Chapter 208
Chapter 208
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A few days later, Mangnyang said to me,
"It's about time we made contact with Red Moon."
I was baffled by the sudden remark. Then I realized what he meant and said,
"You're talking about Red Moon, the former protector of the Thunder God Style?"
"That's right. If we're going to meet, now is the perfect time."
I pondered his words carefully, but they didn't make sense. Why meet Red Moon now, the protector of the Thunder God Style and a mighty transcendent peak expert? Unable to hide my confusion, I waited as Mangnyang calmly explained,
"We've decided to hand the world over to the White Lotus Cult. That's because there's this overwhelming force called the Imperial Palace that we can't handle on our own—we need them to take it down. So, what happens if the White Lotus Cult succeeds in toppling the Imperial Palace? What do we do after that?"
"Hmm... I haven't really thought about it."
I hadn't dwelled on it much. From what I'd seen, the White Lotus Cult Leader was so transcendent that it was hard to judge him by good or evil. I figured someone like that, with at least some self-control and judgment, wouldn't go as wild as the Imperial Palace.
Mangnyang let out a chuckle.
"Becoming a subordinate force under the White Lotus Cult and carving out a share for ourselves isn't a bad life. But that's not the future I want."
"Why not? If the White Lotus Cult conquers the world, you—Mangnyang, who would have the greatest merit—would be treated as a top figure, gaining untold wealth and a massive martial force in the world."
I could say it with confidence. If the White Lotus Cult dominated the world, Mangnyang's authority as the top contributor would surpass even that of the Righteous Heaven Alliance Leader. If he wanted, he could lord over the world under the White Lotus Cult. But Mangnyang shook his head firmly.
"If I were chasing personal glory, I would've acted the moment I learned about the Imperial Palace. What I hate most is getting bogged down in reality and living a pathetic, pig-like existence."
With that, Mangnyang unfolded a map and continued,
"Absolute power inevitably leads to absolute corruption. Just look at the Imperial Palace. The White Lotus Cult Leader is a superhuman, so the world will be at peace under his rule. But unchecked power always veers to extremes. To maintain balance in the world, we need a counterforce in place before that happens."
"Hmm..."
"And I'm thinking of building the Thunder God Style into that counterforce."
What was he saying?
As I stared at Mangnyang, he gazed at the sky and said,
"In White Lotus Cult history, the Thunder God Style was actually considered on par with the Water God Style among the Four Great Styles. The Water God Style became the strongest only after the current Cult Leader ascended. In other words, without the unparalleled genius of the Cult Leader, the Thunder God Style's arts are equal to the Water God Style's."
"What are you getting at?"
His next words made my eyes widen.
"I believe... Jin So-cheong can catch up to the White Lotus Cult Leader. If he reaches the pinnacle of the Thunder God Style, it's definitely possible."
"......!!"
That's what he'd been thinking!
'No... it can't be. Surely...'
I racked my memory. In my previous life, I'd generously passed on the insights of Wudang's founder, Zhang Sanfeng, to the Thunder God Style. We even trained and researched together. As a result, Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong's skills advanced dramatically—Jin So-cheong even earned praise from a White Lotus Cult elder. Jin So-cheong's talent was genius among geniuses, a miracle unlikely to appear multiple times in a generation.
But I'd never considered raising him to challenge the White Lotus Cult Leader. As I stood there dazed, Mangnyang said,
"In your first life, Jin So-cheong rose as one of the world's top ten experts. That was just from practicing the Thunder God Style arts alone, without any breakthroughs. Even a genius confined to a well like a frog has limits. Besides, it's unclear if he even had a clear goal of revenge against the White Lotus Cult.
But what if we let him encounter the Thunderbolt Three Venerables—the Thunder God Style's protectors—early on? What if we pass on your insights and instill in him the purpose of defeating the White Lotus Cult Leader? And what if the Anti-Heaven Alliance secretly supports them!"
"......!!"
"Can you imagine how strong Jin So-cheong will be in ten years?"
My body trembled at his words. Over decades, I'd felt the gap in talent between Jin So-cheong and myself with my own body. Only Lee Gwang could appreciate it as deeply as I did. The vision sparked by Mangnyang's words sent shivers down my spine.
'It could work...!!'
It didn't matter if the Cult Leader had unified the Four Great Styles. Just receiving Wudang insights from me had let Jin So-cheong grow enough to defeat a protector assassin in a short clash within a few years. I couldn't even guess his level after ten years.
Mangnyang chuckled.
"I got the idea from you telling me about the Thunderbolt Three Venerables' forces and base. Seeing the black obsidian's memories recently solidified it. So, from the day I received those memories, I had the Anti-Heaven Alliance start working on it."
"Working on what?"
"I had our intelligence network subtly inform Red Moon and Green Moon about Jin So-cheong's genius. Then, our members secretly made contact. Right now, Red Moon and Green Moon are very interested in Jin So-cheong. Before that, they knew of Lee Gwang but weren't impressed or expectant."
"I see..."
Finally understanding, I said,
"So that's why we're going to Red Moon's Red Dragon Gate ahead of time to negotiate?"
After escaping the White Lotus Cult, the Thunder God Style's protectors, the Thunderbolt Three Venerables, secretly built their own forces in the martial world. Red Moon founded the Red Dragon Gate sect, while Green Moon created the Ink Moon Squad, an assassination group. Though not well-known, both were filled with elite experts handpicked and trained by the Thunderbolt Three Venerables, hiding tremendous power.
