963——————==

Soul of the Evil God

I was a bit flabbergasted by Zhuge Yulong’s words.

“Emperor? What do you mean?”

Of course, the emperor he was referring to is the king of the empire that rules over the land of China. But out of the blue, why would he mention an emperor? In response to my question, Zhuge Yulong said,

“Hyun and the Evil Sect haven’t mentioned this to you yet, but I think they feel the same. There’s no harm in saying it early.”

“A bit presumptuous, don’t you think? Tell me why I should become an emperor.”

“Ugh… It would be meaningless for me to discuss this alone. We first need a time to talk together. How about gathering all the companions for a chat?”

That made sense. I nodded and said,

“Bring the fainted Zhuge Bu too.”

Whoosh!

I sought out Zhuge Bu and put him in my wooden armor, then stopped by the Shadowless Gate to meet with the Sword Demon and Seo Mun-hye. While I was at it, I also added the guest fighter, the Golden King Yeon Jong-hwi, to our team. Following that, I went to Dongyoung to gather Abe no Seimei and Miho before arriving at the base of the White Lotus Sect. When Mangnyang saw me with Zhuge Yulong, he said,

“You’ve done well.”

“Mangnyang, Zhuge Yulong is saying something strange. He wants me to be an emperor…”

At my words, Mangnyang replied without hesitation.

“That’s right. I was just about to mention that, so please sit down.”

“……”

Is this what Zhuge Yulong meant? I glanced at Zhuge Sa and the Master of the White Lotus Sect, both of whom had expressions devoid of change, indicating that they must have been privy to this discussion. Was I the only one clueless?

Eventually, after we all sat together, I handed Zhuge Bu the obsidian. With the memories he regained, Zhuge Bu frowned.

“Dammit… Didn’t we agree that I would be favored in every past life? I don’t have major animosity towards you, so why must you ambush me at the start of every past life to end up like this? In my last life, you turned me into a woman…”

“I’m sorry. It just happened that way. And Zhuge Sa really hates you anyway…”

“……”

Seeing Zhuge Bu’s expression crinkle, the Master of the White Lotus Sect spoke up.

[Let’s get to the point. If anyone here supports Baek Woong becoming the emperor of the Great Ming Empire, please raise your hand.]

“Eh, why suddenly without warning…?”

I looked bewildered as the Master of the White Lotus Sect gently chided,

[Baek Woong, there’s no need to waste time on this issue. How about we first gather everyone’s opinion?]

“Hmm. Fine.”

A little while later, starting with a few, my companions began to raise their hands. Soon after, all but four had their hands up.

Those four were Zhuge Yulong, the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Zhuge Sa, and Mangnyang.

“……?!”

What, what’s this!

Are the key figures among my past life companions altogether opposing me becoming emperor? What kind of ridiculous…

I exclaimed in astonishment.

“Zhuge Yulong!! How can you tell me to be the emperor and not raise your hand yourself?!”

“Don’t misunderstand. Our four’s intent is not like that.”

“Not like that, huh?”

Zhuge Yulong glanced at Zhuge Sa, who smirked and then turned back to Mangnyang. It was as if they were passing the ball to each other, and Mangnyang sighed while saying,

“Baek Woong, you don’t need to be the emperor of the Great Ming Empire. The fact is, the Great Ming Empire is outdated.”

“…What do you mean?”

Mangnyang’s eyes seemed to blaze for a moment, filled with yearning and purpose.

“I’ll be blunt. Destroy the Ming and the Zhu family. Then build an empire of your own, Baek Woong!”

“……!!”

“Our four’s intention is that. With this level of influence, there’s no need to maintain an old signboard.”

What!!

I was taken aback and turned to the Master of the White Lotus Sect, who stood with his arms crossed and spoke calmly.

[I agree. It’s better from our standpoint too. This could provide a great reason to clear away the old grievances of the Great Ming Empire and reintegrate the followers.]

“That makes sense…”

[If you were to establish a new empire, please make our White Lotus Sect the state religion. Then, we would be able to operate freely.]

It was a politically motivated statement, but certainly a revolution could secure both legitimacy and benefits. As I nodded along to their words, the Sword Demon chimed in,

“Baek Woong, it sounds like a very good plan.”

“Really?”

“We raised our hands thinking it would be fine for you to become emperor without a second thought. But that doesn’t mean we oppose you becoming the owner of the new imperial title. You would be more than fit for it.”

“……”

Miho added from the side,

“Go for it.”

“Miho, do you really think it’s okay for me to be the emperor?”

Miho burst into laughter.

