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Chapter 786: True Martial Home

The 25th life has begun.

I lay in the barn, dazed for a while.

‘What the…?’

I felt utterly deflated.

It was the first time I collected all Seven Luminaries, and right after that, I managed to face the trials, even conquering the last one, the Sun Trial. I thought meeting the Emperor would bring significant progress in my path, but to think that I failed to transcend to the “next stage” of consciousness just because I sacrificed my Six Luminaries!

No, that’s not the issue. The real question is whether I can challenge the Seven Luminaries again and achieve that level of success. Gathering all Six Luminaries is an incredible feat; given the sheer difficulty and luck involved, the chances of accomplishing it in this life are slim. Plus, without the blessing of Great Creation, my odds of overcoming the final guardian of the Sun, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, and the might of Shenglong are almost nonexistent.

Do I really have to give up on gathering all the Seven Luminaries?

Stuck in my thoughts, I could only sit there dejectedly.

Moo—

After a while, the barn’s cow, the Golden One, came over and nudged me with its head.

“…Thanks, buddy.”

As I petted Golden One, a pang of sorrow struck me.

‘Since the very first life, it’s been only this guy on my side.’

I should let Golden One live comfortably someday….

But at this rate, all living beings just end up in the belly of the Master, the cycle of reincarnation cut off, so it hardly matters whom I care for in this life. Having come this far, I see no other option but to eliminate the gods to settle things.

Suddenly, I found myself contemplating reincarnation.

Why do humans need the Underworld?

Why must they be reborn after death?

It might be a silly thought, but for someone like me, who has witnessed the Underworld, death, the cycle of existence, and divine powers, it feels like a practical question. Of course, a reincarnation system is necessary to prevent living beings from ending up in the belly of the Old Ruler after death, but still, why must life keep repeating itself?

Some might envy me for endlessly reincarnating using the Heavenly Secret, but as the one experiencing it, I actually feel otherwise. The tasks I have to accomplish are far too challenging, providing me no respite to think about such things; I’m convinced that eternal life is close to a curse. Even if I were to enjoy unspeakable bliss for thousands of years in the human world, my stance would remain unchanged.

Humans are best off living once and then dying.

I simply have a task to complete….

Thinking about life rolling on like a wheel just makes me feel sick. Even as one who gained privileges from the Heavenly Secret, if ordinary humans retain memories of their past lives, they might start out reveling in them but eventually scream under the harsh curse.

Yet I still can’t grasp why the great beings of old established this system of ‘reincarnation.’ Why not just die once and be done with it?

‘Should I just ask?’

Lost in thought about reincarnation, suddenly I felt a whim. Unlike my past escapes from this village, I decided to head straight to the Village Chief’s house.

Tydaht!

Using the Soul Removal Technique, I arrived at the Village Chief’s house in an instant. Since it was late at night, everyone in the Chief’s large home was asleep. It had been a while since I had been here, so I took a moment to look around before entering the Chief’s room.

Creak.

“…….”

The Chief was sleeping, cuddled up with Mrs. Seo, naked. Since Mrs. Seo was the Chief’s concubine, it was somewhat expected. The legal wife wouldn’t likely tolerate such cheating, but since the Chief held significant power, somehow they all managed to live with it. I wasn’t too concerned about this, so I pressed down on Mrs. Seo’s acupuncture point to make her sleep deeper and gently slapped the Chief’s face to wake him.

“Wake up.”

“W-What? Cow Dung?!”

As the Chief opened his mouth to scream, I pressed a point to prevent him from making noise, resulting in only a stifled sound. Realizing he couldn’t move properly, he rolled his eyes in panic. The Chief trembled as he spoke.

“Wh-What are you doing? You’re not going to….”

“I’m not going to kill you, but put some clothes on and come with me. I have questions.”

I said this while grabbing a nearby iron ornament. Infusing it with my power, I twisted it like candy and then burned it with the True Martial Fire technique.

“I suggest you be good. It’s best not to make a fuss.”

“Gah…!”

The Chief realized I was a master of martial arts and quickly shut his mouth, hastily dressing. I led him out of the room, grabbing him by the neck and ascending to a nearby hill with my light body technique. The Chief knelt before me, trembling in the cold wind atop the hill overlooking the village.

“Oh no!! Cow Dung, I messed up! Please… just save my life!”

“…No need for that. I don’t hold any grudge against you right now.”

I’ve already killed you once.

Hearing my voice devoid of warmth, the Chief seemed to sense something strange and gradually lifted his head. Once he grasped that I held no grudge, his expression shifted to one of suspicion. I slowly continued speaking.

“Chief. You know about my parents, right?”

“Y-Yeah, of course. Are you here to ask about them?”

“You’ve tried to avoid mentioning my parents for a long time. What’s the reason?”

“…….”

The Chief hesitated before speaking.

“There’s no good coming from telling you or something important to me….”

“Well, it seems so. Did you have any regrets towards my parents?”

This inquiry was something I’d pressed him about in my second life. He had once said himself that he took me in out of guilt toward my parents.

“Y-Yes, I did.”

“Why did you feel sorry? According to you, my parents were ordinary farmers.”

The Chief hesitated, then answered.

“When I was young, your father saved me from drowning in a pond….”

“…That’s the first I’m hearing. You’re not making this up, are you?”

“N-No! Your father and I were the same age, and we all gathered for drinks. I slipped and fell into the water; your father saved me.”