"That's right. Once the White Lotus Cult topples the Imperial Palace and claims the world, there won't be time. We need to unite the Thunder God Style forces while their attention is fixed on the Imperial Palace."
"Indeed...!!"
That's what he meant by now being the perfect time. Normally, the White Lotus Cult gathered all central plains intelligence using the Fire God Style's funds, but facing a massive clash with the Imperial Palace, they couldn't spare attention for minor matters. In other words, this was when their vigilance was at its laxest.
"What comes after the Imperial Palace falls is key. Once Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong join the Thunderbolt Three Venerables, they'll hide and refine their arts on their own. Our role is just to help them evade the White Lotus Cult's assaults whenever they come, buying them time."
I murmured his plan,
"The White Lotus Cult topples the Imperial Palace, and the Thunder God Style checks the White Lotus Cult..."
It was right to abandon the Thunder God Style. From their perspective, having the White Lotus Cult take down the Imperial Palace first strengthened their independent forces—that was best. Starting late after the White Lotus Cult had already conquered the world was a poor second choice.
But from our view, it was great: we could suppress the domineering Thunder God Style and maneuver as we wished.
"Even if Jin So-cheong can't take down the White Lotus Cult Leader, just having a protector-level expert with a grudge against the Cult will make them far more cautious in handling martial world affairs."
Mangnyang grinned.
"Plus, you can slip into the Thunder God Style incognito, rescue them via teleportation when needed, and secure a key position. With your disguise technique, your past won't be exposed. Isn't that perfect?"
"Sounds great!"
I was thrilled, but then something occurred to me, and I asked,
"But what if the White Lotus Cult fails to beat the Imperial Palace this time?"
"No need to worry about that."
"Why?"
Mangnyang stated firmly,
"If even the White Lotus Cult Leader can't destroy the Imperial Palace, who in the world could? It would mean it's impossible with human power."
"......"
I suddenly grasped the significance of the White Lotus Cult's assault on the Imperial Palace. If some immense being lurked there that even the Cult Leader couldn't topple, it meant no human martial art could win.
What then? Total despair?
'...No, there is a way.'
As Mangnyang said, I decided not to dwell on it. It was beyond my current power anyway. I'd learned countless times that wasting energy on the impossible hampers the present.
Miho, who had been listening, spoke up,
"Hmm... Something bothers me."
"Lady Miho. What is it?"
"Two things."
Miho crossed her arms, her expression grave as she addressed Mangnyang,
"First. In Baek Woong's tenth life, didn't the Black White Lotus leak out, leaving the Young Cult Leader's strange illness untreated? The White Lotus Cult back then must have been just as powerful as now. Yet they slowly encroached on the martial world and never clashed directly with the Imperial Palace for over a decade. Doesn't that seem odd?"
Mangnyang closed his eyes in thought before replying,
"Hmm... Not that they didn't clash, but that they 'couldn't'?"
"Exactly."
"I considered that too, but it's a puzzle without an answer. As you say, it's strange."
"And the second... this is more important."
Miho's eyes sharpened.
"The White Lotus Cult Leader could have wiped out the Thunder God Style anytime. If he'd mobilized any of the three great styles under the Cult, the weakened Thunder God Style would have been massacred. The Wind God Style even knew Lee Gwang and Jin So-cheong's whereabouts. Yet the Cult Leader left them alone—and in your fourteenth life, when the Thunder God Style declared independence, he accepted it quite favorably and magnanimously."
"......"
"Do you think the White Lotus Cult Leader is that kind-hearted? He was the one who ordered their purge in the first place."
Mangnyang's expression grew heavy as he nodded at Miho's question.
"I have a guess about why the White Lotus Cult Leader spared the Thunder God Style."
"As I thought... that?"
"Yes. That's exactly why we need to build up the Thunder God Style even more."
Listening to them, realization hit me, and I shouted,
"The Thunder God Style's ultimate technique, Martial Soul!"
Mangnyang and Miho turned to me at once. Their expressions confirmed I was right. Mangnyang said gravely,
"The condition the White Lotus Cult Leader set for the Thunder God Style's independence was to gather the ultimate technique. If he has ulterior motives, that's the only one that fits. For some reason, he's waiting for the Thunder God Style's ultimate technique to be completed."
"Why? Isn't he already invincible under heaven?"
"No one but him knows. But if that's his goal, fostering the Thunder God Style is the best move. He won't destroy them until the ultimate technique is complete."
"......"
It felt stifling.
We were doing our best to shape the future, yet it seemed we couldn't escape the White Lotus Cult Leader's influence. Noticing my gloomy face, Miho patted my shoulder and said,
"Don't worry. No matter what, I'll protect you."
"That's my line."
"Really... Getting competitive here?"
Miho burst into laughter, exasperated. Mangnyang, watching, shook his head.
"Poor single guys like me..."
"Hmph! As if you, the playboy always chasing village girls, have any room to talk!"
"That's not a playboy, Lady Miho—it's a popular guy."
"......"
Moments later, we all burst out laughing.
Thanks to sharing memories, we bantered like friends of over ten years despite just meeting. The sudden bond warmed my heart.
'I want to live like this forever.'
Yes. Once the Imperial Palace falls, that's exactly what I'll do. Live leisurely as brothers with Mangnyang, then go to the Heavenly Realm with Miho for eternal happiness. I'd heard immortals there don't regress, so no more worries.
'Let's do this!'
I clenched my fist. The end of my long, grueling regressions felt in sight.