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Pa-at!

I arrived at the ancient castle where Woohee might have been last. This place, near Gaixia, was now just a ruin since no one managed it anymore. Once, it must have been the final battleground of the intense Chu-Han contention, but now there were no heroes or armies left.

Ugh…

I decided to use the Heavenly Secret Technique to summon nearby powerful spirits. However, the ones that appeared were mostly nameless figures, typically soldiers who served under Xiang Yu back in the day—likely those who fell in the final battle against the Han forces. Seeing Xiang Yu’s subordinates pop out one after another left me pondering.

‘There were quite a few unsung heroes among Xiang Yu’s ranks. But why did they lose?’

If they were summoned by the Heavenly Secret Technique, it indicated they had extraordinary strength, wisdom, or talent far beyond that of ordinary folks. They must have been at least as capable as celestial beings, yet Xiang Yu still had such talents at hand when cornered at the end. When I asked Mangnyang, who was with me, about it, he replied.

“At that time, the momentum of the world leaned towards the Han. Whether there were many talents or few was irrelevant. Plus, Xiang Yu was incredibly self-absorbed and failed to utilize his talents properly. Had he even attempted to regroup across the Dong River and Jiangdong, there might have been hope, but he gave up on that.”

Mangnyang sighed deeply.

“Born with unparalleled talent, yet his actions were no different from someone who had given up on becoming the ruler of the world. Thus, such questions are pointless. The heroes summoned here died in vain…”

……

Mangnyang didn’t seem too fond of Xiang Yu. I sensed something odd.

‘Something feels off…’

Mangnyang’s perspective could be considered the mainstream opinion held by most scholars and literati in the present Central Plains. They viewed Xiang Yu merely as a defeated lord who perished waving his bravado, lacking any ruling capabilities. But in my encounters with Xiang Yu, he appeared to be a remarkably cool-headed and insightful person, unlikely to make foolish blunders.

Above all, he could take on hundreds of thousands of troops by sheer force alone. Yet still, was there a reason for him to be chased down by humanity to meet his death?

Regardless, what mattered now wasn’t this. I questioned Biram, a general who served Xiang Yu until the end.

“Biram, I want to know what happened to Woohee. Did she really end her life to avoid being a burden to Xiang Yu after calling for help as history states?”

[……]

Biram wore a pained expression before responding.

[Don’t speak such nonsense. If you insult my lord and her honor, I won’t answer, even if it means going to hell.]

“Hmm.”

He was quite a steadfast character. Being summoned by the Heavenly Secret Technique indicated a fear of the afterlife and an attempt to gamble for a place in heaven, showcasing loyalty that surpasses the likelihood of success! Considering he must have been quite the figure in life, I opted for courtesy and replied respectfully.

“I’ve heard rumors that were quite rude; I apologize if I offended.”

[I will accept that.]

“If you know Woohee’s whereabouts, could you share?”

[She left alone after receiving ‘strength’ from my lord.]

The ‘strength’ likely referred to some power passed from Xiang Yu, engaged with the Heavenly Astral Force. I was puzzled and followed up with a question.

“But at that time, the Han armies were surrounding Gaixia with hundreds of thousands of troops. How did a mere woman break past their siege?”

[I cannot say. But my speculation is that there was some secret pact between my lord and Liu Bang. I believe the Han forces did not obstruct her.]

“Hmm…”

[We bear no grudge against my lord regarding that matter. We had already surrendered our lives and deaths to him by then.]

Could it be that Xiang Yu negotiated with Liu Bang to let Woohee pass? This was quite different from the historical facts I knew, leaving me feeling puzzled. As I was lost in thought, Mangnyang piped up.

“Baek Woong. In that case, it’d be smarter to look for Liu Bang and summon him using the Heavenly Secret Technique. He would be the very person who sent Woohee away.”

“Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han… Where might he be?”

“Likely at the tombs of the Han royalty. Near Luoyang. I know the way, so let’s go.”

Pa-at!

Along with Mangnyang, I arrived at the royal tombs of the Han. They seemed well-preserved, and there were quite a few people around. I was curious as I scanned the surroundings.

“I never knew such a place existed near Luoyang.”

