Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Embroidered Guards
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My fifth life had begun.
This time, there was no scream.
"......"
I opened my eyes in the stable as if it were the most natural thing in the world and blankly stared up at the stable's ceiling. It would have been better if it were some unfamiliar ceiling, but this one was so familiar that it made me want to vomit. The one silver lining from this death was that it had come so suddenly, leaving only a dull ache throughout my body—no real agony. When consciousness fades that quickly, there's no time to feel the pain.
As always, I checked my inner energy.
Sure enough, the breathing methods of the Thunder Dragon One Qi Art and the Profound Heaven Divine Art coexisted within me, with a massive, river-like inner energy writhing in my body. But this time, I couldn't bring myself to rejoice. I slumped right there.
"...Couldn't even last a year..."
Every time I left this stable, I made grand plans for my life, but I kept dying in the most unexpected ways. Sure, this time it was my fault for letting curiosity get the better of me, but things always went wrong so easily. Even though my martial arts had reached a level that wouldn't be outclassed in the jianghu, I was still in constant danger of death.
Deep down, I thought I must have an iron will.
I'd already died four times, yet I wasn't going mad. Hell, I was brushing it off right now with a casual, "Eh, what can you do?" As long as I could breathe and move, there was no point in lamenting. Maybe the relentless inner energy surging through me was keeping my spirit invigorated too.
I calmly reviewed the reason for my death this time. I'd slammed into that massive demonic beast out of nowhere. The jianghu warriors attacking me weren't that much of a threat, but the beast was utterly hopeless.
'What the hell was that demonic beast? And those black-clothed figures?'
The reason I wasn't plunging into despair this life was my curiosity about those bizarre entities. To be honest, I was so curious that I didn't have time to despair. Sure, some evil cult rampaging with human sacrifices was one thing, but why was there a flute-playing freak controlling fanatics, and why were the black-clothed figures protecting him?
There was one obvious answer.
'The black-clothed figures are the ones manipulating the evil cult. Only a massive organization capable of mobilizing a group of peak experts strong enough to handle a peak expert like the Profound Heaven Daoist could pull that off.'
They'd been secretly plotting something in that village when the nearby Profound Heaven Daoist stumbled upon it. He charged in unprepared, panicked, and failed to behead the flute freak, but it must have caught the black-clothed figures off guard too. If the Profound Heaven Daoist's skills had been even a bit stronger or calmer, he could have killed the flute freak at the heart of it all.
That's why, while the Profound Heaven Daoist was circling the village searching for peak experts, they called in black-clothed reinforcements from elsewhere to guard the brown-robed flute freak. The black-clothed figures must have been summoned from the start to "block the Profound Heaven Daoist if he attacked again." Otherwise, it would have been impossible to repel his assault so perfectly, as if they'd been waiting.
But something didn't add up.
Among the black-clothed figures were peak experts and first-class experts. To be frank, the three handling the Profound Heaven Daoist were no amateurs. Especially the one unleashing sword qi— I couldn't even gauge if I could beat him. Without a doubt, the black-clothed figures had a faction backing them as powerful as the Nine Great Righteous Sects.
If they had the resources to cultivate such experts, they'd have wealth and fame resounding through the jianghu. So why resort to something as nefarious as human sacrifice and bring bloodshed to a village? What could they possibly gain from it?
I sat there pondering for a long while before a conclusion struck me.
'Demonic beast. It's the demonic beast. They were trying to summon it.'
A horrific colossal demonic beast covered in hundreds of eyes and tentacles!
That thing could never have been conceived and born naturally in this world. I didn't care much for the sorcery of the Leftist Sects and Demonic Schools, but it was probably something summoned from their so-called "other world." They were using the wicked art of human sacrifice to call forth the demonic beast—or something even greater.
Its power had been tremendous. The Profound Heaven Daoist, who had briefly clashed with it while firing sword qi, felt like a monster himself, yet the beast's physical prowess was beyond any living creature. The sheer force of its body slam had demolished a six-story pavilion—it was unnatural.
The black-clothed figures were probably trying to harness that demonic beast's power for something.
