Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 273
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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Heavenly Realm
Yong Bi-cheon?!
'Why is that bastard suddenly here?'
I nearly reacted when they mentioned the Wind God Style Dharma Protector was coming. But if I showed I knew who that was, it would definitely arouse suspicion. Deciding to hide my emotions like Han Jin-seong would, I suppressed my agitation as best I could.
Han Baek-ryeong spoke to the middle-aged warrior with a baffled expression.
"Why would that guy come here?"
"We just received word that he's entered Luoyang City. He should arrive soon."
Han Baek-ryeong started to reply, then said coldly.
"I see."
Shhh.
Before anyone noticed, a figure stood at the entrance of the wide hall. The middle-aged warrior flinched and stepped back, apparently unaware of when the man had slipped behind him. That was only natural, given the unimaginable precision of the phantom images created by the Wind God Style's divine steps.
Huge!
The man wore a large bamboo hat and black attire, exuding a pressure like Mount Tai upon the room. Though not particularly large in build, the sheer intensity of his aura made it so. His face was hard to see under the hat, but everyone present knew exactly who he was.
The middle-aged warrior drew his sword and bellowed.
"Yong Bi-cheon! How dare you intrude into the House Lord's residence?!"
Yong Bi-cheon, arms crossed, didn't even glance at him as he addressed Han Baek-ryeong.
"I need to find someone urgently and would like your assistance."
"Eek."
Flash!
Ignored, the middle-aged warrior gritted his teeth and swiftly attacked Yong Bi-cheon. I was inwardly surprised to see his sword speed was remarkably quick and his stance perfectly formed.
'A Peak Expert, no doubt.'
He was far beyond those who merely posed as first-class in the martial world. It would be hard to find anyone here who could properly block his strike right now. Considering this was the Han Family and he was a guard right by Han Baek-ryeong's side, it made sense.
Yong Bi-cheon's form shimmered transparently as he swiftly evaded the middle-aged warrior's sword strikes. It looked like five blades of flame grazed the air, and suddenly their positions had switched. As the middle-aged warrior hurriedly spun around, a roar erupted.
"Stand down!"
"But..."
Han Baek-ryeong sighed.
"He'll handle it himself, so step back."
I knew exactly what had happened in that instant. Yong Bi-cheon had dodged the sword with his incredibly swift Wind Soul Step while leaving an afterimage to confuse the warrior. The middle-aged warrior had unleashed sword flames to cleave the afterimage, but by then, Yong Bi-cheon had already perfectly taken his back. It was a technique I'd experienced myself, sending chills down my spine.
'Even seeing it again, I can't tell them apart.'
That was what I'd felt clashing with Yong Bi-cheon's afterimages in my tenth reincarnation. His phantoms had such precision and perfection that even a Peak Expert's energy sense couldn't distinguish them. Just now, I'd barely detected a faint incongruity after focusing intently—it was terrifying in its own right.
"Greetings."
As the middle-aged warrior retreated, Yong Bi-cheon sneered.
"I'll have that friend of yours keep the Fire God Corps on standby."
Han Baek-ryeong's expression didn't change. Instead, she propped her chin on her hand with an annoyed look, dangling her pipe.
"What's with the sudden strong-arming? You thick-skulled idiot, don't you know meeting like this disrupts the cult's grand plan?"
Though Han Baek-ryeong mocked him, Yong Bi-cheon replied curtly.
"I know it's presumptuous, but it's that important."
"Just send your underlings."
"The others would attract too much attention."
"Hmph, that Wind Soul Step of yours."
Han Baek-ryeong turned her head away in distaste. Yong Bi-cheon must have come directly to meet her in secret using his perfected Wind Soul Step, to avoid drawing eyes and handle things swiftly.
After a moment's thought, Han Baek-ryeong said.
"Tell me. I'm curious how important it is for you to come personally."
Yong Bi-cheon's expression sharpened.
"First, who's that kid? I've seen the Young House Lord before, but I don't know this one."
His gaze was fixed on me. All eyes in the room turned my way. Han Baek-ryeong, looking merely inconvenienced as she dangled her pipe, replied.
"Don't worry. He knows nothing."
"I asked who he is."
"No reason to tell you."
Yong Bi-cheon let out a chuckle.
"Heh heh, you were shelling pumpkin seeds."
Han Baek-ryeong's expression hardened slightly.
"You won't gain anything by provoking me right now...?"
Rumble...
"......!!"
I swallowed hard as I sensed their immense auras clashing in the air. I knew the Heavenly Spirit Pills granted infinite internal energy, but witnessing it was overwhelmingly dominant. I had the world's greatest internal energy aside from the Dharma Protectors, yet they dominated the surrounding space completely.
