870——————==

True Martial Home

Zhuge Yulong looked hesitant at the obsidian in my hand. After a moment, he spoke.

“Is that a technique for transferring memories?”

“That’s right.”

“Did Zhuge Sect receive that technique?”

I nodded silently. Zhuge Yulong seemed to grasp what I was trying to do in an instant.

“…….”

After a while, Zhuge Yulong reached out and touched the obsidian, and once I thought he was ready, I immediately transferred the memory.

Woowooong

As the memories were sent to Zhuge Yulong, he staggered for a moment. Watching him, I couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Is Zhuge Yulong about to go insane?

Considering the history of ordinary humans who unexceptionally chose madness or suicide, it wouldn’t be surprising if Zhuge Yulong lost his mind. Unless it was a special case like the Zhuge Sect or the sorcerer Abe no Seimei, going insane seemed the expected outcome. But I thought Zhuge Yulong could withstand it, and I took that gamble.

Moments later, Zhuge Yulong wiped the blood flowing from his nose with his sleeve and spoke.

“Reborn person. I have a favor to ask.”

“Are you okay? Is your mind….”

“Don’t worry. The memories you showed me were things I had suspected to some extent, so it wasn’t too shocking.”

“…….”

He’s been picturing the apocalypse, destiny, and final judgment in his head?

At a time when there were still 500 years left?

For Zhuge Yulong, it seemed confirming what he had suspected wasn’t that shocking.

Zhuge Yulong continued with his request.

“Save Jin Cheon-hwi.”

I raised my eyebrows at this unexpected proposal.

“You mean Jin So-cheong’s father?”

“That’s correct.”

“Why save him?”

I continued in a troublesome tone.

“The Black Cloak can only be used once in a lifetime. Whether to kill or save, it has to be used for maximum utility. What help would Jin Cheon-hwi be in this situation?”

Jin Cheon-hwi was originally a brilliant general with outstanding martial arts as a Shaolin disciple, and I had heard he was a genius with immense strategy. Normally, he was someone worth considering saving. However, given the urgency of breaking through the crisis, and not knowing when a singularity might occur, I questioned what use he would serve now.

Zhuge Yulong answered my question.

“Let me rephrase. If you don’t save Jin Cheon-hwi, I won’t become your companion.”

“What?!”

“Accept my condition.”

“…….”

I felt bewildered. Until now, giving me the obsidian would have acknowledged our superiority relationship, putting me in a significantly advantageous position; yet, here was Zhuge Yulong, attempting to negotiate! I crossed my arms and replied.

“It doesn’t matter if I refuse.”

Zhuge Yulong’s eyes gleamed.

“It would matter. If you reject my condition, I will immediately inform the deities through the Demon Subduing Hall of the existence of the Reborn person.”

“……!!”

I flinched.

“I could tell the moment I saw your memories. The Reborn person is always walking a tightrope, and the moment your existence and identity are known, the deities will be on guard or attempt to seal you. Therefore, your identity being revealed to the gods itself would be dangerous.”

This kind of threat was something I hadn’t even considered!

But if the Old Ruler found out about the Reborn person’s identity, they would definitely act strongly in some way. Just the owner of the Seven Luminaries could shake the balance of heaven and earth by sending avatars to make contact—let alone a Reborn person presumed to traverse the Great Cycle.

Then, Zhuge Sha, who had been listening next to me, chuckled.

“Brother, did you think I wouldn’t have thought of that threat.”

“Sha.”

“Indeed, it’s a valid threat to the Reborn Baek Woong. The moment your identity is revealed, every god would swarm around Baek Woong, making normal progress impossible. But do you know what that also implies?”

He pointed at Zhuge Yulong with his finger.

“That the moment you do whatever it takes, your dream would become unattainable. It’s likely that countless old rulers believe just obtaining the Reborn person will solve everything, but who will be interested in you now, just a lackey of the Demon Subduing Hall? Regardless of whether you endure for 500 years or not, that moment signifies all your plans going up in smoke.”

“…….”

“From that point on, no matter how powerful benefactor you have, they won’t feel the need to negotiate with you, and you’ll be left to face excruciating helplessness for 500 years while staring into the chaos of the end. Is that really what you want?”

“I don’t want that.”

Zhuge Yulong continued softly.

