Chapter 148: Chapter 148

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

Swosh

Having sliced through the sea breeze, I arrived in Dongyoung and raced across the land after Miho. Everything about the scenery and architecture of Dongyoung, which I was seeing for the first time, struck me as fascinating. The buildings were unlike anything I had seen in the Central Plains or Goryeo. The tiles and overall design were completely different.

Miho spoke up,

“The current supreme power in Dongyoung is a person named Tokugawa Ieyasu. He is the lord who finally pacified the wars. It’s been about twenty years since he came to power.”

“The names of the people in Dongyoung are quite bizarre.”

“Hehe, this is an island nation with a strong independent culture.”

As I sat by the water, I couldn’t help but gaze at Miho, who was splashing water around while playing barefoot. I asked her,

“You charmed the Emperor, right? So, is the Emperor the same guy as Tokugawa Ieyasu?”

Miho shook her head.

“No, they are distinctly different beings.”

“……? I thought the Emperor was the highest bloodline in Dongyoung?”

“That’s true.”

“Does that mean the heavens can coexist together?”

This made Miho giggle.

“Hehe… That’s the interesting part! To put it simply, the Emperor is more like a puppet monarch and a spiritual symbol. Tokugawa Ieyasu, on the other hand, wields true power as the head of the current Shogunate. Understand?”

“……???”

I crossed my arms in confusion, unable to grasp more. I then asked,

“Isn’t this like a reversal revolution…? Why doesn’t Tokugawa Ieyasu annihilate the bloodline of the Emperor?”

“Hahahaha! I told you, he’s a spiritual pillar. The Emperor’s bloodline is treated as a living god and is not seen as just another human. So while Tokugawa Ieyasu wields real power, there’s no reason for him to bother the Emperor.”

“I don’t get it.”

“It’s a different concept from the Son of Heaven in the Central Plains. This place is a bit of a peculiar land.”

I tilted my head. It seemed that this island nation Dongyoung was indeed a strange place. Goryeo, with its similarities to the Central Plains, had been easier to adapt to, but here it felt like I had stepped into the territory of some barbaric tribes.

“Miho, wouldn’t it be better for you to charm Tokugawa Ieyasu instead of that puppet-like Emperor?”

“That’s true, but I have no intention of taking risks to wield power in Dongyoung. I prefer to play around with the Emperor while enjoying myself.”

Suddenly, I remembered something and questioned,

“Is it because there’s a chance the Yin-Yang Masters will exorcise you?”

“That’s right. There’s a Tsuchimikado Clan that has been around since Abe no Seimei’s time, and they can be quite bothersome. I’m currently keeping a low profile.”

“Hmm…”

It seemed that Dongyoung also had magical groups similar to the Twelve Rat Clan. I had heard from Jiyul that there were unique sorcerers known as Yin-Yang Masters in Dongyoung. Remembering the sting I felt from Jiyul, I frowned, and Miho said,

“Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified during the Warring States period, didn’t have a good view of the Emperor. He intended to neglect him to the point of living a miserable life. However, I helped the Emperor

secure a place to live, and he was given considerable status. Now the Emperor can wield quite an influence over the Shogunate.”

“Is that impressive?”

“Mmhm… Bowing down and paying respect!”

Miho turned her head in a somewhat sulky manner. Hastily, I tried to reassure her,

“No, it’s just that I don’t know much. I mean, if you want, does that mean you could exert influence over the courts of Dongyoung? That’s amazing.”

“Hehe, that’s thanks to my power.”

Miho seemed to perk up immediately, wearing a smug expression. It appears that through her enchanting arts, she had created allies in the Shogunate and garnered favorable public opinion for the Emperor, thereby building her own faction. One could say Miho was practically the power behind the throne in Dongyoung.

I decided to get to the heart of the matter.

“So, how does this relate to me mastering the Soul Destroying Step?”

In no time, Miho had transformed into a mesmerizing beauty. She embraced me from behind, her ample bosom pressing against my head, her touch incredibly soft.

“Do you know where we’re headed right now?”

“I’m not quite sure.”

“To the Emperor’s Palace in Kyoto. It’s the most significant base of the Emperor‘s power and where I can most easily use my enchanting arts.”

Miho‘s delicate fingers grazed my shirt, and as she caressed my chest for a moment, she continued,

“If I set my mind to it, I could manipulate the Shogunate from behind the scenes and summon the best martial artists of Dongyoung to Kyoto. They are all renowned masters, and they could help you with that troublesome technique known as the Soul Destroying Step.”

“I see…”

“Well, even if it doesn’t happen exactly like that, won’t your name become remembered in the Emperor’s Palace? It’s a win-win situation.”

