouth.

“Prophet. I will pay later.”

[Later…?]

“I’ll hand over everything I’ve presented now, and I’ll provide the compensation for any insufficient information later. I simply don’t have enough to offer right now.”

The Prophet responded, seemingly surprised.

[Hmmm… No one has ever suggested post-payment to me in my life.]

“Is there a reason you can’t accept it? As you said, I’m a hero who defeated the Sea God. Besides, I am an Apostle of the Three Sovereigns! I promise to pay you sufficient compensation, whether it takes a hundred years or two hundred years for me to do so once this situation passes.”

[……]

Will this post-payment offer be accepted?

After a moment, the Prophet spoke.

[Unacceptable.]

“Why?!”

I spoke in disbelief.

“I have the ability to repay! You know well what it means that I am a reincarnator, right?”

[I acknowledge your ability, reputation, and qualifications… You are also an Apostle of the Three Sovereigns… But the fact that you are a reincarnator is precisely why I reject post-payment.]

“What do you mean?”

[A reincarnator dies and starts anew—that’s the end of it… If you propose a post-payment and something goes wrong, you could end up dead… Then I would never receive the remainder of the payment… Am I wrong? Not even gods can bring back your soul via necromancy…]

“……”

[Also, right now is… the perfect situation for you to drop dead at any moment…]

It seemed like the Prophet was viewing me with a devilish expression.

[You’re at an unreasonably high risk of fleeing… The highest in the universe… You must pay in advance…]

Paying in advance?!

Hearing that left my head spinning. Certainly, since I’m a reincarnator, I hadn’t thought about this angle, but from the perspective of someone aware of my reincarnator status, the Prophet would have to think that way. While I stood there dazed, the Prophet surveyed the treasures spread out before him and said.

[However… about Changqie himself… I can divulge the reasons why the Demon King has made a move… The aim of the Demon King… about ‘The First Character’ at least, I can tell you about that… There will be enough compensation for that…]

“Really?”

[Moreover, I also expect it will be interesting to see the clash between you two… I’ll present it as objectively as I can, so how about this exchange…?]

I mulled it over, then answered.

“Sure.”

I couldn’t forcibly draw out the information by sacrificing the National Seal or the unfree resources of the Twelve Luminaries and Moon Sovereign. However, that could be done later in a future life, and giving away the Seven Luminaries to the Prophet raised too many unpredictable reactions from the Celestial Realm. As I had my secret weapon left, I decided to first gather surrounding information.

‘If not, I’ll take the risk of being seen as a thief and steal books from the secret library to gather intelligence on Changqie.’

The Prophet began to speak.

[To begin with, the existence known as the Demon King has emerged for a simple reason… He has always watched the Central Plains with keen interest… Due to the law of cause and effect, he was merely enjoying the thrill of seizing human bodies… But recently, someone approached him and granted him a treasure able to nullify the law of cause and effect…]

“A treasure? A precious item?”

[I’m not sure… But a treasure that can nullify the law of cause and effect is exceptionally rare across heaven and earth… There might be one or two of those in the Celestial Realm, but for now, only those directly involved would know what specific treasure the Demon King has acquired…]

“Hmmm.”

[Moreover, that move was orchestrated by one amongst the incarnations, a being known as Gin Nara…]

“Gin Nara?”

I asked the Prophet.

“How strong is Gin Nara? What does he look like, and what abilities does he possess?”

[Due to the confidentiality treaty I mentioned earlier, I can’t elaborate much, but… among the eight, Gin Nara is the most skilled in transformation and is closest to human form… He also serves as the brain of the eight… Furthermore, to my knowledge, Gin Nara already has a close friendship with the Demon King…]

“Hmm. That seems odd.”

[What seems odd?]

“The Eight Greats are incarnations of Changqie. Therefore, wouldn’t they all share in one mind and one purpose? The description of being the brain seems a bit strange.”

[Hehe… The incarnations are conceptual entities. Not only Changqie but all other incarnations possess their own will… They live as independent personalities, it’s just their essence remains unchanged.]

“Hmmm!”

That was unexpected information.

The will of the incarnations does not necessarily align with the will of their original bodies, Changqie. Though they would obey as they received orders, it seemed to be a more distant relationship than I anticipated.

‘If that’s true, then the Eight Greats are essentially a group formed by eight beings with distinct personalities, united under a single purpose.’

