Dark Heaven Village

With the use of the Golden Lamp and Wooden Armor, I decided to head to Guangdong Province first to meet Matteo Ricci and negotiate with him about relocating our base to the Kingdom of Duke Du. Upon hearing our circumstances, Matteo Ricci nodded seriously and said, “Understood. I will also ask for cooperation from the Provincial Governor of Guangdong.”

“Thank you.”

Once the preparations were roughly complete, I set off with Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin towards Master Mangnyang’s village.

Pa-at

As we entered the village, an unsettling vibe struck me. Cheon Woo-jin, his face slightly pale, spoke.

“I don’t sense the Master’s energy.”

“I see… what could have happened?”

I wandered around the places we usually offered our rituals, circling around Yeodong-bin’s shrine with the two of them. However, no sign of Master Mangnyang appeared to summon us; instead, the emptiness felt overwhelming. After meandering in the village for about half a moment, we stopped a villager to ask.

“Has something significant happened in this village recently?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure…”

Wasn’t that a bit too nonchalant?

Just in case, I asked,

“Didn’t a colossal natural disaster strike near Luoyang?”

The villager looked perplexed and replied,

“Such a thing happened?”

“…”

The villagers here seemed utterly clueless, as they merely tilted their heads in response to my question. Eventually, after grabbing a quick bite at a nearby tavern, I decided to gather the two and sort out the current situation.

“It seems Master Mangnyang has left this village.”

“I can guess the reason for the Master’s departure. Perhaps the Evil Spirit aims to disrupt the Battle Ground, so he left his monitoring post to manage it himself.”

“Hmm…”

I pondered. Then Cheon Woo-jin spoke,

“The Master held a fondness for this village. It seems he protected it even while the Evil Spirit wreaked havoc in Luoyang.”

“So that’s why the villagers are unaware of the disaster in Luoyang?”

“A blessing from the Divine.”

It suddenly dawned on me how fortunate the villagers were. Even being close to Luoyang, they had escaped the great calamity because Master Mangnyang provided direct protection.

‘The people of Luoyang are probably left as mere corpses or gone crazy.’

Just being caught up in the clash of the [Old Ruler]—who bends life and death at will—was reason enough to lose one’s mind. As I thought deeply, I said,

“Then, if we enter Luoyang, we should be able to find Master Mangnyang.”

“To be honest, I’m not sure. The chances are high that it will fail.”

“Why’s that?”

Mangnyang sighed and replied,

“The Master reduced his immense presence while watching over Luoyang from this village. The ordinary human mind would not withstand even recognizing his existence. Yet, in confronting the Evil Spirit, he might have awakened his true nature, meaning he might no longer be the being we knew.”

“… I see.”

A divine being powerful enough to face the Evil Spirit. He has lowered his powers to dwell in this village, but with the barrier’s impending destruction, he must have fully committed himself to defend it. Naturally, considering the stature of such a superior being, his essence here would surely differ.

‘I might get killed if I awkwardly try to talk to him.’

While the possibility exists, it’s undeniably risky. I realized that attempting to reach Master Mangnyang directly by going to Luoyang was an extremely dangerous matter and told the two.

“First, I think it’s best to move our base entirely to the Kingdom of Duke Du. It seems we need to organize the situation before making further moves.”

“Baek Woong, that’s not the most pressing matter right now. There’s something more important.”

“What is it?”

“Please check the status of the Heavenly Altar of the Five Great Mountains immediately.”

Mangnyang spoke gravely.

“With the balance of Yin and Yang disrupted, we don’t know what kind of cracks might have appeared in the Heavenly Altar. If we’re not careful, a greater calamity could occur.”

“Even if I observe the cracks, I have no means to repair them.”

“The priests will handle that on their own.”

Cheon Woo-jin’s face contorted, but I ignored him and activated the Palace Examination Technique.

Woo-woong

‘Now I understand a bit about how to use it.’

Initially, it felt awkward like wearing clothes that didn’t fit, but now I had a sense of using the technique. I focused my gaze toward the Heavenly Altar of the Five Great Mountains through the Palace Examination Technique.

After inspecting everything, I reported,

“All is safe.”

“Thank goodness.”

“By the way, I wonder what’s become of the Vermilion Bird’s soul?”

“I don’t know, but it’s likely become the possession of the Evil Spirit.”

“Hmm…?”

“His soul was once harvested by the Sleeper, but the Evil Spirit killed the Sleeper and took the Law of Cause and Effect from him. However, at the same time, he must have taken the souls the Sleeper possessed. Like trophies.”

“What of the possibility of him escaping?”

“… Honestly, I’m not sure. He’s a genius strategist, so I can’t imagine what kind of tricks he might prepare. I never would have guessed he’d pull a double contract between the Evil Spirit and the Sleeper.”