After a tense standoff, Yong Bi-cheon spoke.
"...Fine. I'm busy, so let's move past it."
"Shut up and get lost. I'm not so idle I'll grant your request."
"What..."
Yong Bi-cheon was startled, but realizing her sincerity from her expression, he hurried to speak, sensing things going south.
"Think again. This ties directly into the cult's grand plan."
"Then spit it out."
Under Han Baek-ryeong's threat, Yong Bi-cheon opened his mouth.
"Recently, the Great Thunder Prison in the imperial palace was breached, and all the prisoners inside escaped. We need to track them down."
Han Baek-ryeong looked puzzled.
"What? I know what the Great Thunder Prison is, but why does that concern us?"
"General Hwang Yeon is on the prisoner list."
"......!!"
"His influence is extremely dangerous. We must find him quickly, so I ask for the aid of the Han Family and the Fire God Style."
I clenched my fist at the unexpected words.
General Hwang Yeon!
I'd assumed the palace would search desperately for him, but I never imagined the Wind God Style Dharma Protector Yong Bi-cheon would come to the Fire God Style Dharma Protector for that reason! He probably intended to borrow Han Baek-ryeong's unmatched wealth to locate Hwang Yeon.
After a long silence, Han Baek-ryeong said quietly.
"I can't help with that."
"Why? Do I need to explain more? Hwang Yeon is..."
As Yong Bi-cheon tried to elaborate, Han Baek-ryeong suddenly hurled her pipe at him.
The pipe, thrown at tremendous speed, pierced through space like a controlled sword toward his forehead. Yong Bi-cheon wasn't one to take it lying down; he left an afterimage and dodged with a residual image technique in an instant. But Han Baek-ryeong's pipe curved again, flying straight at his true body.
Yong Bi-cheon had no choice but to deploy his protective energy. The moment his hand touched the pipe, he recoiled with a burned expression.
Boom!
"Ugh."
With a light explosion, Yong Bi-cheon staggered. The spiraling force on the pipe had shattered his protective energy.
Whirl.
Retrieving the pipe to her hand, Han Baek-ryeong straightened up and said.
"I have a question too. That's the palace's affair. Why is a Dharma Protector of our cult cleaning up after the palace?"
"Keuk..."
"Pathetic worm."
Gripping his bleeding hand at Han Baek-ryeong's words, Yong Bi-cheon clenched it tight.
"I have plenty to say, but we'll leave it here. Get lost."
"The Lord has never directly opposed the palace and has permitted my actions. I'm certain they benefit the cult. What's the problem?"
"That's not my business."
Han Baek-ryeong laughed coldly.
"Find him or don't—handle it yourself."
"......"
Yong Bi-cheon ground his teeth and turned away sharply. Against an ordinary foe, he might have threatened with force, but Han Baek-ryeong was no such opponent. That was why he hadn't pressed further about my identity.
But I didn't want to let Yong Bi-cheon leave just like that.
'Kill him.'
I'd been suppressing my killing intent forcibly, but my mind had reached its limit.
The memory of Miho dying by that bastard's hand still vividly haunted me like yesterday. I'd torn into him then and gotten some revenge, but the hatred hadn't subsided. The others might have noticed my subtle killing intent, but they seemed to dismiss it.
That's when Han Jin-seong's face caught my eye, and past memories resurfaced.
[After I live (我生), then kill him (殺他). You can plot to kill others only after ensuring your own survival.]
[It's like the logic of life itself. Winning is the premise, but you must also find a way not to lose. Losing means death, so without first carving your path to survival, you can never defeat the enemy.]
[No matter how strong anyone in this world, they have weaknesses. To exploit them requires ice-cold judgment and exceptional patience. You know such foes can't be toppled by luck.]
[Remember: surviving is how you win.]
"......"
Right. It was Han Jin-seong who had awakened me when I'd foolishly tried to enter the Dark Scripture Martial Tournament and nearly fallen into a trap. Back then, I'd merely survived, but his words became my guiding principles in later lives. Reflecting now with experience, it seemed Han Jin-seong had comprehended far more than most at his young age.
I thought to myself.
'Yeah, exactly. What's the point of charging at Yong Bi-cheon head-on now?'
I'd already felt the wall between me and the Dharma Protectors when I'd clashed with Han Baek-ryeong and been repelled. Did I really need to reconfirm it fighting Yong Bi-cheon? Even if I won, the entire Wind God Style would become direct enemies—something to avoid before Mang-ryang's plan was ready.
Swish...
Finally, Yong Bi-cheon melted into the air like he was seeping away. Once he was fully gone, Han Baek-ryeong raised her pipe and said.
