Chapter 214: Chapter 214

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

After the martial arts match, I spoke to Mangnyang.

“There’s a lot to do, but I’ll go visit Miho.”

Mangnyang nodded as if that was the obvious choice.

“That’s for the best.”

There was much ahead of me. Plus, after the Baekryeon faction’s palace raid commenced, I’d be busier than ever. I needed to see Miho and check on the Obsidian situation before that.

Fwoosh

Arriving at the Kyoto Imperial Palace, I didn’t find Miho, but rather the Emperor, whose eyes were vacant. As Miho’s allure is strongest on him, he seemed to have lost his reason, gazing blankly at the blue window. He looked more like a doll, barely responding to external stimuli.

Just as I was about to leave him and look for Miho, unexpectedly, the Emperor spoke.

“… She is… not here…”

“……!!”

Startled, I turned to him, and the Emperor continued to stare blankly at the sky. As I gazed at him, the light slowly returned to his eyes. After blinking ten times, he transformed into a normal person once again.

“Emperor?”

“… I don’t deserve to be called that… Heh…”

The Emperor gave a bitter smile. Inside, I was genuinely astonished.

‘Does this guy have a consciousness?’

The Emperor was the most crucial figure who holds the power that Miho possesses on earth. If he wasn’t enchanted, Miho would be merely a great monster, which is why she always exerts her charm forcefully. Miho’s genuine allure is so intense that even I find it hard to bear, making it nearly impossible for someone like the Emperor, who hadn’t mastered any special martial arts, to retain his sanity.

The Emperor spoke again, fully aware now.

“She went to check the Obsidian mine herself. She won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Of course. You are the one she holds most dear and loves. Your name is Baek Woong.”

“……”

What could this mean?

Even if the enchantment was somehow lifted, how could he have information about me? As I stared at him in confusion, the Emperor added,

“I regained my senses about a month ago. Until then, I was merely a puppet controlled while my reason was stolen, but suddenly my consciousness returned, and I regained control over my body. I disguised it using magic transmitted to the Royal Bloodline to prevent the Noble Consort from finding out, but I could listen to what she said and the information shared.”

A month ago.

While pondering why this happened, I suddenly recalled the moment from a month back when I transferred memories to Mangnyang and Miho using Obsidian, and three months later, when Miho suggested I go to the Heavenly Realm with her.

‘At that time, Miho was quite shaken due to receiving the memories from Obsidian. Could that have affected the enchantment?’

As I was piecing this together, the Emperor gazed at me and continued.

“You must be wondering why I didn’t just play the puppet and speak to you directly.”

“Indeed.”

To be honest, if the Emperor had continued to act like a fool, I wouldn’t have noticed a thing. This meeting existed because he had taken the risk to approach me. As I struggled to grasp his intentions, the Emperor explained,

“It’s because I broke free of her spell thanks to you. I’m grateful.”

“……”

“I disguised myself as a fool to eavesdrop on her soliloquies about you. Most of what I heard was her affection, admiration, curiosity, and stories of numerous adventures she had experienced with you. Consequently, I unintentionally learned about your party’s circumstances.”

“You know what I’ve been through?”

“Of course. I heard you are a Reborn Person.”

He knows everything.

Miho must have mumbled all the facts I shared with her in my memories to pass the time meaningfully. It seems that in the interim, the Emperor deduced my identity by listening to her, making an educated guess that I was the reason Miho’s enchantment was broken.

‘Miho’s mental turmoil must have led to the breaking of her enchantment, and the Emperor managed to regain his senses within that window.’

According to Miho, the enchantment is an innate and advanced sorcery of hers. If the sorcerer’s mental power wavers, a gap is bound to appear.

After piecing the situation together, I said to the Emperor,

“I don’t understand. Even if you claim the enchantment broke because of me, there’s no guarantee that I would be favorable to you.”

The Emperor shook his head.

