Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village

“Are you serious about ghostwriting?”

I was slightly shocked and stammered, “Uh… Um, you mean I can’t write well enough?”

I had been tirelessly practicing day and night, pouring countless hours into honing my skills. It felt like I had written thousands of characters along the way. Was my talent still not up to par? To my question, Feng Menglong licked his lips and replied, “Well… it’s not like you can’t write. You’re at least at the level of a decent scholar. But if you want to reach the level you’re aiming for, you’ll need to devote at least ten years to literary pursuits… If you want a novel that will gain instant popularity, ghostwriting is your only option.”

“Is that so… Do ghostwriters write well?”

“That’s why I’m saying we should look for one in Luoyang. There are plenty of talented people there.”

As I glanced back at Mangnyang, he bitterly remarked, “Feng Menglong is right.”

“Then I shouldn’t even bother practicing writing.”

“… I thought you had talent.”

“…”

I sighed. It wasn’t that I didn’t have talent for writing, it just seemed to be ordinary. If that was the case, it might be better to ghostwrite and satisfy the Celestial Sage instead. If my goal was to write an exceptional novel, I wouldn’t want to rely on anyone else’s help, but since that wasn’t my life’s goal, I had to make do.

Suddenly—Bam!

We moved to Luoyang. Following Feng Menglong’s lead, we entered a large building where sharp-eyed scholars gathered. Curiosity piqued, I looked around, and Mangnyang muttered, “It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

“Mangnyang, have you been here before?”

He nodded and replied, “This is called Seven Sages Pavilion. It’s a place where scholars who haven’t gained official positions gather to sharpen their skills and pursue knowledge. They also exchange information…”

“You were here before?”

“I came once to see if it would help me before my past. It wasn’t for long.”

Next to us, Feng Menglong said, “Hah… By the way, Baek Woong, you have impressive abilities. It’s a journey of thousands of miles from Jiangsu to Luoyang, yet you arrived in an instant… Are you like a legendary sorcerer? The Art of Walking on Air?”

“… Where can one find a ghostwriter?”

Talking about artifacts or ancient techniques with an ordinary person would be meaningless, so I changed the subject. Feng Menglong shrugged.

“Getting a recommendation from the Seven Sages Pavilion master would be best.”

“Is there a specific master of this Seven Sages Pavilion?”

“Typically, talented people who are broke are in a dire situation. But the master of this pavilion finds it unacceptable for such talented individuals to live poorly, so he used his wealth to build this place. He is well-versed in poetry, calligraphy, and various arts.”

“Hm…”

I looked around. There were at least thirty aimless talents on this floor, and combined with other floors, there were over one hundred. Creating an environment for these folks to eat and play without working was quite something.

‘This guy must be really rich…’

We searched for the master of the Seven Sages Pavilion. Since Feng Menglong knew him, we easily entered his room, where the middle-aged man known as the master greeted us.

“You want to find a ghostwriter… Do you understand that this might be morally questionable?”

“It’s not for the sake of wealth or fame. This gentleman, Baek Woong, wants to spread fun stories across Luoyang,” Feng Menglong explained to persuade him.

The master thought for a moment and then asked, “What do you want?”

“What do you mean?”

“Typically, people want wealth and fame from writing. Popular novels can bring in quite a lot of money, and with the techniques of printing and paper making advancing daily… But you seem to want something different.”

“I’m also curious as to why you’re running this Seven Sages Pavilion, pouring money into it without gaining anything? Is your cash flow endless?”

I countered, and the master chuckled softly.

“How I spend my money is of no concern.”

“Indeed, I’ll return the favor. I just want to achieve what I desire.”

“You’re an interesting person. You’re definitely a unique individual.”

The master tossed me a scroll. As I caught it, he said, “This scroll contains the names of about one hundred seventy renowned scholars in Luoyang who write. Just showing them this scroll will likely get you a favorable response.”

“What’s in this scroll?”

“They must fulfill at least one of my requests in exchange for lounging around here without holding an official position. The scroll symbolizes that obligation.”

“Hm.”

This was quite a useful scroll. Although it didn’t have magical powers, its symbolism was enough to leverage capable talents.

We began going through the names listed on the scroll one by one, proposing our ghostwriting plan, when one man reacted urgently.

