Chapter 163
Chapter 163
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 163
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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Mangnyang's point was that I should use the blessing of Jang Sambong, obtained through my offerings to the ledger, to take over the Wudang Sect.
I asked in bewilderment,
"Is that even possible?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well, even though I've internalized Jang Sambong's final insights and practice them daily, my progress is less than twenty percent. I'm barely drawing out the effects of the sword forms, far from unleashing their true power. Trying to become the sect leader of the Wudang Sect, the pinnacle of the righteous factions, with this? It's absurd."
"..."
"Besides, it's questionable whether they'd even acknowledge me."
That was my honest opinion.
Of course, ever since obtaining Jang Sambong's insights, my swordsmanship had advanced more easily than before, reaching horizons my original talent couldn't touch.
But knowing peerless swordsmanship and actually performing it were entirely different matters. I knew the limits of Jang Sambong's arts were unimaginably high for my current level, and reaching even half of that was daunting. It would take decades of secluded training just to properly master the Coiling Dragon Strike or the Heavenly Pivot Sword.
Mangnyang chuckled softly.
"Of course, I'm not saying go right now. But you'll have to go soon enough, so hone your swordsmanship to the utmost until then."
"Soon? I can't achieve great completion that quickly."
"Hahaha. What do you think becoming the Wudang Sect leader entails?"
"Becoming the sect master, naturally."
"Heh. Sect master... That's a common misconception about Daoist sects."
"What?"
Mangnyang grinned and sat down in the courtyard. He unfurled his ledger with a flourish, as if about to explain.
"Listen well. The sect master isn't the pinnacle of a Daoist sect. If anything, it's more like a mid-level manager."
"W-What are you talking about?"
I blurted out in shock.
Sect master!
Wasn't that the title for the leaders of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools, the current apex of the righteous factions?
As I stared at Mangnyang, he flicked the ledger and continued.
"What do you think gave rise to the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools?"
"I know it as Daoists and monks gathering under legendary eccentrics who shook the world with their fame."
"Exactly. The position of sect master was virtually nonexistent at first. It was created later, as the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools engaged more with the secular world and conflicts with outsiders intensified, needing a unifying figure. And in today's murim, where inter-sect strife has devolved into pure power struggles, sect masters are naturally composed solely of each sect's top experts."
Mangnyang continued leisurely.
"So, does that make the sect master the supreme authority of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools? Do you think they wield ironclad control like the Twelve Law Enforcers under the Twelve Laws?"
"Naturally, right?"
"Not at all. In the current Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools, the sect master position has become a title that the sect's strongest expert passes through once. Real political power is divided among the elders, or controlled by even higher-ranking private tutors."
"......!!"
"If a sect master tried to exert strong control like the supreme leaders of other sects, internal strife would erupt immediately. That's the peculiarity of the current Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools."
My jaw dropped. I had a rough idea of their structure, but I never knew the sect master position had such undercurrents. I'd simply accepted that the sect masters were the top experts without question.
As I gaped at Mangnyang, he went on.
"In other words, the current sect master is less the 'head of the sect' in the original sense and more like a shock trooper leading armed clashes against other forces when they arise. That's why only the top experts hold the position. Understand?"
"Y-Yes."
"Well, the newcomer Yellow Mountain Sect seems a bit different."
Muttering that, Mangnyang said,
"The true pinnacle of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools lies with the previous generation's peak experts who have retired behind the scenes. Represented by the Three Great Eccentrics of the righteous factions."
"The Three Great Eccentrics..."
"The Mount Tai Old Man, the Beggar Immortal, and the Shaolin Divine Monk."
I let out a groan upon hearing those names.
The Three Great Eccentrics of the righteous factions!
Names I'd heard countless times across my past lives, their reputations reaching the heavens. The neutral Mount Tai Old Man, the Beggar Immortal of the Beggars' Clan, and the Shaolin Divine Monk kept even the Eight Demonic Sects in check, always wary of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools. Moreover, the Mount Tai Old Man had once taught Sa Gong-rin, making him an indirect concern.
Mangnyang continued.
"So, you don't need arts capable of defeating the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools' top experts. You just need to prove to those behind the curtains that your arts contain Jang Sambong's insights. That alone will make the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools view the Thunder God Ryu's actions favorably going forward."
"Hmm."
