LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 747
Chapter 747: Dark Heaven Village
“A human king, you say?”
Upon hearing Yong Junil’s words, I quickly started to turn my mind. I was trying to extract any information connected to that from all the memories of my past life. Normally, it would be impossible due to my dull wit unless luck favored me, but now, thanks to the Seal of the Supreme King, I was able to think much faster and more easily.
[My master wishes to save the humanity that is destined to be devastatingly annihilated in that era. His will is the true justice of mankind, and he is acknowledged as the human king by Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen.]
[He is indeed the light and glory of humanity, the true human king.]
[We are the most righteous. Our king is truly the king of humans. And surpassing humanity, we who have obtained divine power will select and save humans, which is the most certain and fastest way. Do you understand why what you are saying sounds childish?]
The name that was mentioned most frequently was, of course, Changhil.
The Eight Parts of the Divine continuously claimed that Changhil was the human king, and it seemed they had no shred of doubt about it. The phrase “the human king” they spoke of surely implied the king of all humanity.
But now, Yong Junil was asking me whether I wanted to be acknowledged as the human king by the emperor.
The premise of that question was simple.
It meant that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen had the authority to designate the king of humanity—
“What if I said I want to be the human king?”
In this situation, I knew that asking a straightforward question would not guarantee immediate answers from Yong Junil. Ignorance is a weakness, so it would be normal for him to feed me false information or evade the question. Moreover, would a reincarnated individual who had lived for over four hundred years just tell me outright? So I decided to act knowledgeable and observe his reaction instead.
Yong Junil smiled and said, “I believe you are qualified for that.”
“I don’t want to hear vague flattery. Speak what you’re thinking.”
“Well… there’s actually one thing I’m curious about.”
“Curious about what?”
Yong Junil nodded and continued, “The most elusive figure in all this is Qin Shi Huang. I have delved into countless materials searching for his whereabouts, but in the end, I couldn’t determine where he went. Do you perhaps know what happened to Qin Shi Huang?”
That was a rather unexpected question. Why was Qin Shi Huang coming up here?
However, memories of Ye Bulwi trapped in Mount Ye came to mind. He claimed that the ruler, Ying Zheng, who is also Qin Shi Huang, had trapped him. Thinking back to that event, it was clear that Qin Shi Huang was no ordinary figure.
‘It seems Yong Junil believes Qin Shi Huang is still alive.’
The mere thought that an emperor from thousands of years ago could still be living is ludicrous, but history harbors innumerable secrets and shadows. And considering Yong Junil is a reincarnator who has accumulated dark knowledge over centuries, it’s reasonable for him to draw such a conclusion. I organized all that information in my head and said, “You think there’s a chance Qin Shi Huang might intrude into this mess and cause chaos?”
“Of course! He’s the first one to perform the Offering Ceremony, but—I don’t know what wish he made during that ceremony. I know that Empress Wu Zetian ascended human souls to Dark Heaven Village, but as for Qin Shi Huang’s wish, it is a mystery. Therefore, I thought someone like you, a phantom, might know.”
“……”
I had no idea. According to rumors passed down through the ages, Qin Shi Huang’s obsessive desire was obvious: he pursued immortality. He even sent Xu Fu eastward to find the elixir of life, reaching Mount Penglai itself, didn’t he? However, I recalled Ye Bulwi’s dying words from Mount Ye.
[This… tomb is… merely for show… the entire Mount Ye… is merely… his disguise… and the real… Ying Zheng is… flipping everyone’s expectations… even gods and demon kings alike..]
[Ying Zheng… is not here… he never died to begin with… does this look like… a tomb…?]
[He is… indeed a terrifying figure… even gods will be caught off guard by him… heh heh… truly… heh heh heh…]
Ye Bulwi’s words testified to Yong Junil’s anxiety. Both believed undoubtedly that Qin Shi Huang was absolutely not dead. Moreover—I remember how Ye Bulwi had been.
‘Ye Bulwi was under a spell of immortality.’
If he could cast an immortality spell on others for torture, then casting it on himself wouldn’t be difficult at all. If that were the case, Qin Shi Huang could have already achieved immortality before the Offering Ceremony. Yong Junil’s claim that he didn’t know what desire Qin Shi Huang wished for during the Offering Ceremony certainly had merit.
“… Qin Shi Huang likely knows that if he collects the Seven Luminaries, he could become the king of humanity, and he would want that position very much. So you’re hinting that he could disrupt anyone trying to gather the Seven Luminaries.”
“That’s correct.”
Yong Junil nodded vigorously.
“I was thinking of hiding the White Lotus Sect away to escape the world’s storm and pass it on to the next phase. I have uncovered vast knowledge of this world, but Qin Shi Huang remains an unpredictable variable, so I didn’t plan on moving until I figured him out. No, in fact, I had no plans to move at all as long as the previous White Lotus Sect leader exists…”
“……”
“However, since you have gathered a significant amount of the Seven Luminaries, I decided to test my luck with you. I felt that I might be able to overpower him even if he intervened.”
“Hmm.”
I gave a sharp glance.