As I pondered, the Prophet continued.

[As you might suspect… Because you and your group have touched upon Changqie’s reverse scale, he undoubtedly reacted immediately… Your war has already begun…]

“Tell me about ‘The First Character’ as well.”

[The First Character… That incident is tied to Changqie creating characters during the Divine Age…]

After a brief pause, the Prophet spoke again.

[Baek Woong… Do you believe that for any being with life and intention, the advancement of civilization requires characters?]

Without hesitation, I answered.

“Isn’t that obvious? Without characters, we can neither record knowledge and information nor communicate.”

[No… not necessarily… Among the various intelligent beings in the universe, many have developed civilizations without ever needing characters, solely through sorcery… Additionally, many have purposely refrained from extensively developing characters due to the potential dangers they pose.]

“Characters are dangerous?”

[Characters possess names, and names define existence.]

Names define existence?

Perplexed by those words, I tilted my head, and the Prophet continued.

[Changqie didn’t just create characters for humans; he provided the archetypes and origins of language to all races across every continent… Though this accelerated the development of civilization, it also inadvertently placed restrictions upon humanity.]

“So what exact restrictions and dangers are we talking about?”

[Those blessed by Changqie exert absolute dominance within the corresponding language zone… Characters interfere with the unconsciousness of humans, subjugating their souls entirely… Manipulating characters allows one to govern the names of beings indirectly, thereby seizing hold of their essences.]

“……!!”

Is it possible to govern names through characters?!

[This was a meticulously planned structure of domination since ancient times… By allowing humanity’s characters to be subservient to Changqie, they become akin to collars fitted on livestock.]

I began to comprehend the Prophet’s words.

“… Changqie has desired to continuously dominate humanity.”

[That’s something I can’t confirm… Yet it’s assured that humanity’s characters are heinously artificial… the result of great sorcery.]

“Well, that’s fair enough. So, is the ‘First Character’ just Hanzi?”

[No… that’s not it…]

“Then what is it?”

The Prophet paused for a moment, then said.

[To my knowledge, while Changqie created human characters, it was the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen who permitted and approved that act. When Changqie approached the Emperor, requesting to create characters, Gong Sun Xuanwen responded to him saying…]

“How did he respond?”

[“First, create a character that proves we are keeping our promises. Then, present it to me.”]

“……?”

A promise?

Which promise is this?

And who is this ‘we’?

Before I could say anything, the Prophet continued.

[Thus, Changqie protested and claimed that such a character would be challenging to create using his abilities… However, the Emperor insisted that he would grant no permission if his request was unfulfilled… As a result, Changqie had no choice but to discard the characters he originally intended to create and began anew… Afterward, the Emperor was satisfied with the presented character and granted him permission to create the other subordinate characters… That’s how Hanzi and other characters came into existence.]

I couldn’t help but let out a murmur.

“That’s… complicated.”

[That’s also something I stumbled upon while gathering information from the Celestial Realm… It is noted in our ancient literature among the secrets.]

“Why did the Emperor want that character made?”

[I wouldn’t know… The Emperor is the most secretive among the Three Sovereigns… Even the other Sovereigns might not grasp his true intent.]

“Hmm…”

[In any case, the character made then and offered to the Emperor was ‘The First Character’. Changqie poured his divinity into that character, meaning it would naturally weaken if interacted with by anyone other than his subordinates and incarnations…]

“Hmm, does that mean that the effect of that character doesn’t exist for anyone but Changqie and his followers?”

[That is what I believe…]

This was far from the secret I had imagined. I had assumed Changqie would be the one primarily responsible for its creation, but now I learned it was the Emperor who made such a demand. Moreover, it seemed there was a definitive reason behind his request for Changqie to create it.

Changqie must have brought forward what would be the basic outline of characters that could serve to dominate humanity in front of the Emperor, but instead, he ended up with a surprise task.

Additionally, from that anecdote, it was clear the Emperor held Changqie beneath his control, a being he could contain without any danger. Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen was unquestionably an absolute monarch whom Changqie could not manipulate with tricks.

What was the Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen thinking?

Why did he want such a character created?

I suddenly had a realization and asked,

“Then does that mean only Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen is aware of what The First Character truly is?”

[Yes…]

“Is there no written account of The First Character? Any means to obtain it…?”

The Prophet spoke in a slightly sorrowful tone.