“Baek Woong, if you search with the Heavenly Secret Technique, the various emperors of the Han will present themselves one after another. You just need to find one with the aura of the Red Dragon.”

I followed Mangnyang’s advice. A moment later, I detected dozens of Han emperors, yet I looked specifically for one particularly strong with the dragon’s aura. Strangely, however, I couldn’t find anyone fitting that description.

“There’s no one…?”

“This is odd. Let me try.”

Mangnyang had also trained in the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate technique, allowing him to utilize the Heavenly Secret Technique. After focusing his energy for a while, he said, baffled.

“Um…!! There really isn’t anyone.”

“Could it be that Liu Bang lost the aura of the Red Dragon after his death?”

“That’s unlikely… Such a possibility doesn’t exist. But…”

Mangnyang muttered before suddenly coming to a realization.

“… there’s one possibility.”

“What is it?”

“After Liu Bang died, he might have returned to his true self, the Red Dragon.”

“… What? That’s nonsense…”

“It’s not impossible. We thought Liu Bang was merely a human born with the strength of the Red Dragon, but if he actually was the true avatar of the Red Dragon as rumored in the world… then it’s conceivable for an avatar to return to its original form.”

……

“Seems that Ying Po’s words were true.”

Scratching his head, he continued.

“The real issue is what kind of being the Red Dragon that granted strength to Liu Bang is.”

“Mangnyang, you’re well-versed in Daoism; don’t you know?”

“The Red Dragon as such doesn’t exist separately in the ranks of Daoist beings. There are dragons, but there’s no specific divine status that can distinctly classify as the Red Dragon. Thus, I always thought that ‘Red Dragon’ was a metaphor.”

“A metaphor?”

“Something whose true identity is irrelevant even if it becomes known, an existence that wishes to remain hidden. If its name becomes known to the world, it would cause troubles, possibly creating an avatar like Liu Bang.”

“Hmm, what could that be…”

I smelled something fishy, like a complex conspiracy. I pondered for a moment before speaking.

“In conclusion, we currently have no idea whose agent Liu Bang is.”

“What’s clear is that he wasn’t a human from the moment he was born.”

Mangnyang added.

“We should discuss this more with the priest. Let’s head back.”

I returned to the Southern Continent with Mangnyang. Then, I shared the information I gathered with Cheon Woo-jin and Zhuge Sa. Cheon Woo-jin then said.

“The most famous Red Dragon I know of is the Southern Red Dragon, Kwang Li-wang.”

“The Dragon King of the Four Seas, huh?”

Cheon Woo-jin nodded and replied.

“But as you all know, ever since the massacre with the Dragon King, the Celestial Dragons, including the Four Sea Dragon King, have rarely appeared and the Four Sea Dragon King has completely vanished. I believe it’s the aftereffects of battling the Dragon of the Apocalypse during Yeodong-bin’s time.”

“That makes sense.”

“The Dragon of the Apocalypse inflicted severe wounds on all the Sea Dragon Kings back then, and some might even have perished. In this situation, summoning the Southern Red Dragon Kwang Li-wang would likely yield no results.”

“Hmm…”

Just then, Zhuge Sa, who was nearby, chuckled.

“Isn’t there one other famous Red Dragon?”

“Are you talking about the Fire Dragon Incarnate?”

“Either way, she’s still a Red Dragon. If she regains her strength, she might even be stronger than any individual Sea Dragon King.”

Then Cheon Woo-jin shook his head as if it was ridiculous.

“She doesn’t exist as her true self; she’s the avatar of Shenglong. I’ve never heard of an avatar creating another avatar.”

“But aren’t demon beasts known to do something similar?”

“That applies only to beings that are undefined, like half-demons. But if a mighty being like the Fire Dragon Incarnate tried to do that, there’s a high chance of her essence breaking apart and leading to her demise.”

“This is troublesome.”

Zhuge Sa yawned, then said.

“Rather than going around in circles and futzing about due to Xiang Yu’s request, why don’t we just conveniently ask the ruler of the jungle to use the black talisman to save Woohee?”

“……!!”

“Seems like an easier option.”

Wait, that method might actually work?!

As I inwardly thought that to be a brilliant idea, Mangnyang said.

