Chapter 366
Chapter 366
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 366
Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm
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After that, I spent three days wandering around the city where the White Lotus Cult was based. The cult's territory was vast enough to surpass most cities, and the inner fortress's fortifications seemed designed to prepare for the possibility of actual war. There were also a great many farmers and ordinary folk handling various produce, suggesting self-sufficiency. In terms of influence, anywhere from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands fell under the White Lotus Cult's sway. Of course, they were all cult followers, but few seemed to formally practice martial arts or directly assist in the cult's activities.
I asked one of the farmers why he didn't properly join the White Lotus Cult and learn martial arts. He replied,
"Goodness me. That's just a pipe dream."
"Why a pipe dream?"
"They prioritize kids with talent for martial arts, and even after getting in, you have to go through fierce competition to receive the sacred lotus. With all the strict screening, folks like us can only dream of becoming true White Lotus members."
"Hmm..."
From what I heard, not many actually became full-fledged White Lotus members assigned to the cult's armed forces or one of the four great martial lineages. Even though they mass-produced sacred lotus, which could create experts with immense inner energy, I wondered why. Zhuge Sa sneered.
[Spies could infiltrate at any time, so of course they wouldn't just accept anyone as a White Lotus member. The proper way is to accept them only after monitoring them enough to control any spies. Why do you only think of one thing and ignore the other?]
[Shut up. That's obvious with a little thought.]
[Even if it's not many, there must be hundreds to a thousand White Lotus members who've consumed sacred lotus. The White Lotus Cult really is a terrifying organization.]
[...]
Zhuge Sa was right. Even if they strictly selected warriors from among hundreds of thousands under their influence, the number would still be considerable. That was because the White Lotus Cult stood in opposition to the imperial palace from the shadows, never knowing when the Ming imperial forces might come to subjugate them. Thus, they had to maintain a standing army capable of facing tens of thousands, and the result was likely the training and arming of sacred lotus users.
'But this is practically a nation in itself.'
I inwardly let out a groan. Setting aside the inner fortress, everything within dozens of li seemed under White Lotus Cult control, complete with outposts nearby and structures that could serve as fortresses in emergencies. There were even armories stocked with well-maintained weapons everywhere, ready for war at a moment's notice. Some areas even used a separate currency system from the outside.
Here, the Cult Leader was no different from an emperor. No—to the White Lotus followers, the Cult Leader was a god. Realizing the cult's might anew, I felt pity for Lee Gwang and the Thunder God School.
No such terrifying organization had existed before, nor would one after.
Fighting the White Lotus Cult was nothing short of suicide.
I finished my scouting and returned to my lodgings to rest. Today marked exactly the third day, so starting tomorrow, I'd have an audience with the Cult Leader and begin the transmission of the secrets. Gazing at the night sky from the pavilion, I spoke to Zhuge Sa.
[I have a question.]
Zhuge Sa replied curtly.
[Do I have to answer every time you get curious? Why not shut up and sleep?]
[Damn it. You always have to...]
I scowled and continued.
[Why does the White Lotus Cult need the Young Cult Leader cured before conquering the Central Plains?]
Zhuge Sa sounded intrigued.
[Oh? Why do you think that?]
[After looking around today, my doubts deepened. The White Lotus Cult's forces include hundreds to thousands of mighty warriors, Dharma Protectors, and elder experts—more than enough to rival a hundred thousand troops. The Young Cult Leader's martial arts from the Small Divine Dragon School are exceptional, but compared to the cult's overall power, he's like an ant. Militarily, he's useless.]
[And?]
[From another angle, wouldn't it be faster for the Cult Leader to first crush the imperial palace, conquer the land, expand his forces, and then seek a cure, rather than holing up?]
[Heh heh... Not bad for a dullard.]
Mocking me, Zhuge Sa paused before answering.
[You're overlooking something.]
[What?]
[The claim that the Young Cult Leader is under a divine curse came solely from the Cult Leader's mouth. No third party knows the details, and there's no proof it's even true.]
I flinched.
Zhuge Sa's words caught me off guard. Groaning, I asked,
[You mean the Cult Leader lied about the curse?]