Suddenly, Miho’s hand brushed against my lower body, causing my face to heat up.

“Gasp!”

Against my will, Miho’s enchanting arts intensely stimulated me. With a mischievous grin, she chuckled,

“You’re still so young and not fully developed~”

She’s really teasing me!

“Be quiet! In five years, I’ll be fully grown!”

“Kya ha ha ha!”

Seeing Miho laugh uproariously left me in quite the awkward position. I grumbled to myself: Why does this fox act so mischievous like an ancient Kumiho, yet occasionally behave like a playful child?

It was about three days later that Miho and I arrived at the Emperor’s Palace in Kyoto. By then, Miho had transformed into an elegant Concubine, and I was dressed as a bodyguard. The guards in the palace greeted Miho with the utmost courtesy, allowing us to enter without any resistance.

Inside, the Emperor awaited Miho. He approached with slightly dazed eyes and stumbled forward.

“Oooh… You have… arrived…”

Miho waved her hand lightly in front of the Emperor’s eyes, and then he collapsed onto the ground, sound asleep, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Miho said,

“From now on, you can relax.”

“He’s completely enchanted.”

“He is the most important human in Dongyoung. I’ve cast a stronger enchantment on him than on ordinary humans.”

As Miho lifted the Emperor and laid him on the bed, she turned to look at me,

“Hehe… Do you want anything? Find any woman you desire.”

Miho confidently offered.

After a moment of thought, I asked,

“But if I suddenly show up at the Emperor’s Palace, won’t you want to kill me out of the blue? Is there a good way around that?”

“Hmm…

”

Miho pulled a chair beside her and sat down. Then she said,

“Tell them you’ve spoken with Xiwangmu. That’ll probably gain their trust.”

“Hmm.”

“To be honest, I still don’t fully trust your words. I’m also in the process of learning to trust you. However, your actions somehow inspire trust, so I’m keeping an eye on you.”

I understood that there was still some distance to cover in building that trust. After all, it was still early days since we’d met, so expecting something beyond a contractual relationship was unrealistic. Nodding, I asked Miho,

“So how exactly can the Shogunate’s swordsmen assist me?”

“It’s simple. Currently, nobody knows the conditions for mastering the Soul Destroying Step, right? So we’ll have to figure it out through trial and error.”

“You don’t mean…?”

Miho‘s eyes narrowed like crescent moons.

“The swordsmen loyal to the Shogunate are all renowned geniuses with swords. They’re some of the best in Dongyoung. We’ll have them learn the Soul Destroying Step and gather their common experiences for clues.”

“……!!”

I couldn’t contain my awe.

‘This is an idea I could never have conceived!’

If I follow her plan, I might be able to uncover the conditions for mastering the Soul Destroying Step, which even I was unaware of. The swordsmen loyal to the most significant power in Dongyoung would likely have remarkable talents; through them, I could discover the true conditions for honing the technique. There would certainly be a downside of leaking the secrets of my school’s techniques, but that could be dealt with later. I decided to roll the dice and nodded.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

“Hmm… Then I’ll appoint you as the martial arts instructor of the Emperor’s Family and use some influence with the Shogunate to bring in the swordsmen. You can take on the role of guiding them in the Emperor’s Palace.”

“Got it. How many do you plan to summon?”

“I’ll call a total of ten. That’s about the right number of famous swordsmen and martial artists in Dongyoung.”

I decided to follow Miho‘s plan.

Then I briefly went to see Mangnyang to update him on the situation. As he was practicing martial arts, he smiled when I brought him up to speed.

“Your newlywed life must be quite entertaining.”

“W-What newlywed?”

My startled reply made Mangnyang burst into laughter.

“Haha, just joking. But I do agree with Miho’s plan. This is a martial arts experiment that would be impossible in the Central Plains, but since she controls the Emperor’s Family in Dongyoung, it’s feasible.”

“You don’t have anything you’d like me to help with right now?”

“Are you worried about the rescue of General Hwangyeon’s family?”

“Yes.”

I had been uneasy about that matter since it had lingered for a while. The family of General Hwangyeon was currently detained by the Golden Eagle Guards and in a state of house arrest. With Hwangyeon rescued, there was always a risk they might be killed or used as hostages for torture. Therefore, I felt it was urgent to save them.

Then Mangnyang said,

“To be frank, that’s not such a critical matter.”

“What do you mean?”

“General Hwangyeon himself doesn’t expect much from rescuing his family. He knows how tough it would be to breach the ironclad defenses of the Golden Eagle Guards and risk a rebellion. If it can be done, it’d be good, but if his family gets massacred or taken hostage, then Hwangyeon would forge a grudge against the current dynasty.”

“……!!”