‘It seems I cannot simply utilize this guy. I’ll need to share some information to a certain extent.’
He is continuously signaling that aligning myself with him would be beneficial. And there is an underlying condition that if I want more information, I must partially trust him. Of course, I could not grant him genuine trust, but I would need to open up the conversation a bit.
I pondered for a while and finally spoke.
“If you can answer this question honestly, then I might be able to trust you.”
“What question is that?”
“Have you allied with the Jade Emperor, Zhuge Yulong, in this life?”
“……!!”
Yong Junil seemed unable to hide his surprise. It looked like he hadn’t expected me to bring that up.
Then he spoke, “Yes, I allied with him.”
“Hmm.”
“He has already been defeated and can no longer rise again. His power has all been absorbed by Changhil, so it has been a long time since I severed ties with him.”
So it was true.
‘The reason why the Wind Spirit Sect and the Imperial Palace allied… it was because the interests of the reincarnator Yong Junil and the Vermilion Bird Zhuge Yulong aligned.’
The alliance between the Wind Spirit Sect and the Imperial Palace had shifted from mere suspicion to certainty through this lifetime. The incident where Seo Mun-hye was directly led to the Golden Eagle Guard from the slave market at the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament, and Yong Bi-cheon making it obvious that he was an interloper within the Imperial Palace as the story progressed, were all facts. Even when the sect master was ambushed by the White Lotus Sect, the Golden Eagle Guard came to the aid of the Wind Spirit Sect.
Yet it remained unclear why the Wind Spirit Sect would particularly extend a hand to the Imperial Palace. Though Yong Bi-cheon claimed that it was to oppose the enigmatic sect master, the question still lingered as to why that opponent was the Imperial Palace and how Yong Bi-cheon managed to contact Zhuge Yulong, the core of the Imperial Palace.
However, with Yong Junil now revealed as a reincarnator, the story shifts.
Yong Junil must have first noticed the presence of Zhuge Yulong, hidden in the dark depths of the Imperial Palace, utilizing his knowledge and experience before reaching out. And he must have persuaded his father, Yong Bi-cheon. Moreover, it was evident that he was moving the Wind Spirit Sect like puppets while remaining in the shadows to support the Imperial Palace without stepping forward personally.
Additionally, given that Yong Bi-cheon and the Wind Spirit Sect could fall at any moment, there were numerous instances throughout the previous life where he seemed prepared to withdraw at any point. Even when Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong crushed the Wind Spirit Sect, or the sect master overthrew Yong Bi-cheon with the Su Shin Sect’s strength, Yong Junil kept himself hidden. Even at the time of the Wind Spirit Sect’s downfall, he still maintained a foundation known as the Huashan Sect in the Central Plains.
This was the reason I had been feeling discomfort ever since Yong Junil was left standing after the downfall of the Wind Spirit Sect.
Whether Zhuge Yulong knew Yong Junil’s identity was uncertain. Nevertheless, whether they knew or not, their mutual interests aligned, and they had sufficient knowledge of the hidden truths of the Seven Luminaries and the secrets of the myths of this world to form a solid partnership. With these two shadows working together to maneuver one of the pillars of the White Lotus Sect and the Imperial Palace, nobody in this world could easily obstruct them.
It truly is terrifying.
If Dokgo Uncheon hadn’t managed to gain the Primordial Spirit and overwhelmed the White Lotus Sect leader, this era’s White Lotus Sect would have been completely at the mercy of reincarnators. Dokgo Uncheon, while a madman seeking to save the world through human sacrifice and a demon path practitioner, also served as a device to hold back reincarnator Yong Junil. Ironically, the fact that the leader of the White Lotus Sect had these types of plans even while being restrained is highly surprising.
I gazed at him closely and said, “What’s the real reason you entered the Dark Realm Martial Arts Tournament and took down Seo Mun-hye?”
“I needed to fight many experts to complete my sword form. I didn’t know her true identity, but Zhuge Yulong asked for her to be delivered when he visited the slave market, so I sent her to Pirate Island.”
“You mean you just happened to defeat her in the tournament?”
“That’s correct.”
It seemed Yong Junil realized the extent of my knowledge and spoke candidly. I pondered over the matters involving Seo Mun-hye before asking again.
“Did both you and Zhuge Yulong wish to collect the Seven Luminaries to become the human king?”
“Not really. I had such intentions, but I gave up along the way, while Zhuge Yulong obsessively pursued the destruction of the Celestial Realm. He seemed to think more about what would come after seizing control of the Celestial Realm rather than simply wanting to become the king.”
“Seize control of the Celestial Realm…”
While I was curious about Zhuge Yulong’s intentions, now was not the time to think deeply. I thought for a moment before addressing Yong Junil.
“I’ll need to compare the facts I know. Tell me what happens when the Seven Luminaries gather and are liberated.”
“I understand.”
Yong Junil took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.
“When the Seven Luminaries gather and are liberated, the human world will immediately face a crisis akin to destruction. The [Old Ruler]’s and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors’ peace treaty will dissolve, causing heaven and earth to shatter, resulting in natural disasters. There may be more details, but I don’t know them.”