Mangnyang looked up at the sky and said,

“I don’t understand why my father so obsessively seeks to destroy the Celestial Realm. Scheming against the [Old Ruler] at the cost of sacrificing all his souls would be an act of suicide…”

“……”

I certainly understood the Vermilion Bird’s motive. It likely centers around vengeance for his deceased wife who died in his place long ago. Although Mangnyang was aware of this motive, saying ‘I don’t know’ stemmed from the feeling that the Vermilion Bird’s actions were far too desperate to merely be revenge and that he had other objectives. Betraying the Divine and braving an eternal living hell while sowing discord among the gods is not something a normal person would dare to undertake.

‘It’s not merely a simple revenge… There must be some compelling reason for the Vermilion Bird, aka Zhuge Yulong, to obliterate the Celestial Realm.’

This wasn’t someone who would throw everything into a single vendetta.

He would aim for something beyond that.

I sensed it that way. Although there’s no particular reason, my instincts had sharpened today and were screaming it out. Yet, since I wouldn’t know the reason now, I had no choice but to find out later.

Pa-at

We arrived at the harbor in Guangdong Province and boarded a ship to set sail for the Kingdom of Duke Du. After just getting to the Kingdom of Duke Du, we busily spent half a day setting up a new base. While arranging all sorts of treasures, servants, weaponry collected from Jinrang Valley and Jangryeong Valley at the new base, we suddenly heard a rumble.

“Storm clouds are approaching. Be careful!”

One of Matteo Ricci’s subordinates shouted loudly. Just a single clap of thunder from the clouds, but ominous rain was gathering from above. I tensed up, wondering if it was the Evil Spirit descending again, but it turned out to be just an unusual rain cloud.

As we paused our work and gathered inside the large tent to rest, Zhuge Sa called us and suggested moving to a more discreet location before speaking.

“The first thing we need to acquire is the Moon Sovereign. Let’s take the day off today and mobilize starting tomorrow.”

“Wait. Before that, I have a question.”

“What is it, Sword Demon?”

The Sword Demon calmly asked Zhuge Sa.

“You mentioned that the axis has shifted and the balance of Yin and Yang has collapsed. Could you specify what that means and how it will destroy the Central Plains? I don’t understand the sorcery.”

“Hmm. It’s true that most people don’t understand.”

Zhuge Sa nodded and began explaining,

“The world, being a spherical celestial body, is meant to rotate and orbit around the sun. Meanwhile, it has a property of self-rotation at the same time, where each rotation has an angle and axis. Like this.”

Zhuge Sa picked up a watermelon nearby, stabbing a long branch into its center, and using the stick to whirl the watermelon around. Then he continued.

“This axis has now been completely reversed due to the Evil Spirit’s power. Like this.”

Suddenly, he flipped the watermelon upside down, and the stick he was holding turned in the opposite direction.

“To put it simply, the world has been flipped physically. Literally.”

The Sword Demon, listening, found it incredulous and said,

“Something so absurd like that… What in the world happens when the axis reverses?”

“Extreme polar shifts aren’t entirely foreign to natural phenomena. Celestial bodies periodically undergo polar shifts, where the North Pole becomes the South and vice versa. However, with a sudden shift of the axis, significant tectonic shifts will occur, and the scale of those changes will definitely exceed the capacity of human civilization as it currently stands. This goes for both the East and West. Unless they have a civilization level capable of building an ark to colonize Mars, but right now, that’s impossible.”

Zhuge Sa leaned against a nearby stone wall and continued,

“First, the sunset and sunrise will change drastically, and the cycle of day and night will be thrown into chaos. The plates will shake significantly, increasing the chances of mega earthquakes as continents collide. Most importantly, since the Evil Spirit has awakened all the ley lines, not just the Central Plains but even nearby dormant volcanoes will erupt into active ones.”

“……”

“It’s not like destruction will happen immediately, like when Jeon Wook wielded the Seven Luminaries. But within at least 100 days, humanity will be reduced to less than 5% of its current numbers.”

The Sword Demon replied,

“Then, the Kingdom of Duke Du can’t remain unscathed, can it?”

“Of course not. However, the situation here is better than the mainland, which is why we came. The true horror in this disaster isn’t the axis shift but the destruction of Yin and Yang.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Zhuge Sa clasped his hands and responded,

“Originally, Yin and Yang were meant to coexist in a complementary balance, perfectly set at a half equilibrium. But the Evil Spirit has greatly intensified the Yin, such that currently it’s about three parts Yang to seven parts Yin. Therefore, the beings and sorcery belonging to Yin have become stronger than before. Great Demons have unexpectedly proliferated as well.”

“Is the emergence of Great Demons so frightening?”

“Well… while Great Demons themselves shouldn’t be underestimated, they alone won’t decide the fate of humanity. The real issue is the very balance of the scales, where those beings belonging to Yin will inherently dominate.”

Mangnyang, who had been listening from the side, sighed.

