Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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I headed back to Wuhou Temple with Miho, using Bi-eung for transport.
*Paat*
The moment we arrived at Wuhou Temple, Miho looked around in wonder, taking in the sights. Just to be sure, I asked her,
"Does your head hurt or feel uncomfortable at all?"
"You mean that vision we just saw?"
"Yeah..."
Miho let out a snicker.
"It startled me a bit, but that was it. Like someone poking me in the back with a finger out of nowhere. It takes more than that to shake me."
"Hmm..."
I'd confirmed it clearly when viewing the Yi Clan and Dark Heaven Fragrance: humans and yokai reacted differently. Even Mang-ryang, who had exceptional mental fortitude among humans, suffered severe dizziness and mental disarray when traveling with Bi-eung. But for Miho, it was just surprise at the unfamiliar scene.
'Yokai must have strong resistance to demonic influences.'
As I pondered this, Miho spoke up.
"Baek Woong. What's your goal right now?"
"Huh?"
Her question came out of nowhere, and I answered,
"Taking down the Demon Restoration Hall, of course."
"Hmm... That's where things get strange."
"What do you mean?"
"Your first reincarnation."
Miho had transformed into the guise of a peerless beauty. From afar, the servants sweeping fallen leaves in Wuhou Temple kept stealing glances at her. She picked up a leaf, twirled it between her fingers, and continued,
"You lived an ordinary life until you were fifty or sixty, without any major upheavals, right? Even when the Nine Yin Cult rose up, it had nothing to do with you as a mere escort warrior."
"Well, that's..."
"Have you never thought that leaving the Demon Restoration Hall alone wouldn't cause any real chaos in the world?"
"......"
Miho had hit the nail on the head. It was something I'd often agonized over during tough times in my past lives.
That was right.
What would happen if I did 'nothing'?
I already knew from living as an ordinary escort that the world proceeded without major incidents. Miho was prodding at whether I was needlessly stirring up hornets' nests and dying pointlessly over and over. After thinking it through, I replied,
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"The human sacrifices in Taekyung Village that I stumbled upon midway were real events, and General Hwang Yeon's imprisonment in the Great Thunder Prison was real too. If I hadn't helped them, they would've met their ends for sure. And the Demon Restoration Hall forces would've gained power as they wished."
"So you think if you'd left them alone, the Demon Restoration Hall would've dominated the world from the shadows?"
"Probably."
"Hehe, that's far from certain."
Miho burst into laughter and said,
"In the end, as an 'observer,' you can never be truly objective. Does the law say even your smallest action won't affect the future?"
"Maybe, but isn't overthinking that pointless?"
"Why?"
"Because only a god could account for all of it."
I shook my head.
"Anyway, if there are people I can save and I have the ability, there's no need to look away. If I keep doing what I can to the end, a path will open up."
Miho gave me a curious look.
"How peculiar. You don't seem like a righteous man, yet your conviction to topple the Demon Restoration Hall hasn't wavered an inch."
"......"
"It doesn't look like it's driven by a sense of justice."
I fell silent at her words. Truth be told, as Miho pointed out, my current moves against the Demon Restoration Hall weren't for upholding righteousness in the martial world. There was a more personal reason, but it felt too embarrassing to confess now. 'Current' Miho wasn't someone I could fully trust yet.
"Anyway, let's get to business. That guy's our target."
In the direction I pointed, about fifty paces away, Wuhou Temple's steward was wandering around idly.
"Hoo..."
Miho smirked slyly and sauntered over to the steward. The moment he spotted the peerless beauty Miho, his face lit up with a goofy grin, his eyes glued to her ample bosom. They seemed to chat amiably, and soon the steward was completely smitten, laughing boisterously to curry her favor.
After about an incense stick's worth of conversation, the steward headed off with Miho toward a building. Watching from afar, I received her sound transmission.
[He's totally charmed. Sneak into the third floor of the Wuhou Pavilion without being seen.]
Following her instructions, I slipped away from my spot and made my way to Wuhou Pavilion. It was a large building I'd visited once before during my previous trip to Wuhou Temple. Inside, there were no guards, just maids bustling about, so I cast Invisibility Technique and ascended to the third floor as directed.
[Over here.]
Opening the door to the innermost room per her transmission, I found the steward sitting there slack-jawed and dazed. Miho sat in front of him, crunching into an apple.
"Ask him anything."
Amazed, I asked Miho,
"I've always wondered—when exactly did you charm him? From the outside, it just looked like a normal chat."
"Uhu hu, that's a secret."
Miho just flashed a mysterious smile. Knowing I was a reincarnator, she clearly intended to keep her secrets close. Smacking my lips, I turned to the steward and began questioning him.
"Do you know what kind of gamble Dongbang Mugyeol and the Gambling King played?"
"I know..."
"Tell me the details."
"Dongbang Mugyeol... and the Gambling King... played mahjong..."
Mahjong!
It was a game also called Lake-Watching or Two-Pai. Unlike go, you stacked tiles and scored with small tiles or point sticks, ultimately completing sets. Though luck played a big role, it required strategy and skill, even having professional scorers.
Of course, it was still gambling, pure and simple. You could play without stakes, but worldly mahjong usually involved money or property. And with the Gambling King himself involved, there was no way it was stake-free.
Curiosity piqued, I asked,
"They could've played at some underground den or back-alley joint. Why come all the way to Wuhou Temple for mahjong?"
