Chapter 241: Chapter 241

Celestial Realm

I returned to my lodging and pondered over the events that lay ahead.

‘It feels suspicious. I have the feeling I’m getting pulled into something.’

According to Sovereign Star’s proposal, if I teamed up with him to defeat the Ancient Ruler, the Sea God, I would inherit control over the Twelve Flows. After that, I might somehow manage to deal with the Ming Dynasty’s imperial court using the power of the Twelve Flows.

However, that was an incredibly optimistic notion. There was no guarantee I could defeat the Ancient Ruler, nor was there a promise that Sovereign Star would follow through on his word. Above all else, the likelihood of being caught off guard and killed while fighting the Strange Race seemed high.

Thus, I couldn’t join in on Sovereign Star’s plan. I had no reason to trust him.

Yet, apart from all that, it was undeniable that this was a fantastic opportunity. Just learning more about the constellations was a great harvest, and with Sovereign Star, it felt like I could access classified information that others didn’t know.

So I sorted out my thoughts and visited Sovereign Star the next morning.

“I have something I’d like to consult with you.”

Sovereign Star was still wearing his puppet mask.

“What is it?”

“Actually…”

I told him about how Sword Master had defeated Tuma, witnessing the process of Dragon Transformation, how the mysterious tentacles that had regenerated Tuma transformed into the Black Dragon, and how that Black Dragon had vanished somewhere. After calmly listening to my whole tale, Sovereign Star replied.

“Interesting. So what are you curious about?”

“What is the relationship between those tentacles and the dragon? And can the imperial palace reproduce such things at will?”

“I’m uncertain about the tentacles or the dragon. However, I believe I can answer the latter question.”

Master Sovereign Star rested his chin on his hand and continued.

“If it’s a method of grafting tentacles, then considerable physical strength and mental fortitude are required to withstand Dragon Transformation. Otherwise, the tentacles’ power trying to revert to their original form will overpower you. This means only a martial artist with substantial capability can endure it.”

“If that’s the case…”

“You can rest assured that the mass production of dragons numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands, like you’re worrying about, is unlikely.”

Sovereign Star added.

“Of course, the outcome is uncertain. If the sorcerer in the imperial palace happens to be of the Strange Race, then many variables can arise. Those beings can effortlessly overcome the limitations of all sorcery by offering human sacrifices to the Ancient Ruler.”

“Then we need to take down the Ming Dynasty’s imperial palace.”

“Perhaps that will be necessary eventually~”

Sovereign Star replied lightly. I still couldn’t read his thoughts, making it ambiguous whether he was being earnest or not.

“Um… thank you. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Be careful.”

I bowed to him and exited the Sacred Altar. Since the issue was too severe to answer immediately, I said I would return to discuss it later. Sovereign Star didn’t try to pressure me and let me go willingly, but it was hard to believe that was genuine goodwill.

I left the Sacred Altar and confirmed for a while that there were no followers before using the Golden Ratio to return to the Shadowless Gate.

Pah-ah!

“Ah, you’re back!”

As soon as I returned to the Shadowless Gate, I found Sword Master

and shared the story of my meeting with Sovereign Star. Seeing that I was safe, Sword Master initially rejoiced, but as the narrative progressed, his face turned ashen. Eventually, he seemed to ponder deeply, even murmuring something under his breath.

At length, Sword Master said,

“You did well not to give him a definitive answer.”

“Sovereign Star’s intent is just too profound; I simply can’t read it.”

As I spoke honestly, Sword Master agreed. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Indeed. Even if I had been the one there instead of you, deciphering his intentions would have been quite the challenge. A true master of the Eastern Martial Arts.”

“How much can we trust him?”

“The question is flawed. You should ask how much you can use him.”

Sword Master continued, sitting across the table from me.

“It seems Sovereign Star is a tremendous secretive person. Sharing trust with him will be impossible.”

“A secretive person…”

“Have you not noticed something odd? Sovereign Star has already duped you.”

“……?”

I tilted my head, and realizing what he meant, I responded.