“Haha! What’s stopping you? You’re a reborn person who has accumulated power and experience through dozens of lives, fought in wars, seen the world’s end, and passed the trials of the Seven Luminaries. Not to mention, you’ve cut off the head of the Sea God, the Old Ruler, and brought the Four Great Spirit Deities of the White Lotus into this world.”

“……”

“A maiden with centuries of experience in the power game can affirm that no king in this human world could compare to you. The so-called emperor of the Central Plains isn’t anything huge.”

I looked around the others and realized they all regarded my becoming emperor as a given.

With a strong nod, I declared,

“Alright… I will become the emperor!!”

What’s so special about being an emperor!

It’s something one could try at least once in a lifetime!

With my resolve clear, Mangnyang said,

“Good decision, Baek Woong. Now we must unify the martial world within a month by recruiting Shin Seung and Ming Long-ja.”

“A month?”

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect is already on our side, and the Heretical Sect will be united by the Sword Demon. Once we acquire Shin Seung and Ming Long-ja, the Orthodox Sects will also be ours. We could nearly take the martial world without bloodshed in the shortest time possible.”

“……”

“Though the Nine Great Sects and powerful sects in various places may resist, we’ll simply send in the Dharma Guardian and Sacred Lotus Person to deal with them. There’s no recluse in the current martial world stronger than the Dharma Guardian. It’s practically a done deal.”

I thought it was surprisingly simple. Could unifying the martial world be this easy?

As I dazedly pondered, Zhuge Bu, who’d been listening nearby, chimed in.

“Also. After we recruit Shin Seung and Ming Long-ja, we should head to Luoyang to bring Donggak to our side. If we win him over, we can calm the Clear Stream Faction, thus greatly reducing any backlash from the revolution.”

“Is that feasible? Donggak can’t just ignore the Clear Stream Faction’s reaction.”

I thought I had effectively raised a counterpoint, but Zhuge Bu looked bemused.

“You don’t understand? If you coax them into joining as those in power, that’s all there is to it. They’ll easily capitulate if you give them what they want. Especially for a slippery fellow like Donggak—he’ll be sure to understand us.”

“……?”

Zhuge Bu looked frustrated.

“Ugh… You really are clueless about politics, aren’t you?!”

What’s he on about?

When I couldn’t quite grasp Zhuge Bu’s meaning, Mangnyang said bleakly,

“Baek Woong… The key figures of the Clear Stream Faction also have their sights set on power. They’ve always been eyeing the Ming Empire’s authority, and if we negotiate with Donggak under conditions that cede some of that authority to them, he will quash any resistance.”

“That… Is that even possible? You’re saying those upright bureaucrats won’t act even when their necks are on the line?”

“The reality is as it is. Both I and the Zhuge clan have been through the political and academic mazes for thousands of years; we know their nature. Our predictions that the Clear Stream Faction and scholars would remain silent won’t be wrong, so don’t worry.”

“……”

Could that really be the case?

People who are as upright as sticks, who would speak the truth even with a knife to their necks…

As I hesitated, the Master of the White Lotus Sect spoke up.

[What’s truly important right now isn’t such trivial matters. What’s crucial is that Baek Woong’s combat strength has already become known to them.]

At the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s words, Mangnyang’s expression turned slightly grim.

“That’s correct. However, it’s already in the past, so there’s nothing we can do about it. If we’re to devise a counterplan, our best option is to swiftly unify the Central Plains without leaving any chance for them to intervene.”

[We must hurry. Otherwise, things may turn chaotic.]

I found myself puzzling over their discussion.

“That person? That side?”

Moments later, the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s words froze me in place.

[Twelve Joules.]

“……!!”

[As you know, the Miyamoto Musashi, an absolute master in the imperial palace and the strongest in Dongyoung, has been hiding away by observing dimensions. He is one of the Twelve Joules’ special agents, and he will surely report everything he has seen during your conflict with the Yacha to the Twelve Joules.]

“Ugh….!!”

[If the Twelve Joules deem you a dangerous individual, they will soon attempt to extend their reach into the Central Plains with their powers. We must unify the Central Plains before they can do that.]

It’s gotten this tangled?!

The Twelve Joules showing up as a hindrance right from the start?!

‘Ah, damn it… If I had known this would happen, I should’ve just run away instead of fighting with the Yacha…’

I inwardly regretted, but as if reading my mind, Zhuge Sa said,

“You don’t need to regret that choice. It was not a bad fight.”

“Zhuge Sa.”

“Anyway, the Eight Parts of the Divine, having lost their focal point in the Chi You, are all nothing but a dangerous lot. Especially the Yacha, who is excessively obsessed with Chi You—it’s a troublesome character. So, inflicting a severe blow on him early on isn’t a bad choice at all.”