“However, living as the puppet of the Reborn person and swinging countless cycles is equally miserable. I don’t see this exchange as a huge loss. Looking into your memories, throwing away this life in vain feels like a tremendous waste, too. Not to mention you’ve already crossed the line.”

Zhuk

Zhuge Yulong’s finger pointed at the body of Zhuge Bu lying dead on the ground. Zhuge Bu looked indignantly as if he were aggrieved.

“See? You killed Zhuge Bu because he didn’t seem that useful in this lifetime. His only mistake was standing opposite the Reborn person. Where’s the guarantee you won’t treat me this way too?”

Ugh…

Seeing Zhuge Bu’s corpse made my temples throb. I then secretly asked Zhuge Sha through the Suspicious Fishhook.

[Zhuge Sha! Why did you have to kill Zhuge Bu? Now everything’s a mess….]

It would have been enough to just shake hands and inflict some pain. But Zhuge Sha didn’t respond to my complaint and instead smoothly replied to Zhuge Yulong.

“Is Zhuge Bu the only one of no use? You’re really no more useful yourself. As the world’s flow reaches the end, even the Overlay Technique is dying like bugs. What’s the point of human evaluations and rankings now? I’m only planning to use your brain and ideas.”

“…….”

“We’ve no intention of being controlled by you. There’s no time for that, nor any leisure. Do as you wish.”

“The strategist only performs incantations and plans. Right now you seem to be completely ignoring your lord, Baek Woong.”

Zhuge Yulong shot back, glaring at me.

“You heard me. I’m prepared. Are you prepared, Baek Woong?”

“…….”

I had no choice but to think seriously. I was well aware that the Zhuge Yulong in front of me was someone who would definitely follow through if he decided to. What made Zhuge Yulong terrifying wasn’t just that he had the best brain but also his intense perception, execution, composure, and decisiveness.

After deliberating, I reached a conclusion.

“Got it. I will save Jin Cheon-hwi as the Black Cloak.”

There wasn’t enough leisure to just harbor hatred towards Zhuge Yulong and transition to the next life. If I didn’t reach some conclusion in this life, it would all be a waste of time, and what advantage would there be in hating Zhuge Yulong, who had been an enemy anyway? Moreover, capturing Zhuge Yulong and torturing him wasn’t going to yield anything. So I decided to give in a little.

“Fine. In that case, I will help you.”

At that moment, I heard the sound of Zhuge Sha clicking his tongue through the Suspicious Fishhook.

[Tsk…. I thought there was a 70% chance that brother would give up and crumble, but you just conceded.]

[Zhuge Sha! There’s no leisure right now to gamble on a 30% chance of failure.]

[You fool. Superb negotiation seizes victory by disregarding those odds and pushing forward…. Well, whatever. Do as your lord has chosen.]

Zhuge Sha seemed remorseful, but I wasn’t going to be overly greedy.

‘Since the Reborn person is overwhelmingly superior, I must show some leniency.’

If I followed Zhuge Sha’s advice and pushed too hard, the other party would feel immeasurable despair. The fear and helplessness of possibly being enslaved while repeating lives ad infinitum would be overwhelming. Thus, I had to provide some leeway; otherwise, they could never truly become companions in the end.

I said to Zhuge Yulong.

“For now, I will save him as promised, but why? I want to hear your reason for insisting on saving him this much.”

“A reason….”

Zhuge Yulong fell silent for a moment before speaking.

“Before the current Great Ming Empire was established, numerous disasters and hardships besieged it. Alien invasions, internal corruption, weakening imperial power, and droughts pushed the empire toward collapse. Normally, the empire should have perished long ago, and a new dynasty should have emerged.”

“Hm….”

“The one who saved the empire from crisis was Jin Cheon-hwi. He and the Four Great Experts of the Imperial Palace, including me and Lee Kwang, acted according to his will and strategy, eliminating danger one by one and stabilizing the empire for the late emperor. His strategies surpassed mine, and his martial arts were close to the Absolute Realm, so saving him would be a great help. He’s an exceptional individual.”

“Jin Cheon-hwi’s martial arts were close to the Absolute Realm? That’s a first for me to hear.”

I responded, looking puzzled.

“Wasn’t he a genius in military strategy surpassing General Hwang Yeon?”

“That’s just some of what he demonstrated to the world. He was undoubtedly among the top three experts in the world.”

“…….”

“I’ll give you more details when Jin Cheon-hwi is revived.”

It felt like he was hiding something.