[Why not? We already know he's an incredibly cunning bastard. If he can toy with Dharma Protectors when needed, why couldn't he lie to outsiders like you? Did I say anything wrong?]
[...]
He was right. Zhuge Sa chuckled mockingly, as if I were pathetic.
[As you said, the Cult Leader isn't the type to stall his grand ambitions over one person's life. He wouldn't hold off conquering the Central Plains just because he cares for the Young Cult Leader. So, he hasn't chosen not to— he can't.]
[He can't? Why?]
[It must relate to the Young Cult Leader. He's more important than you think.]
Zhuge Sa continued, as if scratching my ear.
[You should've joined the White Lotus Cult sooner. How many years did you waste skimming the surface? All the info you and Hyeon have is just what the Cult Leader graciously handed over, heh heh heh.]
[Damn it! That's why I joined like this. Stop needling me!]
[This mess happened because you tried to get everything at once.]
[Ah, shut up already?!]
As I snapped, Zhuge Sa backed off a step.
[You'll only learn the details once you earn the Cult Leader's full trust. But to get that, you'd need fifty or sixty years of unwavering loyalty. Either dig up the info that way, ask the Young Cult Leader himself, or...]
[Or?]
[Or go back and gather intelligence.]
What did that mean?
Zhuge Sa mocked me.
[Ugh, you're so dim it's annoying. Normally, you'd get it with one hint.]
[Explain.]
[The Cult Leader said a Western mage summoned an [Ancient Ruler] out of nowhere, and he fought it. Excluding the Cult Leader and the [Ancient Ruler], who's left?]
[The mage.]
[Still don't get it?]
[Ah!]
I finally understood.
Yes. If it was true, the mage's soul must still linger nearby! Unless it had ascended, I could use the Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual to possess it and learn what happened. I hadn't thought of that and could only admire his insight.
Suddenly feeling absurd, I said to Zhuge Sa,
[Hey! You could've told me during the three-day grace period. I could've found the mage's soul then. Why waste time?!]
[Funny. Do you think you're free to roam?]
[What?]
[Every move you make is watched. There are spirit-eyed ones too. You gonna openly use the Heavenly Divine Scripture for possession in this situation? The Cult Leader would just love and trust you for that.]
[...]
Silenced like a fool, I heard Zhuge Sa say,
[If you want to save time, skip sleep and train the Soul Separation Great Law. I've never seen such a dullard in my life.]
"Got it!"
Annoyed, I yelled aloud. Talking to him mentally was infuriating. Unlike Mang Ryang, Zhuge Sa twisted even kind words into mockery, twisting my guts. His occasional madness proved he wasn't right in the head.
Like yesterday, I trained the Soul Separation Great Law.
Sitting in meditation, I calmly gathered energy in my heart aperture and focused on absorbing it. Zhuge Sa said,
[The po is motive force. Thus, your power to draw in po becomes soul force. This soul force has very limited ways to temper postnatally, so you must master the knack to increase absorption.]
Suuu...
[Soul force has no relation to qi or inner energy. Visualize your own hun, make it concrete, and believe it. If you believe, it manifests as real attractive force.]
Far more specific than Mang Ryang's tips. I started grasping how to absorb po, but progress was negligible—like spinning my wheels.
After about two hours of training the Soul Separation Great Law, Zhuge Sa grumbled.
[Normally, no one guides basics like this. It's taught assuming the disciple is a prodigy in sorcery, expected to grasp it themselves. Got it, you dullard?]
"I know I'm no genius."
I replied curtly.
"But once you reach it, it's all the same. Shut up."
[Self-consolation at divine level.]
No point replying.
Ignoring his jabs, I washed, dressed, and went to meet the Cult Leader.
"I greet the Cult Leader."
Bowing in the audience chamber, the Cult Leader slowly rose from behind the screen.
[Baek Woong, Dharma Protector. Follow me.]
"As you command."
Whoosh!
As before, the Cult Leader vanished with astonishing lightness skill, pointing the way. I arrived at the garden with the dragon-lotus pond I'd seen previously. He planned to use it as a training ground.
