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“I knew the Sword Demon was aware of the showdown between the Eight Parts of the Divine and Zhu Rong, but I didn’t care.”

After all, by the time he was to settle things with Musashi, it would all be over anyway. There wasn’t anything he could do even if he found out, as what mattered was fulfilling his mission as commanded by the strategist.

About four days later, the Sword Demon arrived at Liaoning Province. He sat in an inn, staring at the sunlight streaming through the window while lost in thought. That’s when Seo Mun-hye, seated across from him, spoke up.

“Father, what are you thinking?”

“Hyea.”

The Sword Demon looked at her for a moment. He had purposely kept her away from the fight in the Divine City because she was too weak. Now that they were reunited in this life, he still felt uneasy. Because he knew nothing had been resolved yet.

Chi You.

A mythical figure revered as a military god by the Miao tribe. Of course, not many in the Central Plains would believe Chi You had ever existed. They might even dismiss the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors as mere historical fables, so to them, Chi You was nothing but a myth.

But the truth was different. Chi You existed in the era of myths and was the mightiest giant who fought against the Three Sovereigns with the power of the [Old Ruler]. Having inherited Baek Woong’s memories, the Sword Demon knew that this incredible figure was connected to his daughter, Seo Mun-hye. This knowledge came from the Nine Lotus Bishop, a servant of the Evil God who had taken control of Mun-hye’s body in Baek Woong’s past life, always inquiring whether she knew anything about Chi You.

The Sword Demon worked tirelessly to alleviate his suspicions, although progress was slow. He had discovered that the Seo clan, the family of his late wife, was unknowingly related to the Grave of the God, located in Liaodong, but he couldn’t get any further than that.

‘It was because of the Twelve Joules.’

Liaodong and Liaoning Province were both under the strong influence of the Twelve Joules. If the Sword Demon’s subordinates dug for information here, they would attract too much suspicion, so he could only indirectly employ locals and scholars to gather intel.

But that was no longer the case. The Twelve Joules were nearly shattered, and their leaders were dead anyway. Plus, unexpectedly having engaged in a life-and-death decision meant Miyamoto Musashi was also dead. Now, the Sword Demon could freely operate in Liaoning Province and investigate the [Grave of the God] without concern.

He fidgeted with Seo Mun-hye’s hand and sighed.

“I’ve passed on Baek Woong’s memories to you.”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you afraid? That you’re tied to beings capable of tearing this narrow world apart like paper?”

Seo Mun-hye took a moment and then replied.

“I actually find it reassuring.”

“Are you serious?”

“If Chi You’s power is indeed asleep within me, I could use it to help Baek Woong. I don’t want to keep being a burden to my benefactor.”

“……”

The Sword Demon didn’t know what to say.

His only daughter was willing to risk her life for one man, and he had to support that resolve, which complicated his feelings deeply. Under normal circumstances, if they were fighting against a rival in Jianghu, he’d commend Mun-hye’s attitude. But the enemies they faced were monumental figures, like gods or demon kings.

He already knew what would happen if they lost, thanks to Baek Woong’s past life memories. They would endure unspeakable tortures beyond any human cruelty. Perhaps dying would be better. Knowing the level of tragedy that awaited made it hard for the Sword Demon to encourage his daughter too readily.

Instead, he looked at Seo Mun-hye with firm eyes.

“Hyea, if you fall into a situation you can’t recover from… I will end your life swiftly. You must promise to do the same for me.”

Though such words were not something a parent should say, Seo Mun-hye understood their underlying meaning and smiled brightly in response.

“I trust you, Father.”

If it came to that, she would rather die by the hands of her blood. Such a bond formed between father and daughter.

The Sword Demon thought he was going insane.

‘No, perhaps the world has been mad all along.’

If he wanted to get swept up in the chaos of the world, he would need to protect himself with madness. He steeled himself once more and called out to the figure approaching the inn’s entrance.

“Tang San. Have you arrived?”

The still youthful Tang San greeted the Sword Demon with a martial authority.

“Elder, it’s been a while.”

“Have you brought the sorcerer?”

“He’s waiting in front of the Seo Mun house in Liaoning.”

“Why not just move together and meet face to face?”

Tang San replied.

“He dislikes being caught in matters that aren’t his responsibility. I had to forcibly keep him here, but don’t provoke him.”

“Hmm…”

True. The task Tang San received from the Zhuge Clan was to bring the most powerful sorcerer from the Jesuits. While he didn’t know the sorcerer’s name or identity, the Zhuge Clan had learned of such a figure through Baek Woong’s past life memories and sent Tang San to negotiate with Matteo Ricci to borrow the sorcerer. If they had someone of that caliber, it would be a huge help in the fight against the Eight Parts of the Divine.

Of course, Tang San couldn’t summon him in time for the Divine City confrontation, so he ended up arriving late, only to see a ruin in place of a battlefield. Zhu Rong and the Eight Parts of the Divine had already vanished. Shocked, Tang San quickly made his way to meet the Sword Demon, exchanging messages to update each other’s locations and situations within the city.

The Sword Demon asked, “How strong is that sorcerer?”

“I’m not well-versed in sorcery, but he could walk on water indefinitely with just his bare feet. Also, the abilities he shows defy common sense.”

Tang San cautiously added, “…He mustn’t become our enemy.”

“That would indeed be best.”

The Sword Demon knew Tang San well. Cunning and persistent, with a genius-like talent, he offered a perspective that often felt more objective than an ordinary person’s. If Tang San considered the gap in their powers to be that significant, then the Jesuits’ reputation as the mightiest was likely true.