“The Moonlight! The fact that he didn’t mention a word of the Moonlight in Ganghwado!”

“Exactly.”

Indeed.

From my tenth reincarnation, I knew of the ancient ruins beneath Mount Muni, thanks to Miho, which housed the guardian of the Moonlight, Izanagi no Mikoto.

However, Sovereign Star had not whispered a single word about it while conversing with me. As I contemplated seriously, Sword Master added,

“It was indeed Sovereign Star who dispatched Great Monk Seo San to guard that ruin. I can’t believe he would leave it alone without knowledge of the Moonlight’s existence. Yet despite that, he seems obsessed with gathering the power of the Seven Luminaries to defeat the Sea God…”

“Certainly peculiar.”

“If you’d mentioned this unease to Sovereign Star, he might have released the Moonlight right away…”

Sword Master crossed his arms.

“I’m glad you didn’t say anything.”

“……”

“We don’t know his true intentions. In such a situation, blindly handing over a powerful weapon like the Seven Luminaries would be foolish.”

“What should we do from here?”

This situation felt utterly disordered and chaotic. When I asked, Sword Master replied.

“Sovereign Star merely muddled your thoughts; what you actually need to do is simple. Just keep training hard as you have until now.”

“Do you really think that will suffice?”

“Hmmm… is that the intuition from being a reincarnator?”

In response to Sword Master’s question, I leaned slightly forward and said,

“Yes. I have this anxious feeling that I shouldn’t just stay put like this.”

“That feeling shouldn’t be ignored, especially in your case.”

After pondering for a moment, Sword Master continued,

“Alright then, how about we go to two places for a little break?”

“Where to?”

“To Dragon King Valley and Jangryeong Valley.”

At first, I couldn’t quite comprehend the locations he mentioned. But once I realized where Dragon King Valley was, I exclaimed.

“Dragon King Valley

, isn’t that…?”

“Yes, that’s the information Bai Li Jeong-woon shared with you. There’s an immensely skilled recluse hiding in that valley.”

I hadn’t really remembered that information until Sword Master reminded me. I was suddenly struck by the realization of the power of Obsidian. I wasn’t particularly sharp, so my memory wasn’t great, but Sword Master, having received the same information, was accustomed to recalling various matters as if they were yesterday.

“So, we just need to meet that master in Dragon King Valley and win them over to our side?”

“That would be ideal. Even if that doesn’t work out, simply knowing the identity and whereabouts of such a strong master will prove beneficial in the days to come. Just like how you have instincts as a reincarnator, I have instincts as a martial artist.”

As Sword Master continued, he added,

“Also, although the Baek Li Family is treated as an unknown clan, I know that until thirty years ago, the Baek Li Family was one of the most prestigious families in Sichuan. If the grandson, Bai Li Jeong-woon, inherited information secretly, it’s bound to be solid.”

“I see.”

I marveled at Sword Master’s insights. Journeying to Dragon King Valley would likely be of benefit rather than a detriment. In a way, it should have been pursued sooner, yet thanks to Sword Master’s assistance, I was finally finding a connection.

“Then why Jangryeong Valley?”

“Jangryeong Valley’s lord, Zhuge Sa, must have already committed suicide.”

“Surely he’s been destined to die, regardless of how many times I visited.”

That’s why I considered Zhuge Sa a useless connection. Although I had encountered the living Zhuge Sa before, he was unreasonably arrogant and had an air of disdain for both himself and the world. I found it hard to collaborate with someone like that.

Then Sword Master said,

“After seeing that memory, I felt something strange.”

“Strange?”

Sword Master nodded and replied.

“Regardless of what you think, that Mangnyang, who is supposed to possess the ultimate strategy, consistently had Zhuge Sa in mind as a substitute. Even though Mangnyang personally disliked him, that’s still the case. This demonstrates that Zhuge Sa‘s strategy and abilities have reached a remarkable level.”

“……”

“Of course, according to ‘normal’ history, Zhuge Sa would have already committed suicide. However, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not all there is to it.”

“What significance could there be in someone who has committed suicide?”