I was just learning that Jin Cheon-hwi was incredible, and it didn’t sound like a lie, but somehow, that couldn’t be the only reason for wanting to save him.

But since I had promised, it made sense to hear out Zhuge Yulong’s request.

“Okay. Wait for me.”

Pa-at

I went alone to the deity of the jungle and demanded using the Black Cloak.

“Oh, deity! Please save Jin Cheon-hwi!”

Kugugugu….

Unexpectedly, the deity didn’t respond immediately, merely provoking a serene chaos while observing me. For some reason, I felt a strong sense of hesitation on its part.

‘Huh? This has never happened before….’

The deity of the jungle usually acted by resolving matters immediately, whether to kill or save. But now it seemed to be dawdling without giving any response? It didn’t show any great hostility toward me either, which left me baffled.

At that moment, the deity opened its mouth, sounding ethereal.

[Cannot save.]

“……?!”

[Make another wish.]

Cannot save? What does that even mean!

Having never encountered this situation, I found it utterly ridiculous and yelled.

“Oh, deity! What do you mean you cannot save? Isn’t life on the opposite side of death? Why can’t you save him?”

[…….]

Again, the deity fell silent before speaking.

[Cannot save.]

“Why not? At least give a reason….”

[…Do not mention his affairs again. It is not a matter to be trifled with.]

“……?”

The deity seemed half-annoyed. Thinking something, I tentatively opened my mouth.

“Uh… So is he possibly in a state of being alive, making it impossible to save him again?”

[Couldn’t you understand my words…!!]

Bubbling

Green bubbles started to brew on the deity’s surface, indicating it was getting angry. Seeing an entity clearly filled with rage for the first time made me flinch for a moment, and then I addressed the deity.

“Alright! Then turn the situation around, so Jin Cheon-hwi [exists] instead of [not existing]!”

If someone asked for help, I had to see it through to the end.

I’m going to bring Jin Cheon-hwi back, even if it’s out of spite!

[…….]

“……”

[You are truly tenacious…. If it weren’t for that formidable Law of Cause and Effect that coalesces within you, you would have suffered an eternity of hell right now. Be grateful that my curiosity overcomes my anger.]

“Yes.”

The deity, speaking in irritation, abruptly continued.

[Fine. I’ll do as you say. But all responsibility will lie with you….]

Pa-at

In the end, I found myself back in reality.

Immediately, I used the Overlay Technique to ascend to the peak of Huangshan, where Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Sha awaited, and explained the situation. Zhuge Yulong nodded, then spoke.

“Let’s head to the Ancestral Tomb.”

“You mean the imperial Ancestral Tomb?”

“That’s correct. Jin Cheon-hwi’s body is buried there.”

Pa-at

We went to the palace and headed for the Ancestral Tomb. Reaching near the Ancestral Tomb, we searched for Jin Cheon-hwi, but there wasn’t a trace of him anywhere. Even though Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Sha used all the techniques at their disposal, only a gloomy atmosphere remained, and nothing appeared.

Zhuge Sha asked.

“Did the deity really save Jin Cheon-hwi?”

“Actually, it seemed the deity didn’t want to resurrect him, so I played tricks and asked to make an [unexistent being exist]. It agreed to that request.”

“Hm… That can be interpreted differently. We should sift through the situation bit by bit.”

Zhuge Sha wore a serious expression and then made a shocking suggestion.

“Let’s dig up Jin Cheon-hwi’s grave.”

“What?! Digging up a grave….”

“Is that a big deal right now? Hurry and dig.”

Pababak

Zhuge Yulong’s earth techniques combined with my internal power attack, quickly digging up Jin Cheon-hwi’s grave.

And when we opened the coffin to look inside—

Nothing.

The body of Jin Cheon-hwi, which should have been steadily decomposing and practically should have been merely bones after having died for decades, was entirely absent.

Zhuge Sha examined inside the coffin closely while sniffing and said.

“There’s no smell of decay or bones, nor any mold or stains. Even if bones decompose, it shouldn’t be like this. There was never a body here in the first place.”

“…….”

“This is an unknown situation. Brother, what does this mean?”

“…This cannot be.”

Zhuge Yulong muttered in confusion.

“I personally saw him being buried. I was the one who closed his coffin….”

At that moment.

“Long time no see, Yulong!”

A vibrant voice echoed from the entrance of the Ancestral Tomb.