As the Sword Demon stood up, he said, “Let’s move.”

“Are you sure it’s alright to act without the strategists?”

“It’s my judgment. There shouldn’t be a problem. The Zhuge Clan has told me they’d contact me if they needed anything, and this was planned long in advance.”

As he left the inn, he added, “And if the Zhuge Clan truly needed to adjust their strategy, they would do whatever it takes to send me orders. That’s the kind of person he is.”

“Understood.”

They all headed towards the Seo Mun house in Liaoning. There, they found a figure in a long black cloak waiting. Upon seeing the Sword Demon, the figure removed his hood.

“Greetings.”

“Are you the one who came at Matteo Ricci’s request?”

“Indeed. I am…”

The blond, blue-eyed man hesitated before finally saying, “Call me Berus.”

Berus, huh? The Sword Demon nodded and spoke.

“Berus, I apologize for involving you in our affairs. I know you must be busy, but please lend us a little cooperation.”

“What is it that I need to do?”

The Sword Demon showed Berus a map.

“The areas marked on this map are the candidates for the [Grave of the God] that my subordinates have unearthed. The research has narrowed it down to five locations.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

Berus scrutinized the Sword Demon and replied.

“Explain why you are searching for this [Grave of the God]. If not, I shall not assist.”

As expected. The Sword Demon calmly explained.

“There are legends that the Giant Race sleeps in the [Grave of the God]. We intend to awaken them to gain power against the [Old Ruler].”

“Do you know how dangerous the Giant Race is? They are a true divine race that once dominated this world. They are beings far beyond the reach of humanity! If you rashly awaken them, it will spell disaster.”

“Are you opposed to that?”

Berus responded with unease in his voice, “It seems there are no one among you who possesses accurate knowledge of sorcery or the [Old Ruler]. Countless disasters have arisen from those ignorant of ancient ruins meddling carelessly, so I do not wish to help.”

“But Matteo Ricci already promised to assist you.”

When the Sword Demon pressed, Berus grunted.

“…If you truly want my help, you must follow three safety protocols.”

“What are they?”

Berus raised three fingers, slowly counting them down one by one.

“One. If you hear the call of an [Old Being], inform me immediately. Two, do not touch suspicious objects or carelessly interact with otherworldly creatures. Three, if I say to retreat, do not argue and retreat at once.”

“Alright.”

The Sword Demon agreed to Berus’s conditions.

‘After all, there’s no avoiding listening to this guy’s words.’

From what Berus said, he alone was knowledgeable about the other races and sorcery. It would’ve been better if Cheon Woo-jin had come along, but it seemed he had to attend to a more important mission. Although skilled in martial arts, the others were novices in this field, so following the advice of an expert was imperative.

“Let’s search for the suspicious ruins.”

Moments later, Berus conjured a swirling pattern above his hand, shaping it into a fish.

Pa-at!

The fish flopped in the air like it was alive before diving into a point on the map. Berus then inserted his arm into a seemingly gaping hole in the map, and with certainty in his voice, he declared, “This seems suspicious. Follow me.”

With a whoosh, Berus quickly pulled himself into the map as if it were a portal, and Tang San and the Sword Demon followed suit. Miraculously, they traversed through the map and arrived at an unnameable hill.

Tang San asked Berus, “Is what you use sorcery or magic?”

Without hesitation, Berus replied to Tang San’s question, “It’s faith.”

“Faith? Can that be a source of power?”

“I have formed a special contract with the Guardian… I can’t elaborate further.”

Berus, evading further inquiry, gazed up at a small hill that appeared to be about two hundred zhang high.

“The space here is distorted, creating fissures. It seems there is a wedge overlapping dimensions, and if we pull it out, we can enter the overlapping world.”

“That place must be the [Grave of the God]?”

“I’m not certain. But something feels off…”

“What’s off?”

……

Berus silently summoned the fish again and let it fly into the air. The fish vanished, then reappeared, and Berus lamented, “Oh no… It’s gone wrong.”

“What happened?”

“It’s not just a wedge there. To know the true location of the grave, we must enter the internal ruins and find the [Key]. The issue is that entry conditions require bloodlines.”

“Bloodline?”

Berus nodded.

“Assuming this is the Giant Race’s ruins… only those of the Giant Race or their descendants can explore the ruins.”

At that moment, Tang San glanced at the Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye.

The Sword Demon spoke with a strained expression, “Hyea and I will enter once each. Please pull out the wedge.”

“Understood.”

With a whoosh, as Berus recited an incantation, a dark door appeared in the air. The Sword Demon thought it was quite remarkable and convenient, but alternatively, it meant Berus was an incredibly skilled sorcerer. The lower the skill, the more effort required, while the higher it was, the more efficient everything became. If Berus wasn’t there, they would never have reached this point.

‘Why is he with the Jesuits? What’s his true identity?’

The Sword Demon found himself quite curious, but now was not the time for such inquiries. He took a deep breath and stepped into the dimensional door.

Thump!

But the Sword Demon was immediately rebounded by an unknown force. While he staggered, Seo Mun-hye walked into the portal, and this time, surprisingly, she was able to enter smoothly.

“……!!”

“She’s in. Let’s hope she finds a clue.”

Berus commented observing her entrance, but the Sword Demon had no time to spare his thoughts. In that moment, he felt a blend of joy and despair at once.

‘This is unbelievable…’

A new path for exploring the ruins of Chi You had opened up, yet it simultaneously proved that Seo Mun-hye had the bloodline of a Giant. Seeing his daughter was not purely human was a sentiment too overwhelming to articulate.

 

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