“I’ll do it!”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Wu Cheng’en! Please let me write!”

“…”

His voice was passionate as he shouted, “I currently have no money for drinks! I’ve been searching for a place to sell my writing, and this is perfect! I write excellently!”

Wu Cheng’en!

‘What? Wait, doesn’t he look just like the Celestial Sage when he was disguised back then…?’

I remembered when I visited a town with the Master of the Twelve Joules; the Celestial Sage had disguised himself as a humble scholar and was waiting there. Back then, he introduced himself as a hermit, and I realized this student Wu Cheng’en looked the same. I scrutinized him suspiciously.

“Are you… by any chance claiming to be that hermit?”

“Eh? Do you know me?”

“What’s your relation to Celestial Sage Mi-hu King?”

“Hmm…? What are you talking about?”

“Follow me.”

“Wait, what?”

*Wham!*

I grabbed Wu Cheng’en by the nape and dragged him into a deserted alley. Then, I sealed his bloodline and used the Soul Exchange Technique, trying to uncover his connection to the Celestial Sage.

But Wu Cheng’en knew nothing. The only information I could glean was that he was in his forties, had talents for poetry as a child, but had no connections for a government position and was now surviving by selling his writing to cover his drink expenses.

‘So he’s just a scholar wasting his time as he grows older…’

He hadn’t mastered any martial arts or ancient techniques.

As I conducted my interrogation, Mangnyang who was watching along commented, “It’s no coincidence that the Celestial Sage took on his appearance in the past. His nickname and name are all the same. There surely must be some connection.”

“But after being under the Soul Exchange Technique, he can’t lie.”

Mangnyang smiled slyly. “My theory is, if Wu Cheng’en continues living this mundane life, a moment will come where he encounters Celestial Sage, right? There must have been such a happening before. And ‘now’, we have met him first before he meets the Celestial Sage.”

“… Hmm.”

Is that even a possibility? As I marveled at this, Mangnyang said, “Well, let’s go ahead and make him a ghostwriter. It’s destiny after all.”

I lashed out somewhat uncomfortably at Mangnyang’s suggestion. “We’ve yet to verify whether he can actually write well. This scroll has numerous talented individuals listed…”

Mangnyang shook his head. “Hmm, usually this kind of chance is rarely coincidental. If we encountered the future’s cause beforehand, there must be something significant about it. This meeting might just be your fateful encounter, Baek Woong.”

“Hmm… I suppose you’re right.”

Finding Mangnyang’s words reasonable, I released the seal and erased the memories of the interrogation from Wu Cheng’en’s mind. Then I offered him the ghostwriting job, placing some gold in his hand as I said, “Please, write something good.”

Wu Cheng’en’s mouth fell open upon seeing the gold in his hand. It was an amount that could allow any ordinary scholar to live carefreely for twenty years.

“Understood. But what should I call the piece?”

“Name it as you wish.”

Wu Cheng’en pondered deeply, then slapped his palm in realization, “How about ‘The Tale of the Three Treasures’?”

“Sure, go for it.”

I was about to leave after handing over the writing project when Wu Cheng’en suddenly stopped me.

“Wait!”

“What’s wrong?”

He cleared his throat. “Uh… If you give me a bit more gold, I could write an extra novel where you’re the main character.”

Is he trying to negotiate with me?

I couldn’t help but chuckle internally, but the idea of being the protagonist intrigued me a little. After all, in Jianghu, although my name wasn’t renowned, there was a trend among wealthy Jianghu people to have themselves written as main characters in martial arts novels. I walked over to sit beside Wu Cheng’en and said, “As you can see, I’m quite the unattractive fellow—how can you turn me into an interesting protagonist?”

“Haha! In a novel, I could depict you as a peerless young hero!”

“Not that it’s necessary…”

While I could use surgical techniques to improve my appearance in my rebirth, it seemed a waste of time, as looking good wouldn’t aid my current duties, and my companions didn’t judge me by my looks. Wu Cheng’en then said, “Every person has the desire to be successful and extraordinary. It’s natural to want to experience vicarious satisfaction since most aren’t born exceptional.”

“… Hm.”

