Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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Next, I headed to the Beggars' Sect Sichuan branch. Miho was too eye-catching in her peerless beauty form, so she followed me in the guise of an ordinary girl.
The branch elder was clearly wary of me after I'd roughed him up before. Not only that, but every Beggars' Sect disciple was glaring at me with sharp hostility. But I wasn't intimidated in the slightest and just smirked.
"No need to strain your eyes like that."
The branch elder replied slyly.
"You're just too handsome, that's why they're staring."
"Hah, as if."
I waved it off and got to the point.
"I've got two requests. First, find the Gambling King for me."
"Two hundred taels of silver!"
"You're really jacking up the price."
Two hundred taels wasn't a huge sum to me, but it was exorbitant for mere information. I'd paid gold bars to the head of the Sichuan Tang Clan for info that was worth it and built goodwill, but this was nothing like that. Two hundred taels felt massively inflated.
"The Gambling King is currently the hottest topic in Sichuan murim. His own martial arts are no joke either. Plus, he's an expert in evasion techniques, making him extremely hard to track. Taking all that into account, two hundred taels is a bargain."
"..."
The Gambling King, Bi Gwi-sang!
He was Sichuan murim's greatest mahjong gambler and professional better in a century, and a martial artist to boot. He'd only appeared in Sichuan murim four or five years ago, but in that time, he'd racked up divine legends and feats in countless gambles. He'd even crushed gamblers from other regions, earning provisional recognition as the world's best. What was more astonishing was that he was just a young man in his early thirties.
As I stood there with arms crossed, the branch elder continued.
"There are plenty of factions chasing the Gambling King, but our Beggars' Sect hasn't fully committed to gathering intel on him so far. No direct grudge, and no real gain in it. But if you commission us, Baek Woong, we'll dive in properly."
"You think you can catch up even jumping in late? Sounds like empty bravado."
I was implying they just wanted my money, and the branch elder's face soured.
"We haven't tracked him because we chose not to, not because we couldn't. Once the Beggars' Sect sets its mind to it, there's no info in the jianghu we can't uncover."
"Is that so...?"
"What'll it be? Pay the fee?"
I thought for a moment before saying.
"How long until you find him?"
"Can't guarantee."
"I'm not swimming in time either. I'm paying top coin, so I want his movements fast."
I meant it. I was only hitting up the Beggars' Sect for the Gambling King's info as a formality; I couldn't chase him forever. Right now, I wanted to save time however I could and help Mang-ryang with what was left.
The branch elder sighed.
"I'll do my utmost. What's the second request?"
"I hear Dongbang the Flawless passed through Yunnan heading south to Nanman. Track his movements."
"We already know that. Pay the info fee, and I'll tell you right now."
"So you've been investigating Dongbang the Flawless already."
"More like... never mind. That'll be two hundred taels of silver too."
The branch elder trailed off oddly. I wondered what he was about to say but figured it wasn't worth prying. I nodded, pulled four hundred taels from my spatial pouch, and handed it over.
"Here."
He took the silver and immediately gave me Dongbang the Flawless's travel route and estimated current location. He also handed over a full map of Yunnan and spent about the time it takes to eat a meal explaining its geography.
"He's gone as far south as Jinghong right now. We're tracking him currently."
"That's pretty far south."
Way south of Kunming. It was practically the southernmost tip of the Central Plains.
"He's just about to cross into Nanman. No idea why, but he's stopped there for now..."
"Hmm..."
I pondered briefly.
"If I head to Jinghong, can I get more Beggars' Sect info there?"
"Of course. I'll send word ahead by messenger pigeon."
"Then..."
I got all the info I needed from the branch elder and stepped out. Miho, who'd been silently watching from the side, spoke up.
"You're rushing too much. How about taking a moment to sort your thoughts?"
"In what way?"
"You're oddly fixated on Dongbang the Flawless's movements right now. Like you have to catch him immediately or it's over. But is that really necessary?"
I glanced at Miho. She chuckled and said.
"The key isn't chasing Dongbang the Flawless's tail desperately—it's figuring out his goal. Whether he lives or dies, it doesn't directly impact your aim of toppling the Subduing Demon Hall right now, does it?"
"So you're saying I don't need to track him this instant?"
"Right. Dongbang the Flawless is moving like his pants are on fire, but his goal is singular. You could wait until he returns to the Central Plains and grab him then."
"..."
"Extending Bideung's range to Kunming isn't bad, sure. But it's not all that effective. Feels like unnecessary haste."
I caught Miho's drift. And it made a lot of sense.
What I really wanted was the info Dongbang the Flawless himself held. I was seeking him to uncover the White Lotus Cult's strange plague. If he ever returned to the Central Plains, I could meet him then without issue. Plus, I hadn't even scouted experts capable of facing him yet. I realized I'd been flailing along without context.
"Thanks, Miho."
"Hehe, try to grab too much at once, and you end up with nothing."
I nodded.
"Let's head back to Mang-ryang first. We need to discuss what comes next."
I could wait a bit, then return to Chengdu for the Gambling King's whereabouts. Consulting Mang-ryang first would clarify my next steps.
"Hmm... no, that's not it."
Miho's response was unexpected. I widened my eyes at her. She smiled softly and said.
"Let's go to Dongyeong."
"What? Why Dongyeong?"
Miho's face turned pouty. She crossed her arms and stared at me quietly.
"Hmph... You have Bideung, so you can zip back and forth across the world as you please. But I can't. I'm grateful you pray for me each reincarnation, but I always have to trek from Dongyeong through Goryeo to the Central Plains to find you. You want me wandering two thousand li across the world every time?"
"Oh..."