Now what?
I'd already jumped into this mess once and died for it.
No— I'd just died.
And yet, I couldn't help the curiosity bubbling up.
The wicked Nine Yin Cult, which wouldn't rampage until decades later!
Why were they active right now, alongside the black-clothed figures?
Or were the black-clothed figures Nine Yin Cult executives themselves?
Excitement surged for a moment, and I stomped my feet. Only after a while did I calm my chest and sit comfortably to think. Leaning against the wall seemed to ease my mind and organize my thoughts.
I muttered to myself.
"No. Can't do it."
I judged coldly.
"The risks outweigh the rewards. Let it go."
Of course, there was a way to smash the Nine Yin Cult's plot.
If I grabbed the Heavenly Dark Secret Book right now, skipped the elixir, and raced nonstop to that village, I'd have time. I'd arrive at least seven days earlier than before, when the Profound Heaven Daoist hadn't yet noticed the village's anomaly. Plus, the black-clothed figures probably hadn't summoned the demonic beast yet.
Then I'd persuade the Profound Heaven Daoist to confirm the massacre, assassinate the flute freak with him, and bolt. That should successfully crush the black-clothed figures' scheme.
But why should I?
Crushing their plot would uphold justice in the world. The innocent villagers might even survive. But in return, I'd be hunted by the black-clothed figures for life. Being targeted by an organization that could deploy hordes of peak and first-class experts was terrifying just to think about.
If I steeled myself for death, I could block the plot and learn the Wudang Sect's secret arts from the Profound Heaven Daoist as compensation. But there was no guarantee he'd teach me again. Last time, it worked because he'd witnessed the massacre himself—he was fired up.
Me stepping up to the Profound Heaven Daoist: "Help me resolve this massacre, and hand over your Wudang Sect's treasured arts"? I'd probably get beaten and chased off. Worst case, an enraged Profound Heaven Daoist might lop off an arm for my insolence.
Sticking to the exact same timeline as before wasn't ideal either. To smash their plan, we needed a swift assassination, but giving them time would just invite reinforcements like last time.
'Sure, I could learn the secret arts and run, but even that's pushing it...'
The time learning from the Profound Heaven Daoist wouldn't be long anyway. Making an enemy of him for that wasn't worth it. If he abandoned the village massacre for later, I'd definitely end up his foe. Better to stay out of it entirely from the start.
I reached a conclusion.
"Just let it slide. This time, I need to focus on training."
I reflected on why I'd kept failing and dying. Curiosity and idiotic judgment played roles, but the biggest issue was [being too weak].
What if I'd reached the Profound Heaven Daoist's level during that incident?
I could have swept the black-clothed figures, captured the flute freak as a hostage, and escaped safely. The demonic beasts hadn't appeared when attacking the flute freak—only after he played his flute. It seemed certain they were under his control, so securing him could have gotten me out alive even in that desperate situation.
My problem now was having invincible inner energy but rudimentary martial skill, so I couldn't wield it properly. Thanks to a few days of the Profound Heaven Daoist's earnest guidance, my skill had improved, but the peak realm still felt distant. In pure martial proficiency, I was clearly far below even Jin So-cheong.
I needed to get stronger.
To do that, I had to train my martial arts. I bit my lip hard.
'Death... from now on, I'll just accept it and live.'
The moment I resolved to properly train, my determination shifted. Until now, I'd only planned to learn survival essentials, but now I'd learn martial arts "even if it kills me."
That was a huge difference. Fearing each death had held me back from desperate measures, but now I could pursue them to grow stronger.
I decided to give up on not knowing the Heavenly Dark Secret Book's contents. I'd regressed four times already. I'd grown numb to death's pain. Even if regression failed next time, death itself could be liberation.
If it doesn't work, just die.
With my mindset changed, I plotted my first course.
"I've been circling around too much."
My eyes gleamed with resolve.
About a month later.
I sat cross-legged in Yellow Mountain's hidden grotto, having just consumed the Millennium Snow Ginseng. I'd successfully obtained the Heavenly Dark Secret Book and the elixir. This time, I hadn't hunted on the way—instead, I stole money from villages moderately—so I arrived without much hardship.