“Geniuses, heroes, and beauties are exceedingly rare. Often, no matter how hard one tries, living like them in this life is impossible. They just dream while hoping for a better next life, right?”

I nodded. I could definitely relate to that feeling. That’s perhaps why I enjoyed martial arts and military novels. Wu Cheng’en grinned slyly.

“You may seem indifferent right now, but let me know later. Despite appearances, I write quite well, and I could whip up a fantastic novel for you.”

I smiled wryly. “No thanks. What fun is it to write a story with a loser like me as the protagonist? To experience vicarious satisfaction, the main character needs to be someone remarkable and charming.”

“What? That’s what I’m offering!”

“That’s not me anymore. I can’t derive satisfaction from seeing an overly embellished version of myself. It wouldn’t even make sense.”

Wu Cheng’en nervously replied, “Really? Well… hold on! I could do that then. Surprisingly, it might have demand… could become a hit novel. Let’s give it a shot.”

Wu Cheng’en seemed tempted by the gold, rambling on about something he didn’t mean. It made sense—if he received more gold, he could become wealthy enough to lounge around for the rest of his life. Noticing that I didn’t want to hear more nonsense, I waved my hand.

“Anyway, thanks for the thought. Let’s meet again. When should I come by?”

“Come by in six months at the latest.”

“Got it.”

*Bam!*

I returned to Mount Huang with Mangnyang. He turned to me and said, “Baek Woong, just in case…”

“What is it?”

“The Heavenly Secret Technique allows one to summon souls bound to ancient relics, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm?”

I tilted my head at his statement. As I contemplated the usage of the Heavenly Secret Technique, I shook my head. “Not like that.”

“Hmm, is it?”

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing, just thought about what you asked me earlier, to find the descendants of the Guan family. So, I’ve been growing spiritual pills in Mount Huang while mobilizing my influence to locate them. It crossed my mind about those twin broadswords you hold.”

“Twin broadswords…?”

“They belonged to Liu Bei, the rightful brother of Guan Yu. I thought I might be able to summon Liu Bei through that.”

“Ah!”

If that was even possible, how convenient would that be? If I gathered legendary relics, couldn’t I instantly summon their original owners? But since the Heavenly Secret Technique didn’t support that kind of function, it was a pity.

“At the moment, I’ve confirmed that the Guan family’s descendants reside in Sichuan. I’ll contact you once I locate them.”

“Understood.”

After dropping off Mangnyang, I returned to Jangryeong Valley where Jin So-cheong, Extreme Tiger, and Tang San joined me to dive into martial arts training. Indeed, while I had many plans set up, none would yield results overnight, and I had to wait at least a few months for them to unfold. Thus, training was the only thing I could do during this peculiar wait.

Three months passed. Among us, the one whose skills developed the most was none other than Tang San.

Whoosh—

Five darts shot from his fingertips, piercing the target a dozen meters away. As the target barely held against the impact, he grinned and boasted, “This is called the Tang Clan’s secret technique, the Flying Violent Circular Needle. I’ve mastered it!”

“…”

I couldn’t help but feel incredulous watching Tang San demonstrate his martial arts.

‘That’s a secret technique meant only for direct descendants of the Tang clan—how could he have grasped it all from just a sidelong glance? In three months?!’

Usually, even with a proper master, it would take at least ten years to master something!

It was truly an astonishing rate of growth. Tang San had already broken through to the peak level and had fully grasped the fundamentals of the Thunder God lineage’s martial arts, entering the application phase. Plus, he had easily absorbed the techniques he had learned from being neglected in the Tang Clan all this time. I had no choice but to acknowledge he truly was an extraordinary genius.

Indeed, he was the future’s Ten Great Masters!

Currently, Tang San was already at the pinnacle among younger martial artists under twenty. What he said about reaching the peak realm in ten years was no empty boast. While I was in awe, Jin So-cheong spoke up.

“Baek Woong, Zhuge Sha is looking for you. You should go see him.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I don’t know for sure, but it seems like it’s related to the story.”

I went to find Zhuge Sa. The moment he spotted me, he immediately spoke up.

“Baek Woong. We need to make a trip to the Western Regions.”

“Why?”

He grinned. “If we want to quickly satisfy the Celestial Sage, we’ll need some good machinery.”