"Jin-seong, look into that General Hwang Yeon he mentioned."
"Yes."
"If he's that important, securing him first means we can use him."
"As the military's top figure, he should have more than enough value."
"Also investigate the others suspected to be in the Great Thunder Prison."
"Understood."
Their seamless conversation indicated they'd gleaned good intel from Yong Bi-cheon. She'd rejected his request outwardly but was already moving shrewdly to exploit it.
'No way... In the past, did Mang-ryang receive help from her while running the Reverse Heaven Alliance?'
Han Baek-ryeong might have known everything yet played dumb like a sly fox to aid the Reverse Heaven Alliance. At the time when rescuing Hwang Yeon was impossible, it was an investment in the future; later, recognizing his value, she might have supported them from the shadows. Realizing the Fire God Style was more formidable than I'd thought, I let out a groan.
Han Baek-ryeong gazed at me intently and said.
"Your killing intent overflowed. As a Thunder God Style disciple, it's understandable seeing Yong Bi-cheon."
"I couldn't suppress it. My apologies."
"But you're still far from ready. To defeat him, you need to surpass your master by far. Don't commit rash folly."
Han Jin-seong's words suddenly came to mind, so I asked Han Baek-ryeong.
"If I may, do you know Yong Bi-cheon's weaknesses?"
"Hmm?"
Han Baek-ryeong looked at me with keen interest.
"Are you asking about the Wind God Style's weaknesses in general, or Yong Bi-cheon's personal ones?"
"Both, if possible."
She gave an enigmatic smile at my bold request.
"Your master doesn't particularly hate the Wind God Style, yet his disciple is quite the odd one."
"......"
"Fine. It's about time to check that guy anyway."
Muttering, Han Baek-ryeong spoke.
"First, the Wind God Style's weaknesses: weak offensive power, and they become helpless if their illusions are detected. They hide it with all sorts of secret arts and techniques, but it's inherently illusory martial arts, so unavoidable. They're especially vulnerable to special eye or spell techniques from orthodox methods that can dispel illusions at once. Or overwhelming them with extreme attack power works too. In particular, your Thunder God Style martial arts are highly advantageous against them."
It was roughly what I'd guessed, but hearing it from her made it different. This was valuable intel I could use going forward. As I nodded and committed it to memory, she continued.
"And Yong Bi-cheon's personal weakness is, of course, his son."
"His son?"
"He dotes on his son, Yong Jung-il, terribly. Whether because he's a late child or what, he's notorious even in the White Lotus Cult for it. Meanwhile, he treats everyone else like dogs..."
"......"
Was this useful?
I knew Yong Bi-cheon and Yellow Mountain Sect's leader Yong Jung-il were close—probably father and son, as I'd suspected. But how useful was knowing Yong Bi-cheon doted on him? Yong Jung-il was a super Peak Expert even future Jin So-cheong acknowledged, so not immediately practical.
'Seems Dharma Protectors have no glaring martial flaws.'
As mentioned, the Wind God Style seemed full of weaknesses yet matched the Fire God Style evenly due to numbers and their pinnacle leader maintaining balance. I realized pinpointing Yong Bi-cheon's martial weaknesses would require risking my life in direct combat.
Then Han Jin-seong said to me.
"If you'd like to leave the main house, please bear with it a few more days. My cousin is very eager to see you."
It seemed half-joking, which was why Han Baek-ryeong just chuckled. Baffled, I replied.
"Isn't your cousin one of Luoyang's Four Flowers, the Earth Flower Miss?"
"Yes, that's right."
"What would she want with a young, ugly guy like me?"
Irritated, I added.
"Then I'll take my leave."
Han Baek-ryeong stared at me for a moment before saying.
"Baek Woong, one question."
"Yes."
"Do you harbor ill feelings toward the White Lotus Cult?"
I couldn't fathom why she'd ask that suddenly. After pondering, I replied.
"If I did, I wouldn't have come this far."
"I see. Then, do you have ambitions for fame and glory?"
"I wouldn't say no."
Satisfied I'd answered flawlessly, Han Baek-ryeong made an unexpected proposal.
"Then join the White Lotus Cult."
"Pardon?"
Her following words were shocking.
"From what I know, the Lord has always emphasized that purging the Thunder God Style wasn't personal grudge. He's even shown regret at times. If a rising star like you joins, he'll surely grant you a high position. I stake my name on it."
"......"
"Plus, the Lord could guide your path forward."
The White Lotus Lord's teachings!
It was an irresistible temptation for me now. Seeing me frozen, Han Baek-ryeong chuckled and concluded.
"Think it over calmly and decide wisely."