“That’s not true. It’s because you are a Reborn Person.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you have accumulated countless information and experiences through the repetitive cycles of life, you wouldn’t pass by such an unusual experience lightly. It’s more likely that instead of hastily revealing everything to her, you would seek new possibilities. Am I wrong?”

“……”

I opened my mouth but had no words.

‘He understands me exactly.’

Indeed, until just a moment ago, I was considering suppressing the Emperor and waiting for Miho, rather than rushing to confront him. The Emperor had read my disposition precisely from Miho’s soliloquies. Although he was enchanted by Miho, he certainly wasn’t a mundane person.

The Emperor chuckled bitterly.

“I have a request. I’ll provide you with significant information that could be of great help to you, so please do not speak of how she’s vulnerable to enchantment in your future rebirths. I’d like to secure at least a modicum of freedom…”

A transaction proposal. I rested my chin in thought and countered,

“You have great resentment towards us, don’t you? How can I trust the information you give?”

At my question, the Emperor waved his hand.

“Not at all. In fact, I don’t think this puppet life is so terrible.”

“……?”

“It hasn’t been long since the Warring States era of Dongyeong ended. Back during that great upheaval, even powerful Daimyo perished pitifully, while the nominal Emperor received no proper recognition and found himself in a miserable state. Tokugawa treated me as just a pet. Had I remained idle, I would have starved to death.”

The Emperor gazed blankly at the sky.

“Then suddenly, the Nine-Tailed Fox appeared, enchanting me and seizing the Kyoto Imperial Palace, thereby securing the power and authority of the Emperor. While it was merely solidifying her operational base, I survived because of it.”

“If you were enchanted, then it wouldn’t have mattered?”

“Ha… it’s better to be her puppet and live comfortably than to struggle daily, fighting against the harshness of reality. At least, as a puppet, I could live peacefully, dreaming while not really living. Moreover, with the formidable protection of a great monster, is my safety not guaranteed? It’s rather a blessing.”

“……”

Should this be called a change in perspective or optimism?

The Emperor’s way of thinking was significantly different from what one might expect from an ordinary person. In a sense, he was effectively using Miho. As I stared at him blankly, the Emperor continued.

“However, she thinks of leaving for the Heavenly Realm with you in about ten years. Then afterwards, I would have to survive alone under the watchful eye of the Tokugawa Shogunate. That’s when I regained my will to live.”

“Hmm… Let’s assume you hold no resentment. What is the information you say you can share with me?”

“First, you must promise me to ensure my safety and confidentiality.”

I pondered for a moment before nodding.

“I promise.”

With that, the Emperor let out a sigh of relief and spoke.

“I’ve overheard Miho mention that there are Otherworldly Beings in this world. Based on that, I have identified the location of their base. If you go there, you might find clues to the Seven Treasures you seek.”

The base of the Otherworldly Beings!

This was likely information he had possessed but left untouched. However, hearing Miho’s words led him to make this deduction recently. Thus, it must hold significant value. My curiosity piqued, I asked.

“Where is it?”

“It’s a place called Takamagahara, which might resemble what you think of as the Divine Realm. However, I’ve come to believe that it’s precisely the base of the Otherworldly Beings.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Strictly speaking, it is an area passed down exclusively to the Emperor. Takamagahara is not a land where gods are welcomed but a place where ominous beings are sealed and a passage exists. The entities that descended from there wielded great power and ruled as gods in this land of Dongyeong. I suspect that is where those Otherworldly Beings reside.”

Takamagahara.

I mulled over that word in my mind before asking,

“So where is that?”

“I’ve heard that the entrance to Takamagahara is in a region called Goryeo.” If you go there, you might find a clue.”

“Thank you.”

“Just remember your promise…”

Hisssss

A moment later, he returned to his befuddled state. To be precise, it seemed he pulled his consciousness back into the unconscious as a means of shielding himself from the enchantment. His senses remained intact in this state, allowing him to gather external information.