"The Wudang Sect's previous generation eccentric wouldn't fail to recognize the Heavenly Pivot Sword or Coiling Dragon Strike. They're extremely sensitive to their predecessors' secret arts."
Just prove it.
That was far less insane than the ridiculous difficulty of consecutively defeating even Lee Gwang-unscorned top experts of the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools.
I mulled over Mangnyang's words before replying.
"Easy to say, but as I mentioned, I haven't even reached twenty percent of that exquisite swordsmanship. It won't impress those peak experts."
"Hmm. That's the issue..."
After pondering briefly, Mangnyang said,
"I wanted to handle the imperial palace matter first and carve out training time for you, but no choice. We'll have to forcibly acquire it by borrowing talent."
"Borrowing talent?"
Mangnyang grinned.
"Wait here. I'll prepare the conditions."
As Mangnyang said, I obediently waited in the Hidden Wave Valley for several days. Of course, Miho visited and teased me, disrupting my focus, so I barely trained. But the silly banter with Miho was enjoyable enough that I didn't mind.
While playing with me, Miho heard the situation and said,
"Hmm, borrowing talent... I think I know what that guy's planning."
"What?"
"No point spoiling it early. More importantly, what about that?"
"What?"
"Xiang Yu's blessing."
Hearing that, cold sweat trickled down my back. Miho had reminded me of something I'd desperately tried to forget.
In this life, after skipping so many, I'd received Xiang Yu's blessing. Xiang Yu—the history's mightiest, most brutal general and king, infamous for his savagery and cruelty. I couldn't even guess what his blessing entailed, and having died once due to Yeo Dongbin's rampage—whom I'd trusted as an ally—made it even scarier.
Miho tilted her head.
"Doesn't Xiang Yu's spirit possess you like with Yeo Dongbin? Or does he suddenly descend during battle?"
"Nothing like that."
"Strange. Xiang Yu always seemed itching for a fight. Must be some special condition."
"Condition?"
Miho wagged her tail, fiddling with my collarbone.
"Didn't you think it odd that the infamous Xiang Yu was summoned as a celestial good spirit to receive ledger offerings?"
"Yeah... Honestly, it was baffling."
I agreed with Miho. Even humans who accumulate merit and cultivate their entire lives struggle to become earthly immortals, so a villain like Xiang Yu ascending to the ranks of great celestial immortals was bizarre.
"Xiang Yu's deeds would land him in hell as an evil spirit without question, but he's in the heavens for a reason. All his evil karma, while shaking the world's fate, was bestowed by the constellations."
"Constellations?"
"Yes... The most tragic, absolute, and terrifying force of destiny in the world."
Murmuring softly, Miho snuggled against me and pointed to the starry night sky.
"Look. Aren't there so many stars?"
"Yeah, tons."
"Among them, certain constellations hold immense sorcerous power. Occasionally, their magic influences the earth, causing natural disasters or birthing humans innately possessing terrifying strength."
I pondered deeply, drawing on my Daoist and sorcery knowledge to understand Miho's words, then replied.
"You're talking about the 36 Heavenly Descent Stars and 72 Earthly Slaughter Stars?"
"Right. Xiang Yu was born under a whopping twelve of them. That's why he was superhuman from childhood, growing ever more ferocious. There's reason behind him dyeing the world in blood."
"......"
Born under over a dozen constellation energies!
Stunned by Miho's words, I muttered,
"So he wasn't human to begin with."
"His shell was human. But his innate power was so overwhelming he forcibly defied heaven's mandate after death and settled in the celestial realm. Even there, he's called a heretic."
"Sigh... What an absurd monster."
I sighed. If true, he was even stronger as a human before becoming a great celestial immortal.
Seeing my dismay, Miho continued.
"As you guessed, the celestial realm isn't just for merit-accumulators. It's more a special otherworld midway between the Star Heavens, managing the world. Best not to harbor illusions about it."
It felt like advice. Sensing it would help, I nodded.
"Got it."
"Anyway, as one forcibly ascended, he surely faces major restrictions in wielding power, unlike others. Since he didn't explain it himself, the condition must be unfavorable for you, Baek Woong."
"Ugh, don't want to think about it."
Miho laughed merrily, patting my back.
"Ahaha, chin up. What's the worst—death?"
I made a deathly face.
"That's zero comfort for me."
"That's why I said it—to hurt more."
"Ugh... You wicked fox."