“Of course, I’m not going to let it slide either, so I’ve already made moves. You don’t need to worry about that.”

I felt a chill in my spine as I realized how fearsome a person Mangnyang was. It was only because of his upright and principled character that he opted for righteous methods, but if he chose to employ any means necessary, no one would be able to stand against him. Mangnyang continued,

“If there’s one thing I’d like to ask of you right now, it’s just one.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s a crucial task.”

I focused my gaze intently on Mangnyang, who unfolded a scroll and said earnestly,

“Bring back a gift from Dongyoung’s special products…!!”

“…….”

“Make it something expensive.”

I carefully considered Mangnyang‘s request and returned to Dongyoung.

“Take this.”

“What is this?”

Upon returning to Dongyoung, Miho handed me a yellow mirror. I gazed at Miho with curiosity, and she relaxedly reclined on the bed, saying,

“That’s one of the Ten Sacred Treasures passed down in the Emperor’s Family, called the Chōjinkyō. It’s on par with the Hachidatsukagami, which I gave you previously, as a counterfeit. You could consider it a high-level magical treasure in the Central Plains.”

“The Chōjinkyō, huh…”

“Carrying that every day will dramatically enhance your language comprehension and acquisition skills. Your magical power will also increase.”

I asked, astonished,

“Is that true? Will I learn a language faster if I have this?”

“Indeed. It’s used by the Emperor when he needs to master the languages of Goryeo or the Central Plains.”

“Oh…”

Along with my amazement, I felt somewhat aggrieved. If I had had this earlier, I wouldn’t have spent years struggling to learn the language in Goryeo. Had I known, I would have tried to befriend Miho more in my tenth life.

I began to learn the language and script of Dongyoung from a scholar summoned from Dongyoung and noticed my understanding developing at an astonishing pace. It felt ten times faster than my attempts to learn Goryeo’s language, and I could already vaguely understand the tone of the Dongyoung language.

‘Amazing… At this rate, I could learn the Dongyoung language completely in three months.’

Hmmm…

In just ten nights, I had mastered basic conversations and could use significant vocabulary, including advanced terms and grammar. I could also grasp the characteristics of the Dongyoung language.

‘It’s quite similar to Goryeo language…’

The grammar was very similar, and even among the vocabulary, a feeling of kinship was present, as if they had diverged from a single source. Whether I learned Goryeo first or Dongyoung first, it wouldn’t make much difference. There were, however, deep chasms between the two languages, especially when it came to pronunciation.

About a month later, I found myself capable of conversing effectively. Then, Miho stared at me and asked in Dongyoung language,

“Do you understand?”

“Of course.”

“Then, I’ll start bringing in the swordsmen.”

Shortly after, the swordsmen from Dongyoung who had been summoned in advance to Kyoto arrived. Miho captured their attention in her guise as a Concubine, and the Emperor seated imperially at the back. I stood quietly near them when the Emperor spoke,

“I will give you a special command.”

“Yes! Please issue your order.”

There were ten swordsmen gathered inside. The Emperor, enchanted, slowly swept his gaze over them, saying,

“To these martial arts instructors… you will learn the special techniques from Baek Woong… and diligently practice them to report back the results to him.”

The swordsmen exchanged bewildered glances, bowing their heads in shock at suddenly being summoned to the palace for an instruction in martial arts. But the middle-aged swordsman at the front calmly interjected,

“Your servant, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, dares to inquire.”

“Speak.”

“While the skill of this Baek Woong is indeed remarkable for his age, it may be premature to speak of the ultimate art of martial arts…”

Miho’s expression shifted to one of concern. It was because while her enchanting arts allowed her to control the Emperor’s mind perfectly, engaging in higher-level conversations like this made it challenging to have the Emperor speak with free will. She had to either control him more forcefully for complete submission or leave it to his independent judgment.

Miho chose the latter. It seemed she relaxed the enchanting arts while boosting the Emperor‘s rationality. He propped his chin and thought for a moment before responding,

“I know you are the highest martial artist, known as the Sword Saint. Yet, being trapped like a frog in a well, there is no progress in martial arts. Baek Woong has traveled all the way from the distant Central Plains to share his martial skills and knowledge with us; please try to understand his sincerity.”

At that moment, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna appeared to have a sudden epiphany. He bowed his head deeper.

“I did not dare to grasp your intent. I will serve you with all my might.”

“Good. Then I will count on you.”

“Your Majesty!”

Thus, from that day onward, I began teaching the Soul Destroying Step to the swordsmen of Dongyoung.

As I carved out more time to practice the Soul Destroying Step, my aim was to unveil the hidden conditions for its mastery and further glean the secrets of this technique. I was effectively using the talents of others in pursuit of power.