"Better to come to Dongyeong, save Bideung's location there, and take me along. Wouldn't that be easier for both of us?"
I agreed with Miho. Until now, crises and info had piled up so fast I hadn't thought of her, but she was always enduring the flight across heaven and earth. I scratched my head apologetically.
"Miho, sorry."
She burst into laughter.
"Ahahaha, it's fine. While we're at it, there's one more thing I want to check..."
"What?"
"Couldn't we slip into the Moon Yo ruins on Mani Mountain in Goryeo's Ganghwa Island, grab the Seven Notes, and bolt?"
"..."
It was possible. I'd opened the door to near Moon Yo before, so with Bideung now, I could snag the Seven Notes and escape immediately. But I quickly realized why Mang-ryang hadn't suggested it and said.
"What about Moon Yo's guardian, Izanagi no Mikoto, waking up?"
Even the Wind God's guardian beasts had nearly killed me—that monster among monsters, near a star-level demon god, was Izanagi no Mikoto. No way I could handle that with my current power.
"We won't fight it, so what?"
"What about the Goryeo people?"
Miho looked at me like I was the weird one.
"Why should we worry about that? They'll manage."
"..."
"The important thing is getting the Seven Notes fast. That's how we'll topple the Subduing Demon Hall or whatever quicker, right?"
In that instant, I truly felt how Miho's values and mindset were utterly detached from humanity. She didn't think it was wrong or consider innocent sacrifices. She knew, but humans living or dying meant nothing to her. That was the great fox yokai's way of thinking.
'But ignoring repercussions, it's the best option...'
Above all, I'd never tested the power of Moon Yo's treasure, the Thousand Total Cloud Sword. Passing it up was a loss both experientially and time-wise. If immense power dwelled in the Thousand Total Cloud Sword, it could drastically shorten my future reincarnations.
Miho gently touched my chin with her finger and said.
"You take every reincarnation seriously, but being a reincarnator itself is a weapon you can wield. No need to worry about Goryeo humans, right? Let's grab the Seven Notes first."
"..."
Miho's words were seductively compelling.
'It's tempting...'
But I shook my head. And stated firmly.
"No, I won't do that. I can't irresponsibly unleash a demon god on the world."
Miho shrugged.
"Did you hear me right? The [Ancient Ruler] Sea God retreated because of Goryeo's Dan Clan. They can handle Moon Yo's guardian, lower than the Sea God."
"The Twelve Rites could probably repel it somehow. But countless ordinary people would die in the process."
"Aigoo, so frustrating...!! Why worry about that?"
As Miho clutched her chest, I looked her straight in the eye and said.
"Then what makes me any different from the Subduing Demon Hall bastards?"
"..."
Miho was speechless.
"It's the same. No different from those Yi Clan shamans doing human sacrifices in Taegyeong Village. Sacrificing others without a care to achieve my goals."
"That's... not the same. The faster you build power through reincarnations, the easier it is to crush the Subduing Demon Hall. Borrowing Mang-ryang's words, that's the greater good, isn't it? A worthy sacrifice for the cause."
"Absolutely not."
I sighed and bared my true heart to Miho.
"If I'd pursued power by any means, I'd have twice the strength I have now, ten years ago. I could've been ruthless anytime."
"Hmm."
"But if I become the same as the Subduing Demon Hall that way, what's left for me? What's the point of toppling them? What do I even want with power like that?"
Miho's face grew serious, grasping the core of my words. I drove it home.
"I've learned much from you and Mang-ryang. And what it means to live humanely. So even as I keep dying ahead, I've sworn in my heart to uphold one principle."
"What oath?"
That day's scenery.
I still remember it.
I took a deep breath and said.
"I'll kill my body before my soul."
The day Miho sacrificed, when my helplessness nearly shattered my mind.
I killed my body to save my soul.
Silence fell.
Miho looked stunned. Then she shook her head slowly.
"I spoke out of turn."
"No. Good to consider the possibility."
Miho muttered bitterly.
"Baek Woong. You've become neither human nor yokai..."
I didn't reply.
More accurately, I couldn't.
Soon after, I took Miho and used Bideung to reach Dongnae County in Goryeo's Ulju. I'd been there guarding the Jeong Clan family as an escort warrior—a region clinging to the southeastern tip of the peninsula, close to Dongyeong lands. At Dongnae's port, admiring Goryeo ships, Miho said.
"Grab a boat now, and we'll reach Dongyeong in two shichen."
"Close."
"By the way, do you know Water Glide lightness skill?"
I shook my head at her question.
"No, not well."
"That's odd. Your martial arts are peak supreme-grade even in the Central Plains, but you can't use Water Glide or Grass Glide properly?"
I smacked my lips at her doubt and answered.
"Water Glide isn't something you automatically master as your martial realm rises. Truth is, I've poured all my focus into single techniques each time, leaving no room to grasp lightness skill secrets. My talent's lacking..."
It wasn't strange I couldn't do Water Glide properly. One's personal martial arts and lightness skills don't always harmonize. While Lee Gwang trained me, he taught me Thunder Shadow Step's Heaven's Execution, but that alone was exhausting—no bandwidth for Water Glide or Grass Glide essentials.
Miho giggled.
"Ahaha, then learn Water Glide from Lee Gwang this life. Total win, right?"
"That'd be nice, but something more urgent first."
"What?"
"There's this Soul Extinguishing Step I haven't mastered yet."
I explained to Miho about the Soul Extinguishing Step I'd learned from Thunder God Style disciple Geuk-ho and its origins. After pondering, she said.
"Let's put my underlings to work."
"Who?"
Miho chuckled mischievously.
"Dongyeong's top swordsmen, loyal to the Shogunate!"