“Hmmm…”

“The Yacha gathering the Eight Parts of the Divine to move in the dark would be more concerning in the long term. You’ve dealt a critical blow to him, so for the time being, he won’t be able to move.”

“Oh, I see.”

Zhuge Sa’s words were indeed logical. He chuckled lightly.

“Well, there’s no need to worry too much. Musashi will inform the Twelve Joules of the birth of a new absolute master, but the Twelve Joules won’t have a reason to leave their base to come to the Central Plains out of their inflated ego. If you keep calm and stay focused on your tasks, dealing with him will be easy.”

Zhuge Sa’s words brought me a sense of stability. I nodded firmly.

“… I got it!”

Wham!

After a short time of planning with my advisors, I headed out to recruit Shin Seung and Ming Long-ja. I first directed my steps towards Shin Seung’s location, but strangely enough, he was nowhere to be found. Not just that—he seemed to have completely disappeared from the Shaolin Temple.

“……?”

After subduing a few Shaolin monks to extract information, I felt an odd sensation. Shin Seung usually guarded the temple or played go with Ming Long-ja, but this time, it was as if he had suddenly vanished without a trace. The phrase “suddenly disappearing” fit perfectly.

‘Hmm. I can’t find him for now. I’ll check the facilities and then go see Ming Long-ja.’

Then, visiting Ming Long-ja, I handed him the obsidian, and after regaining his memories, he spoke.

“Hmm… So Shin Seung has vanished.”

“That’s right.”

“I have no clue either. He always sends notice a few days in advance whenever he comes to play go with me. And he wouldn’t leave Shaolin Temple without reason… Ah!!”

“Do you have any guess?”

“Now that I think about it, he sometimes wanders the Jianghu searching for something. It seems like that period overlaps with yours.”

“What is he searching for?”

“I’m not sure. It’s likely something related to the Merchant Sect. But he should be back shortly.”

What could Shin Seung be looking for in the Jianghu?

While a curious thought nagged at me, I deemed it not crucial right now. I needed to swiftly unify my powers before the Twelve Joules’ interference came in. I asked Ming Long-ja to cooperate for the birth of a new great force, and he gladly accepted.

After recruiting Ming Long-ja, I made my way to Luoyang with Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu. When I met Donggak, I pretended to wait outside as a carriage driver and couldn’t hear what they were discussing, as Zhuge Yulong advised against revealing my presence.

Finally, after their conversation with Donggak was finished, the two came out and spoke to me.

“Donggak accepted the proposal.”

“Hmm… So, is there nothing more to do?”

“Don’t be absurd. From now on, I and Buwa will revamp the organization of the imperial palace and modify the Golden Eagle Guard and Duke of Guanzhong in line with the new dynasty’s launch. We’ll need to weed out incompetent bureaucrats and improve the systems, so we will be busier than ever.”

“……”

I briefly fell silent, contemplating what they said. Then I turned to Zhuge Yulong and asked,

“Was it your intention that this current Great Ming Empire was decaying and collapsing?”

“Indeed.”

“You, the clan leader and a genius of the Zhuge clan, could have made this nation a good one…”

Zhuge Yulong replied, his expression unchanged.

“If Buwa and I worked together, we could have achieved it easily. We could’ve ousted the incompetent emperor, brought Hyun in as the Chancellor, and kept a peaceful reign. But what meaning is there in making the human world happy when even the afterlife is mortgaged to the divine?”

“You bastard. So you intentionally turned the world into hell to make human sacrifices easier?!”

Even after my curse, Zhuge Yulong merely turned away calmly.

“I can understand Empress Wu Zetian. She could be considered my mentor…”

After a moment, he disappeared with Zhuge Bu towards the imperial palace, leaving behind a final remark.

“Later, assist us in our work. I want to ensure the capturing of the alchemist goes smoothly.”

“……”

I watched their retreating figures, feeling a whirlwind of thoughts.

Those guys were undoubtedly villains based on my old standards before I reincarnated. They sacrificed thousands upon thousands of people and intentionally let the Great Ming Empire crumble, forcing civilians to live in a hellish situation. Yet even those evil deeds were the struggles of the weak resisting the Old Ruler.

What even is the boundary between good and evil?

And do I have the qualification to forgive Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu?

Realizing that former enemies had become allies tested my limits. To command such geniuses, I must resolve this contradiction myself.

I gathered my resolve and set my next action.

“Let’s find the Ghostly Spirit Sect.”

The rest would be handled by my comrades. They were all geniuses and heroes, so I had no worries about incompetence.

What I needed to do now was gather clues to get closer to the Thunder God’s secret, so I could reach the Higher Sacred Martial Technique of the White Lotus Sect!