"I don't know..."
"Any guesses?"
Pressing him with questions, the steward paused before answering.
"...There were two strange figures who came with them... The four of them played mahjong... I heard there was some secret pact between them..."
"Heard? You didn't witness their game?"
"No... Dongbang Mugyeol scattered sleeping powder over the entire Wuhou Temple... A few peak experts from the Six Line Sect who barely woke from it saw their game... They said the intruders' conditions were off, so they couldn't intervene..."
"Hmm!!"
Something felt off.
'Wuhou Temple is vast. Sleeping paralysis powder that could paralyze the whole place in an instant?'
The steward truly seemed ignorant of the motive behind the mahjong.
Racking my brains, I asked,
"So, how did the game end?"
"...The Gambling King swept the board and took first place... Dongbang Mugyeol and the two strange figures were cleaned out... They packed up the mahjong set and vanished..."
"Where'd they go?"
"Don't know..."
"What about the strange figures' appearances or genders?"
"Don't know... They wore black clothes and monkey masks..."
Monkey masks.
I committed that detail to memory and pressed further.
"Does this Gambling King have strong martial arts too?"
"Yes... One of the top five experts in Sichuan..."
"What does he look like?"
The steward sketched the Gambling King's face and features with brush and ink. His drawing skills were mediocre, but he captured the key traits well.
Imagining the real person from the crude sketch, Miho, peering over my shoulder, commented,
"He's a handsome one."
"......"
Why were all the major figures I'd encountered since entering the martial world so damn good-looking? Knowing I'd end up as an ugly brute in adulthood, it always left a sour taste. Irritated for a moment, I shook it off and dug for more miscellaneous info.
Once we'd extracted everything, Miho erased the steward's memories. We then used Bi-eung to leave Wuhou Temple and arrived at a secluded mountain valley. I needed to organize my thoughts and discuss with Miho.
I said,
"We should head to the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"The sleeping paralysis powder must be tied to them."
Powder potent enough to subdue all of Wuhou Temple in a flash wasn't common. Especially considering the Six Line Sect experts guarding it weren't pushovers. Whatever trick Dongbang Mugyeol pulled, he'd likely obtained it from the Sichuan Tang Clan beforehand.
Pondering, I continued,
"The steward was sloppy, but the Sichuan Tang Clan is a renowned orthodox clan in Sichuan territory. Sneaking in like before could be risky."
"Hmph... You're stoking my competitive spirit."
"If it's too tough, just say so. Kidnapping's an option."
Miho burst into giggles.
"Ahaha, underestimating me? If I put my mind to it and use Charm Technique, I can handle anything. The issue's elsewhere."
"What's the problem?"
"Dongbang Mugyeol's appearance is very likely a human skin mask."
"Hmm..."
I let out a groan. Though many in the martial world, including the steward, had seen Dongbang Mugyeol, they didn't believe it was his true face. He must've mastered special disguise arts or worn a human skin mask. If so, I might not recognize him even if he walked right past me on the street.
Miho toyed with her tail as she spoke.
"Anyway, we have to go to the Sichuan Tang Clan, but I think we should approach from another angle."
"How?"
"Who's most likely to know Dongbang Mugyeol's movements?"
"Ah....!!"
I finally caught her drift. Miho covered her mouth and laughed.
"The Gambling King must be deeply connected to Dongbang Mugyeol. Chasing a faceless ghost endlessly is pointless—better to squeeze all the info through the Sichuan Tang Clan and Gambling King."
"Right!"
"Leave any negotiations to you, Baek Woong."
"You got it."
Right away, Miho and I returned to Chengdu. From there, we headed to the Sichuan Tang Clan's location, which I'd learned in advance via the Beggars' Sect. The clan was west of Chengdu, requiring several passes to reach. It seemed situated outside the city walls, in a village nestled between gorges, living in seclusion.
As I approached the Sichuan Tang Clan gates, their outer guardians blocked my path. They all wore thick gloves, likely to protect themselves from their own deadly poisons and hidden weapons.
Standing silently before these wary Tang Clan experts sent chills down my spine. No seals or spells afflicted me, but an intense sharpness emanated from them—a sign of rigorous training.
One with particularly sharp eyes spoke up.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Baek Woong. I've come to visit the Sichuan Tang Clan, the most famed name in these lands."
"You know your courtesies. No tricks—state your purpose."
His blunt response came swift, and I grinned.
"You're no mere gatekeepers. Tang Clan elite experts, right?"
Their average skill was too high for doormen. All were peak experts beyond first-class, and none looked under forty.
"No reason to answer that."
"Same here—you lack authority to negotiate with me."
*Srung*
Three Tang experts drew their sabers in unison. They prized hidden weapons as lifelines, so these blades likely tied into unique saber arts or were traps in themselves. Either way, poisons and projectiles were no joke, so I replied calmly.
"Easy now. I'm not here to fight. Just to buy information from the Tang Clan."
"You think the Sichuan Tang Clan peddles info to outsiders like market wares?"
"As I said, that's not for you to decide. So relay my words inside without fail."
He stared at me before saying,
"And if I don't?"
"Then I'll have to meet force with full force, as you wish."
"......"
At the veiled threat, they hesitated. Then,
"Go report inside, Visitor."
"Yes."
The one called Visitor dashed inward.