[Sorry, but… there’s nothing like that… Our race gathers all the knowledge in this world, but since The First Character was offered to the Emperor the moment it was created… it’s unlikely it was ever documented in books… Even our race couldn’t collect that in the library.]

“……”

[However, each of the Three Sovereigns at the same level as the Emperor is said to have knowledge of that character and the ability to use it.]

“Is that so!”

My expression brightened. Under normal circumstances, one might question the worth of this for a clue, but for me, it was different now.

‘I am an Apostle of Sovereign Jeon Wook!’

I had even been honored with an invitation to banquets and had been trained under his powers for five years. No one among humans could claim to be closer to Jeon Wook than I. If I could ask him for a favor, perhaps I could find out what that ‘First Character’ was.

The Prophet said,

[There’s still compensation remaining… If you present an appropriate request, I will comply.]

The Prophet tended to be quite demanding, but he also showed a degree of neatness when it came time for settlement if compensation was left outstanding.

‘Moreover, considering how openly he’s imparted information, it seems he’s been enjoying this whole ordeal while pretending to maintain neutrality. The confidentiality treaty is just a formality.’

I could utilize such an aspect later as well.

After considering the Prophet’s next offer, I spoke.

“I’d like to ask two questions.”

[Go ahead…]

“First, the fire spirit within Hua Yo has been injured. Is there no way to expedite her recovery using the Sea God’s power?”

[Let me see…]

The Prophet gazed at the blade of Hua Yo thoughtfully before answering.

[You must activate her through the force of powerful flames… While Hua Yo symbolizes fiery power, assistance from an external source would also be beneficial… Seek out the strongest flames you can find in the human realm.]

“That sounds good.”

[What’s your other question…?]

I explained the situation regarding Zhuge Sa. Then I added,

“Is there any way to break the contract Zhuge Sa has made?”

[Either the Demon King must die… or, if not, the Demon King must dissolve it on his own… Once bound in contract with one’s soul, there is no way for another to break it.]

“… Is there really no other way?”

[Is the answer not already clear?]

“I’m not suggesting that…”

[If you can’t ask anything else, then inquire about something else…]

I pondered for a moment and then said,

“… Then grant me the ability to interpret demon books!”

[Hmm…?]

“Even a lowly level would do. Just enable me to read the ancient expressions.”

The Prophet seemed taken aback by the unexpected request. After a brief moment, he said,

[That’s clever…]

“……”

[Alright… I can grant you this much…]

Fwoosh!

A moment later, light burst from the Prophet’s tentacles and struck my body. I felt a green light linger on me as an inundation of information suddenly flooded my mind. Shortly after, I recognized a substantial quantity of knowledge swirling in my head.

The Prophet ran his mouth.

[I’ve only bestowed basic abilities upon you… If you fail to decipher anything with that, I will not be held responsible.]

“Is that all for the cost?”

[Indeed.]

The Prophet seemed to smile gleefully.

[Do be sure to provide an entertaining conflict…]

With the unique laugh of an otherworldly being, the Prophet vanished from the scene.

I took a deep breath and clenched my fist tightly. Now I had to utilize this interpretation ability to decode the ancient book of the Thunder Sound Sorcery.

“What does it matter if it’s the lesser evil?”

From the beginning, I was striving towards achieving the impossible, so it was evident that mere logical reasoning wouldn’t take me all the way.

Even if I had to repeatedly chip away at my attempts and clumsily maneuver through obstacles, I must never bend or give in.

Even if I continued to select the lesser evil amid overwhelming choices.

Even if I had to grapple with dilemmas between the lives of my companions and efficiency more frequently,

All I could do was hold onto my beliefs, constantly act, and discover the best path ahead.

I returned from the Prophet and relayed everything I had learned to Mangnyang. Then, I put my newfound ability to interpret demon books to the test on the ancient texts of the Thunder Sound Sorcery.

Woosh!

“I can read them!”

The ancient expressions of the demon book were entirely unlike human languages or writing systems. Moreover, they were close to the essential incantations that only the otherworldly beings could understand. It was a moment where I completely grasped Mangnyang Master’s earlier statement that a human scholar could never interpret the ancient expressions from the demon book.

“Good, this is great.”

Mangnyang beamed with delight.

“The fact that Changqie reacted to the leak of the Thunder Sound Sorcery writings indicates that they must contain critically fatal secrets related to him. We must surely find something within this demon book.”