“That was just a debt of gratitude. I can’t see why you’d feel sorry.”

“Erm, well….”

The Chief tried to avoid my gaze but seemed to have realized something, his voice trembling.

“Y-You… who are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not the Cow Dung I knew…. Those eyes…, who… who are you exactly?”

“……?”

The Chief’s sudden shift of demeanor caught me off guard. Just a moment ago, he was terrified that Cow Dung held a grudge and wanted to kill him, but now he was showing fear as if facing an unknown monster.

Was it because of my life experiences that just my gaze and tone felt so different?

I told the Chief.

“Right. I’m not Cow Dung, but I go by Baek Woong. And to me, you feel like a bug, so I have no desire to even confront you. I don’t even hold a grudge.”

“……!!”

“Back to the main topic. Why did you feel remorse?”

“…He saved my life, but later when he was poor, I didn’t lend him money…”

“What?”

“Th-That’s all there is to it. The ensuing plague in the village had nothing to do with me. I felt guilty for not lending him money….”

Even as far back as my childhood memory, things were desperately poor, and it seems my father had gone to borrow money from the Chief, only to be refused.

“Why didn’t you lend him any?”

“Because I was stingy…. I thought I wouldn’t get it back since he was a poor man.”

“Haah….”

I sighed in disbelief.

Was it really all just that?

‘…I guess I have no secret to my birth. I was just Cow Dung of this small village.’

Realizing this truth made me feel empty.

After encountering many divine beings and transcendent entities who treated me like a significant figure, I had hoped that my father or far-off ancestors might have been remarkable beings. I considered that I might become stronger through the hidden might of my bloodline.

But truthfully, my father was just an ordinary farmer, and the Chief only felt a twinge of remorse because he didn’t lend him money when he was poor! Sure, that makes him a bad guy, but it signifies nothing more than common human relationships and grudges found frequently in society. My parents had to have been just ordinary people.

I spoke to the Chief.

“Forget all that; if reincarnation truly exists, what would you do?”

“Um… If possible, I’d try to live kindly.”

“Why?”

“Living kindly in this life ensures I’ll be rewarded in the next….”

“Then is the reason you threaten pretty women with your power and sometimes bully impoverished farmers due to thinking there’s no reincarnation?”

“W-Well….”

The Chief fumbled, then said.

“Since it’s just one life to live and die, why go through the pain of living kindly? It’s better to live comfortably and enjoyably….”

“…….”

Listening to him, I didn’t consider the Chief to be an irredeemable villain. After all, before I met Mangnyang, I also held a mindset not too different from his. I wanted to be a master of martial arts to live well and enjoy life, searching for Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng while living as I pleased. But due to lacking talent, I kept running into obstacles and began to understand the feelings of the defeated and the weak, leading me to want to save the world.

No, it isn’t just the Chief; most humans living on the Central Plains share this sentiment. Wanting to enjoy life once is the fundamental mindset of the Central Plains people and rooted in secularism.

I felt a sense of clarity in my mind. Then I spoke.

“Chief. It’s best that you keep what we talked about today to yourself and bury it in your mind.”

As I said this slowly, I placed my finger on his forehead. Simultaneously activating the Soul Exchange Technique, I began to seize his mind.

“You’ll find it hard to recall.”

Using the Soul Exchange Technique, I muddled his memories and placed him back in his spot before leaving the village. Then I recalled the last story concerning Zhuge Sa.

[Baek Woong. Do you understand? Given that you’ve decided to draw in the singularity, your tasks for the next life are now fixed.]

I remembered Zhuge Sa’s words filled with rage just before I faced Shenglong in my last life.

[Once the next life begins, gather what needs gathering quickly and come to me directly. Not Mangnyang, but me!]

[Why?]

[According to your past memories, the singularity exists within Aokigahara Life Sea. Therefore, as soon as your 25th life begins, you must prepare to challenge Aokigahara Life Sea.]

[…Oh, I see! But wouldn’t it be fine to drop by Mangnyang first?]

When I offered a rebuttal, Zhuge Sa responded.

[No. The death of just you and me is enough.]

[…What?]

Zhuge Sa spoke with a steely gaze.

[There’s something like that. I can’t explain in detail because we don’t have time. Anyway, shut up and come to me first. You must never break this decree.]

[…Got it.]

Recalling Zhuge Sa’s words, I quickly mixed the techniques of the Earth-Traveling Method and Light Body Technique, gathered the Heavenly Secret, and then acquired the Golden Lamp technique. The moment I obtained the Golden Lamp technique, I headed straight for Jangryeong Valley where Zhuge Sa was.

Pa-at!

As soon as I arrived at Jangryeong Valley, I saw Zhuge Sa preparing something related to the Path of Demons. I shouted to him.

“Zhuge Sa! I am a Reborn Person. Accept my memories!”

Zhuge Sa stroked his chin and said, “You’re a madman… Couldn’t you go die outside for me?”

“…….”

I had no words, but I set out to pique his curiosity, persuading him to accept the obsidian. Upon receiving the obsidian to accept my memories, he stood still, as if organizing them.

Then he said, “Haah… so it’s come to this. Is this the only way I can proceed?”

“What’s the method? Did you figure something out?”

“Perhaps the plan I wanted to convey in my past life was this.”

With a maniacal grin, Zhuge Sa declared, “By any means necessary, destroy Aokigahara Life Sea…”