"Ahaha."
Such playful days with Miho brought rare respite in the Hidden Wave Valley. After about a month, Mangnyang summoned me.
"Preparations are complete. Follow me."
"The 'borrowing talent' you mentioned?"
"Yes."
I followed Mangnyang into increasingly deserted mountains until we reached an ancient temple. It looked old but recently renovated for habitation.
Five men and women waited before it. Recognizing them, I gasped.
"What?!"
"You're late, junior brother."
Indeed.
Waiting was none other than Jin So-cheong, Thunder God Ryu expert and my senior brother. Beside him stood Geuk-ho, and my master Lee Gwang waited with arms crossed. The three were familiar Thunder God Ryu members, but the other two were not.
I noticed one was a noble, beautiful woman, pure white as if descended to earth. Her face was familiar, an impression burned from long ago. Staring dazedly, I murmured,
"...Sa Gong-rin..."
The Sa Gong Escort Agency's escort captain and the clan's greatest genius stood there. She nodded lightly to me.
"Pleased to meet you, Senior Brother Baek Woong."
"S-Senior brother?"
Confused, I looked around. Lee Gwang, standing silently, spoke.
"Baek Woong. This is Sa Gong-rin, your junior sister from today. Greet her properly."
"Ah, yes. Pleased to meet you, junior sister."
"Yes."
I replied in a fluster, heart pounding. Why was Sa Gong-rin—my old crush, lost to time—here? And though older than me, she'd joined Thunder God Ryu as my junior sister? It didn't add up.
The last was a sleepy-eyed boy. Blinking, he saluted with a wooden sword.
"Likewise, I'm Jae-hu, newly initiated into Thunder God Ryu. Pleased to meet you, senior brother."
"Pleased, junior brother."
Replying, I shot Mangnyang a questioning look. He chuckled.
"Lee Gwang will explain."
Turning to Lee Gwang, he uncrossed his arms slowly.
"The Vice Heaven Alliance Leader came to discuss your matter and proposed a plan. I refined it and added my own supplements. He then gathered these excellent talents."
"Master. I still don't understand."
"Simple. The Vice Heaven Alliance Leader supplemented Thunder God Ryu with exceptional geniuses. From now on, we'll research the Coiling Dragon Strike and Heavenly Pivot Sword together with you."
"......!!"
Staring at Lee Gwang in shock, he continued.
"Sa Gong-rin and Jae-hu may not match So-cheong, but they possess world-shaking martial talent. I'm confident in raising them to dominate the world within a decade. And since we're studying Wudang's peerless secrets, better to gather brilliant minds for discussion."
"That's..."
"Still don't get it? Use Thunder God Ryu's talents."
Only then did I grasp Mangnyang's strategy.
Ultimate collaboration!
To the already genius-packed Thunder God Ryu, Mangnyang added what he deemed the finest geniuses. Backed by simultaneous peerless art research, it would yield unprecedentedly swift progress in murim history.
Mangnyang transmitted mentally while patting my shoulder.
[Sa Gong-rin caught your eye most regrettably in your past life tale. A talent acknowledged even by the Mount Tai Old Man—wasteful to let it rot. Mastering Thunder God Ryu and Jang Sambong's arts, she'll become a world-shaking female expert within five years.]
[And Jae-hu?]
[My final hidden card. I'll reveal his identity later, but know his talent rivals Sa Gong-rin's.]
Curious about Jae-hu, I held back, figuring Mangnyang would tell me eventually. Composed, Lee Gwang grinned.
"That old hag's cautious nature means even setting up talks will take at least three months, tapping every stone. Until then, we'll all research arts and build our prowess. No better growth opportunity."
"We'll live here, training exclusively?"
"Yes. From now on, even eating and sleeping saves time—assume that."
Warningly, Lee Gwang added,
"Especially you, Baek Woong! As the one transmitting the original text, keep your wits sharpest. Or else."
"Ugh... Understood."
I glanced desperately at Mangnyang, but he'd already fled far with shrinking-earth sorcery. Only then did I realize why he hadn't warned me.
This was hellish training.
Especially grueling for me.
He'd withheld it till the last to avoid demoralizing me.
'Ughhhh...'
I had the grit to endure, but knowing Lee Gwang's "hell training" intensity firsthand, I shuddered, shaking my head.
"Now, best wishes, Master."
And so, training began until negotiation contact arrived.