Rumble...
The pain was even less than last time.
No, now it was just a slight pressure in my dantian.
My body, so accustomed to absorbing massive qi, began vigorously circulating it without pause, with enough force to blast open all my meridians.
I'd actually consulted the Profound Heaven Daoist about my body's condition beforehand, mentioning I'd eaten the Millennium Snow Ginseng. I hadn't said twice, though.
[Profound Heaven Daoist, what if I ate another Millennium Snow Ginseng?]
[Hmm. Let me see.]
In the memory, he'd calmly taken my pulse. Then he told me.
[Your body already has the Life and Death Aperture fully open and four-fifths of your meridians cleared. A colossal inner energy beyond what a normal human could contain is constantly circulating. Even pouring in another dose from the Millennium Snow Ginseng won't cause issues.]
[Really? I was worried my inner energy might saturate and burst...]
[Something from a wuxia novel?]
The Profound Heaven Daoist chuckled and said.
[You won't eat another elixir like that anyway, but even if you did, your body won't explode from it! Inner energy isn't a physical substance—it's just a means to commune with all things. It keeps accumulating until you perhaps form the legendary Middle Dantian someday. Until then, it'll just build up.
Do you think the Eight Extraordinary Meridians are literal blood vessels? Absolutely not.]
[So eating it three times accumulates three times the energy?]
[Something like that. But it doesn't mean three times the inner energy. The gains probably diminish each time. Still, even that 'diminishing' would be unimaginable progress by normal standards. From the mountain's base, staring up, you can't tell the difference between a lofty peak and Mount Tai, right?]
The analogy was clear. I nodded, committing it to memory.
Then the Profound Heaven Daoist had burst out laughing.
[Hahaha!! But you're not seriously thinking of eating another Millennium Snow Ginseng in this lifetime, are you? What big dreams for a kid!]
But... I was eating another Millennium Snow Ginseng.
Crunch.
Crunch.
I chewed up the root remnants thoroughly to absorb every last bit of its energy. Waste not, want not.
'Profound Heaven Daoist, did you know? Millennium Snow Ginseng tastes a bit like carrot... Chew it well, and it even tastes like ginseng.'
He probably thought I was delirious, but that question had been crucial for me. If continuously eating elixirs wouldn't make my body explode, then I could just keep eating them.
Rumble...
My inner energy surged once more. Now all the meridians near my heart were open—something that would take ordinary people over a century of training. With this even stronger inner energy than last time, a change occurred due to the Profound Heaven Divine Art.
Normally, when I circulated the Great Celestial Circuit to draw up energy, the Thunder Dragon One Qi Art's thunder light would flash and surge. It was a manifestation of the art's ultimate realm, beyond my control.
But now, following the generating cycle where earth begets metal, the two arts resonated internally. I hadn't mastered the full Profound Heaven Divine Art, but having learned the Foundational Profound Heaven Daoist Method laid its foundation. With overwhelming energy moving per the Foundational method, I achieved near-similar results to the main art without learning it—rapid, efficient accumulation.
Even the Profound Heaven Daoist, who taught me the Foundational Method, probably hadn't anticipated this. He couldn't have foreseen such an extra effect from the unprecedented inner energy generating together.
Thanks to it, I no longer spewed thunder light during training. Instead, when circulating the Great Celestial Circuit, a subtle pure light emanated from my entire body. It seemed like the Profound Heaven Divine Art fusing with the Thunder Dragon One Qi Art.
Finishing the elixir absorption, I slowly rose.
"Alright, time to head to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall."
That's right.
To the Azure Dragon Martial Hall!
And relearn the martial arts!
Whether the renowned peak expert Triple Excellence Lee Gwang tried to exploit or kill me didn't matter anymore. I'd died how many times already—why fear that now? If he killed me, fine. If torture loomed, I'd suicide first. My plan was to barge in, shut up, and learn every last martial art in the Azure Dragon Martial Hall.
'Bring it on!'
No more detours!
My steps descending Yellow Mountain were light.
============================ Author's Note ============================
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