“Ha! At this point, the powers of human sorcerers would have shrunk compared to before, while the sorcery of monsters and otherworldly races has likely multiplied in strength by several times. Furthermore, if the force of Yin blankets the world for an extended period, those among the Great Demons who evolve may ascend to the rank of Demon King or Apostle level.”

“……”

“What’s even scarier is that it’s now significantly easier for the otherworldly races to create dimensional gates. If the fanatics and followers of the [Old Ruler] lurking around begin to cause disasters here and there, the end will accelerate.”

“Hmm…”

After hearing everything, the Sword Demon trembled as he clenched his fists. Sweat poured down his forehead, and he muttered,

“While I had the confidence to take down Great Demons, now that the balance of the world has shifted, I find myself utterly powerless against them…”

Zhuge Sa chuckled dryly and said,

“Don’t beat yourself up. Even if it were the Three Pure Ones of the Celestial Realm, they’d have no way to intervene in this situation. Like I mentioned, we need to focus solely on surviving.”

“If we can obtain the Seven Luminaries, wouldn’t there be a solution?”

“Absolutely. That’s the only bargaining chip humanity can present at this stage. If we use the Seven Luminaries well, we’ll manage to find a way forward.”

Zhuge Sa spoke resolutely as he turned to me.

“Baek Woong. It’s an adventure, but we must eliminate the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign tomorrow without fail.”

“It would be safer if we liberated the Water Element first…”

I worriedly retorted. It’s not that we couldn’t take it down outright with our current strength, but liberating the Seven Luminaries would certainly make the battle much easier. Then Zhuge Sa responded as if questioning my intelligence.

“In a situation where the balance of Yin and Yang has been distorted, communicating with the Celestial Realm through the Heavenly Altar is far too risky. Also, have you considered just how twisted the Psyche of the Three Sovereigns might be right now?”

“Hmm!”

“Amidst the chaos caused by the Evil Spirit, you think they’ll readily accept a plea to liberate the Seven Luminaries, known as the key to the end? We’ll need to prove our power by acquiring the Moon Sovereign first before discussing it. We must position ourselves as capable of stabilizing the chaos, making our plea.”

“That makes sense.”

Just then, Jin So-cheong spoke.

“I’ve heard that the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign is enormous and able to hover in the sky. How do we plan to engage in aerial combat?”

“Our sorcerers will provide support in that regard. With Cheon Woo-jin here, we should be fine for the most part.”

We earnestly devised an operation plan on how to take down the Guardian of the Moon Sovereign.

And just as the discussion matured, unexpectedly, Matteo Ricci called out to me.

“Baek Woong.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve heard you intend to subdue a powerful Demon…”

“That’s the plan.”

Matteo Ricci, hesitating for a moment, finally said,

“If so, could you wait a bit longer?”

“……?”

“Currently, I’ll report on the state of the Central Plains to the headquarters, and they will send the strongest sorcerer to support us. He is the most reliable sorcerer from our Society. His assistance will surely ease your burden.”

“Hm. How long would I have to wait?”

“About a month…”

Upon hearing that, I shook my head.

“We’re in a dire situation right now, so I can’t afford to wait.”

Matteo Ricci looked disappointed.

“Is that so… then I will assign him to locate the Philosopher’s Stone instead.”

“Do as you wish.”

That night, I fell soundly asleep at the residence. I intended to recover my strength completely today and set out in top condition tomorrow to acquire the Moon Sovereign.

A dream…

What is this dream?

The moon is shining.

In this vast meadow, an eerie melody echoes hauntingly.

A tune so nostalgic – such a melody.

[The Three Sovereigns collectively warned me in the past: They will respect me, thus do not interfere with each other.]

*thud thud*

[But now the circumstances have changed.]

From beyond the darkness, a black cat slowly approached me.

‘Master Mangnyang!’

I realized this was a dream, yet unlike the experience I had within Master Mangnyang’s village, I felt unable to move.

Master Mangnyang scanned me with his cold gaze and said,

[Soon, a third faction will approach you and inquire about your intentions. What they desire is the destruction of the Three Sovereigns.]

A third faction?

I opened my mouth to retort, but no voice came.

It seemed Master Mangnyang wasn’t here to converse but rather to unilaterally relay his message.

[Let me give you some advice. If you wish to save humanity, do not fixate on allying with the Three Sovereigns. The most crucial thing is…]

Ssssss

Ssssss

White mist began to swirl, engulfing my view. In the depths of the pure white haze, it felt as though a horrific chaos intertwined, and my consciousness felt like it was being bleached. The instant I gazed directly into Master Mangnyang’s mental world, it felt like my heart would stop.

“… Huh!!”

I heard the sound of a cricket chirping.

It was still dawn.

Having suddenly awoken from my sleep, I sat up in my bed, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

Yet the last words spoken by Master Mangnyang remained vividly etched in my memory.

I must draw Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen into this game.

   

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