“Uncle, it’s a waste to expend such great powers for just a request from Xiang Yu. That’s a capacity that can shake heaven and earth, and using it for such trivialities…”

“Eh, what waste? To be honest, I wanted to use it to save someone else.”

He smacked his lips and continued.

“But are you really going to venture into the Underworld to find Woohee’s soul? That would be a complete turnabout.”

I agreed with that.

“True…”

The Underworld.

A world where the souls of the dead gather.

The sorcerers seemed to have some vague idea of how it operated, but the living couldn’t enter that realm. Zhuge Sa once mentioned that he hadn’t been there much, claiming that the Underworld was special even among otherworldly realms. Moreover, since it’s tightly connected to the Celestial Realm, the chance of getting caught in the clutches of the Three Sovereigns was quite high.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to essentially ‘die’ and stir things up in the Underworld just once, but my goal this life isn’t the Underworld; it’s Dark Heaven Village. Having prepared to go to Dark Heaven Village, it’d be dreadfully inefficient to suddenly die and head to the Underworld. That’s like throwing away decades of painstaking effort.”

“Hmph…”

“Even when you try to save it, it just turns into waste. I think using the black talisman is the better option.”

Zhuge Sa’s opinion seemed to resonate with Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin as well. After a brief interlude, Cheon Woo-jin said.

“There are risks involved. Speaking on the premise that Woohee, who holds the Heavenly Astral Force, comes back with the black talisman, but what if that’s not the case?”

Zhuge Sa recognized his point and coldly chuckled.

“Haha! That’s even more amusing. The Chu-Han period was nearly 2,000 years ago; do you really think she’s still alive?”

“We can’t dismiss that possibility. She’s inherited the Power of the Constellation.”

“The absence of Woohee in this world has already been confirmed using the National Seal’s abilities. Therefore, she could be wandering the otherworldly realm, surviving for 2,000 years. Is that even considered human?”

“Nah, definitely not. Either way, she’d be no longer human.”

“Instead of endlessly chattering about this and that, let’s just use the black talisman. What’s so hard about it?”

Zhuge Sa seemed irritated.

But I felt that his proposal was rather hasty.

‘Exactly. As Cheon Woo-jin said, she could very well still be alive…’

If I asked to summon a living being?

There’s also a chance of killing the otherwise healthy Woohee and bringing her back. The [Ruler of the Jungle] didn’t care about human convenience even a little, merely playing with the world for his own amusement—the [Old Ruler]. Hypothetically interpreting that might bring us despair instead.

Should things go awry, it would later become impossible to retrieve the obsidian from Xiang Yu to turn him into an ally. Depending on the powers of the [Old Ruler] was a dangerous notion, so I had to be careful.

I pondered and finally spoke.

“I agree with Zhuge Sa’s suggestion, but I’d like to wait a bit. I’d prefer to wait until the Fire Dragon Incarnate recovers her powers; then we can proceed.”

“Are you considering asking the Fire Dragon Incarnate about the Red Dragon?”

“Correct.”

“Do as you see fit, but don’t waste time. It’s not entirely impossible for the Master of the White Lotus Sect to come all the way to the Southern Continent, nor can we be certain what the Master of the Twelve Joules might concoct.”

“More than that, Zhuge Sa, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Teach me the Forbidden Law for shifting to the other world.”

At my request, Zhuge Sa let out a sly grin and said.

“That’s really tough since it uses demonic entities from the otherworld as summoning techniques. Are you sure you can learn? I had quite a hard time mastering it myself.”

If Zhuge Sa was straightforward about its difficulty, it must be genuinely tough. But I clenched my teeth.

“I will learn.”

“Even if it takes decades?”

“I’ll still learn it.”

I clenched my fist with a determined expression.

“In any case, I need this to find the Four Great Artifacts of the White Lotus Sect in the future.”

This couldn’t go on. During this lifetime, while using the National Seal, I realized there was a high chance of some artifacts being scattered across worlds other than this one. But without Zhuge Sa’s help, I couldn’t traverse to other worlds, meaning I was limited as is.

Only by being capable of exploring other realms myself can I delve into the Underworld and seek the Four Great Artifacts of the White Lotus Sect.

 

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