‘What a fascinating spell.’

I roused him again.

“Wake up.”

“… What is it?”

“Teach me that spell.”

“Hmm, sure. However, this is a technique of Yin-Yang arts, so you won’t understand it without basic knowledge…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

As long as I recorded it, I could use it anytime.

The Emperor, hesitating, finally shared the essence, incantations, and training methods with me. The spell itself was simple, and it didn’t take long to convey. However, as Emperor said, many parts were incomprehensible without knowledge of the Yin-Yang arts.

The Emperor commented,

“This is a technique of Hongmeng. Please use it wisely.”

It seemed he slipped back into unconsciousness again. I found myself thinking about how profoundly tragic his fate was. Born as an Emperor in chaotic times and destined for a miserable life, he ended up being swept away by Miho and ultimately concealed his consciousness to survive. However, in another light, it also signifies that he was capable enough to survive amidst such turmoil.

‘I need to remove the memories of the Emperor from Obsidian going forward.’

If Miho finds out about the Emperor’s current state, her reaction won’t be pleasant. At best, she would be angry and enchant him further. Since I obtained information about Takamagahara

and the Hongmeng technique, I decided to extract the memories of the Emperor from Obsidian.

Knowing that I am a Reborn Person, he likely chose to endear himself to me instead of asking me to do something clumsily. The Emperor seems to have an exceptional talent for reading human psychology.

As the Emperor suggested, after waiting about a day in the Imperial Palace, Miho finally returned. Seeing me, she looked so happy that she instantly embraced me.

“Ah~ you’re back!”

“Ugh. Just a moment…”

I squirmed as my face was buried in her ample bosom. It just had to be that Miho transformed into a stunning beauty.

After we exchanged stories about what happened over the past month, Miho exclaimed in disbelief.

“So you didn’t gain anything after a month of hellish training?”

“Well, something like that…”

“Ugh, talent is indeed a strange thing. Still, I’m glad you fought closely with Jin So-cheong.”

“And what about you? Did you spend the month searching for the Obsidian mine?”

Miho proudly replied,

“Yes! Since Obsidian is often produced near volcanoes, I visited the surrounding castles and towns. Using my resources, I purchased about five mines.”

“Five?”

“I don’t know how you condense energy into Obsidian, but the bigger the Obsidian, the more memories it can hold, right? So the higher the likelihood of finding substantial Obsidian. Isn’t that so?”

“That’s true…”

“Furthermore, the Obsidian from those mines is currently on its way to Kyoto. They should arrive within two months.”

“Thank you, Miho.”

“Uh-huh.”

After pondering for a while, I spoke.

“I should go directly to that Obsidian mine. I need to lighten the workload from now on.”

Miho wore an expression that seemed slightly hurt.

“Do you dislike me working for you?”

“N-no, that’s not it…”

“Ahaha! Just kidding. It is indeed efficient.”

Miho stroked my cheek gently and continued,

“But I hope you refrain from using the word ‘next’ in the future.”

“Understood.”

For me, dying and being reborn is now a given. However, for Miho, the present is simply the present. I felt the need to change my habitual language.

Miho suddenly exclaimed as if she had just remembered something.

“Ah! By the way, have you read Miyamoto Musashi’sBook of Five Rings?”

“Book of Five Rings? I haven’t had time to read it…”

“Still, it’s the secret of the strongest warrior in Dongyeong. There’s bound to be something to gain from it. If you want to enhance your martial arts, it might be a good idea.”

“Hmmm, that’s true.”

I nodded and replied,

“I’ll make sure to read it.”

As Miho and I headed towards the Obsidian mine, I thought,

‘Perhaps I should show the Book of Five Rings to the Sword Demon.’

After all, I already had plans to train under him once again. If I’m going to train, it’d be better to show him the martial arts secrets from the Book of Five Rings and gain further insights from his research.