The Cult Leader said,
[From today, we begin transmitting and reinterpreting the Seven Supreme Arts. Treat me as your master, swear to always give your utmost in training.]
"I swear!"
[Then, state the essentials.]
"Understood."
I spent another hour explaining the Seven Supreme Arts' essentials to him. He hadn't fully memorized them last time, so now he focused intently, calmly committing them. Once he seemed to have them, he said,
[I don't get why Wushuang Ba was created.]
"Pardon?"
[Just mumbling.]
I felt puzzled. His words could be interpreted many ways. Soon, he heard my interpretation of the Seven Supreme Arts again, taking another hour.
After that, the Cult Leader said,
[Hmm... I don't grasp it yet. Need some practice to seize the Three Treasures Ultimate Technique's points.]
"Yes."
[Baek Protector, do independent training today. From tomorrow, come straight to the garden, not the audience chamber.]
"Yes...?!"
Whoosh!
With that, he vanished. Left alone in the dragon-lotus garden, I was dumbfounded, speechless.
"......"
Independent training from day one? What was this?
It might be the White Lotus Cult Leader's style, but something felt off. I couldn't pinpoint it, but it itched with unease, hinting at future danger. Yet no special meaning stood out in his actions.
Zhuge Sa said,
[Don't overthink. Just do as told?]
"Hmm... Yeah."
He was right for now. The White Lotus Cult Leader was the world's best, having achieved supremacy in martial arts—his word on it was absolute. Better for this inferior disciple to trust and follow than second-guess.
[Huh? That's not what I meant.]
"Then what?"
[Dumbass. Figure it out yourself.]
"Hey!"
I yelled, but he clammed up, uninterested. Annoyed as I was, I focused on training. Talentless as I was, diligent practice was my only answer.
After hours testing the Seven Supreme Arts alone, as sunset neared, an elder expert came to the garden.
"The Protector's duties for today are done. You may rest."
"Got it."
Back at my lodgings, my profound inner energy meant no sleep needed. I recovered vitality with it and trained the Soul Separation Great Law at night. By dawn, I dressed and headed to the dragon-lotus pond.
[Dharma Protector. Explain the essentials again.]
"Yes."
I arrived and spent hours reciting them. Once done, the Cult Leader said,
[Come again tomorrow.]
"Yes?"
[Use any training ground in the cult and train diligently on your own.]
"...Yes."
Something was wrong.
I felt the incongruity but obeyed. After all, he had agreed to be my master. So that day, I honed my existing arts alone in a large training hall.
About sixty days passed like that.
'This isn't right.'
Unable to endure, I said to the White Lotus Cult Leader,
"Cult Leader... You've transmitted the Three Treasures Ultimate Technique, so..."
He replied,
[I've thought it over— you have an urgent mission, Protector.]
"Yes?!"
[Savage barbarians appeared in the gorge at the Great Encirclement to the northwest, harming villages. Go save them and protect our followers.]
"......"
[I've granted usage rights for the Soul Command. Go.]
"As you command."
Withdrawing, I realized bitterly.
'He still hasn't mastered the Seven Supreme Arts properly...'
If he had and could apply them, no need to repeatedly hear essentials and interpretations from me. He'd trained ceaselessly when summoning me, but progress was slow. Sending me on external duty now was surely because his own advancement lagged, unable to interpret the Three Treasures yet.
Zhuge Sa needled me.
[Finally figured it out? Should've noticed day one.]
[What bullshit? How could I think the world's best Cult Leader would stall with excuses over slow training?]
[Heh heh heh.]
As I fumed, he cackled.
[His realm is the world's best, but not his talent—we knew that. Didn't Yi Cheong-un far surpass him?]
[Doesn't make sense. World's best without top talent...]
Knowing talent's influence, I couldn't accept it. No martial theory I knew explained the contradiction. Zhuge Sa said meaningfully,
[You have too many illusions about the Cult Leader. Or over-idealize the world's best? To me, he's just ambition incarnate.]
[Ambition?]
He snickered.
[Heh heh. No point speculating now—you wouldn't buy it. Just do your job. Everything clarifies once Yi Cheong-un revives.]