“Normally, there wouldn’t be any. But you, my friend, can create significance.”

I wondered what Sword Master was getting at. If someone’s dead, then they’re dead; what significance could there possibly be?

But soon, as I rummaged through my memories, I realized what that might entail, and my expression dropped in shock.

“C-could it be…?”

“Precisely that possibility.”

“Must it go that far?”

“Of course.”

Sword Master replied firmly. There was a youthful curiosity swirling in his expression, signifying that he was interested in Zhuge Sa‘s abilities.

“By this point, aren’t you curious? Whether he’s just a boastful talker or something more, I think we should put it to the test.”

I mumbled with a grimace.

“… I’m not exactly looking forward to it.”

“Hehe. I believe it will be quite meaningful.”

While Sword Master chuckled, he said,

“Now, let’s go check it out right now. I’m just as eager to discover what kind of master is hiding in Dragon King Valley.”

“If we’re using the information network, we’ll need to use Gaebang, but isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“There are other ways. The Divine Maiden Sect

has information networks that are just as powerful. And I could easily acquire that information.”

“The Divine Maiden Sect!”

“I hear Lee Kwang of the Thunder God Clan is also tapping into the Divine Maiden Sect’s information. He does seem to have connections all over the place.”

Come to think of it, I had seen Lee Kwang utilizing the Divine Maiden Sect’s intelligence before. It was surprising to find a commonality between the two, but considering Sword Master was the strongest of the Mortal Arts Eight, it made sense. Lee Kwang’s situation was unique as he was a former envoy from the imperial court.

Pah-ah!

Together with Sword Master, I moved to Sichuan in the Central Plains. As we arrived in Sichuan using the Golden Ratio, Sword Master led me deeper into the region until we entered an unmarked building of an unidentified martial arts sect. Sword Master wrote something on a box that shouldn’t have had an owner in the eerie building.

After waiting there for about half an hour, a woman dressed in pure white emerged from one corner of the building.

“It’s an honor to meet the esteemed lord of the Shadowless Gate, Sword Master.”

“Who might you be?”

Surrounding the woman were five other women in white, each appearing to be skilled martial artists, their steps light as they followed her. The leader of the group, the woman in white who seemed to be in charge, began speaking.

“I am Gahwa, the leader of the Divine Maiden Sect.”

“The leader… I wish you blessings in light of the unfortunate outcome that befell the Divine Maiden Sect recently.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Sword Master offered his condolences for the tragic death of Divine Maiden Sect‘s leader, Eun Ma, during her duel with Jin So-cheong, and Gahwa graciously accepted the words.

Eventually, Sword Master got to the point.

“We would like to know about the current circumstances in the martial world. If possible, we also seek information regarding Dragon King Valley.”

“I can provide that information without the need for an investigation.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I just ask for an information fee.”

“Of course, that’s only natural.”

In turn, Sword Master paid Gahwa the information fee, and she shared the current happenings in the martial world along with details about Dragon King Valley. The peculiar part was that Dragon King Valley was located in the heart of a treacherous mountainous region, brimming with steep cliffs, making access nearly impossible even for specialized mountain climbers.

As the transaction concluded, Sword Master wasted no time leaving the building. Once we got far enough away, Sword Master informed me,

“The place we just visited is a branch of the Divine Maiden Sect that exchanges information.”

“That will be quite useful.”

“It will take about two days of running to reach Dragon King Valley. Let’s go.”

Hwa-art!

I began marching with Sword Master toward Dragon King Valley. As promised, the journey took about two days, and before long stood a huge cliff terrain, even more rugged than the lands of Sichuan.

Upon gazing at the tremendous valley from the misty mountain peak, I could hardly believe my eyes.

“Can humans possibly live in a place like that?”

Sword Master, who had been munching on some wild fruit beside me, replied,

“Why not? The scariest thing in the world is humans; that level of nature is just a little cuteness.”

“Your point stands.”

“Now, shall we go?”

Sword Master rose from his resting spot.

“Let’s become alert. There are surely traps laid there, so you should stay sharp.”