“And?”
“However, what happens right before the last luminary is liberated is uncertain. What I do know is that Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen will impose a great trial upon the liberator of the luminaries.”
A trial?
As I looked at him, Yong Junil continued.
“I have shared information about Zhuge Yulong and him. And he mentioned that the trial would be extremely harsh and would involve a battle to determine the king. Because of that, I have understood up to this point that collecting the Seven Luminaries meant becoming the human king.”
Yong Junil suddenly smiled bitterly.
“What kind of bragging can one do in front of someone who has gathered five luminaries… You must have more information than I do.”
“… Of course.”
I filled the air with bravado and quickly turned my thoughts around.
‘A trial? This is the first I’ve heard of it… But Zhuge Yulong knows what that trial is about.’
Could it be that Zhuge Yulong’s plan to destroy the Celestial Realm involves more significant reasons? There must be something beyond mere revenge.
Once again, I questioned him.
“You already knew that Zhuge Yulong planned to collaborate with an alchemist to create a Divine Portrait, right? Have you heard of precisely what kind of ceremony he intends to conduct with that individual?”
“I don’t know. He was my ally, but he didn’t share anything truly important.”
Then it was about time to get to the crux of the matter. I said to Yong Junil.
“It’s time to hand over the books of the Su Shin Sect.”
To obtain the Earth Star, I could no longer spend time away from the White Lotus Sect. After all, the books that Zhuge Sa originally sought were core to this matter, so it made sense to acquire them first.
“Hmm… fine. At any rate, coming under your command is unavoidable in this situation. Follow me.”
Click!
Yong Junil led me to the place where the Su Shin Sect’s library had been gathered. He walked into a massive chamber filled with shimmering crystal orbs and proceeded ahead.
“I really struggled to move all this due to the sheer volume.”
He wasn’t lying. There seemed to be at least a hundred scrolls on either side, and it didn’t appear to end with just one chamber, but four or five extended further down. With this many books, it seemed practically impossible for a human to read through them all in a lifetime. As I glanced around, Yong Junil mentioned,
“Not all of this is related to the demon path. About 20% contains minor histories and rules of the Su Shin Sect, and many martial arts texts collected from various regions of the Central Plains are included as well. It’s more of a collection of miscellaneous writings.
So I gathered the demon-related texts after annihilating the stronghold of the Su Shin Sect and sorted them.”
Rumble!
As the rocky door in the wall opened and I entered further inside, a large room came into view. The books in this room also seemed to number in the tens of thousands. I took a fleeting glance at the books and could sense a gentle magical energy emanating, particularly from the ones related to the Fire Eye Golden Spirit.
‘There are quite a few demon books. Though they are low-level.’
I continued to scan around and began stuffing demon books into my wooden armor. It did not take long, and I decided to collect not only the demon texts but also any other useful ones.
After I had stuffed all the books in, I asked Yong Junil, “What happened to the Dharma Guardian of the Wind Spirit Lineage, Dokgo Jun, and the Fire Spirit Techniques Master, Han Baek-ryeong?”
“I killed Dokgo Jun. However, Han Baek-ryeong took the Fire Spirit Technique faction and fled somewhere.”
“You don’t know where they went?”
“No.”
Then it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the newly formed White Lotus Sect had lost or expelled all of its existing Dharma Guardians. Given this weak state, it would not be surprising that Yong Junil would want to stand by me while reluctantly bearing it. I looked at him thoughtfully and said,
“The previous sect master made a deal with chaos to obtain the Primordial Spirit and the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Don’t you know how?”
“Only Dokgo Uncheon within this realm knew that method. He was the greatest monster of them all and a genius of the demon path, so perhaps he developed that method independently… It was on a different level compared to someone like me who merely learned incidentally.”
It seemed I had gathered all the information worth obtaining.
After thinking for a while, I said, “I’ll ask you once again about your intentions. You said you sought the salvation of humanity through reincarnation, so can I expect your full cooperation in gathering the Seven Luminaries?”
“Of course. Please trust that I have revealed all information thus far.”
“We will soon raid the Imperial Palace to acquire the Earth Star. At that time, you will also join in and contend against the Eight Parts of the Divine.”
“Understood.”
I decided to accept Yong Junil as a potential ally. Naturally, I couldn’t fully trust him, but at least in this situation, I would utilize his strength.
Just then, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens seemed to sense something and looked back, saying, [Baek Woong, we need to move quickly.]
“Why is that?”
[Nakgang has officially begun combat. The fight between the Overlay Technique and the Eight Parts of the Divine has commenced. And the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Jeogok, has descended to this realm.]
“……!!”
Is it starting!
Until now, it was only reconnaissance, but it seemed that the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu had managed to stir things up for a proper attack.
‘Then this is the greatest opportunity!’
There may never be another chance like this.
After making my decision, I cried out,
“Let’s head to the Imperial Palace in Luoyang right now and seize the Earth Star!”
This lifetime, I will collect all the Seven Luminaries!