Chapter 516
Zhuge Bu was still trapped in the secret room of Jangryeong Valley. At least it seemed Mangnyang had improved his treatment; he wasn’t in the same pitiful state as before and sported a calm expression.
Upon noticing us, Zhuge Bu spoke with a hint of suspicion in his voice, “Are you here to kill me?”
“You know it’s not like that, yet you’re pretending to be coy,” Mangnyang replied.
“……”
“I’ll get straight to the point. How much do you know about the Yu-Long Collection?” Mangnyang pressed on.
It was clear from Zhuge Bu’s expression that this caught him off guard. “Unexpected. Why are you asking that?”
“Just answer the question.” Mangnyang insisted.
“You probably already know what I know, but yes, I’ve studied sincerely as a descendant of the Zhuge Clan.” Zhuge Bu responded.
“In that case, you must know about this symbol.” With that, Mangnyang revealed a pattern drawn by Miho.
Zhuge Bu nodded silently, clearly deciding it was better not to deny what they both already knew.
“I only had a short time to study the Yu-Long Collection but you, Zhuge Bu, have spent years as your father’s heir studying it. So, if you know more about this symbol, be honest.” Mangnyang continued.
Instead of complying, Zhuge Bu scoffed. “Ha… Be honest? It’s not like I had a choice! You’re just playing with me. Even if I say no, you’ll use your Soul Exchange Technique to drag the truth out of me, right? What’s the point of all this hassle?”
……
The two brothers exchanged tense gazes. Mangnyang’s eyes were devoid of emotion, but I knew better.
[Baek Woong, I want Zhuge Bu to be our ally too.]
Before coming here, Mangnyang told me this. When I dismissed it as nonsense, I remembered how he kept insisting.
[The situation is dire, and the enemy is strong enough that we may not realize it, but having Zhuge Bu as an ally will make things easier for us. He is undoubtedly the genius of the Central Plains. I want to test him just once.]
Mangnyang didn’t seem fond of Zhuge Bu. It was clear why; Zhuge Bu often flaunted his natural talent and looked down on his younger brother. Nevertheless, Mangnyang seemed to acknowledge Zhuge Bu’s abilities and talents.
What was it that Mangnyang desired to see?
As I watched the standoff, Zhuge Bu spoke up slowly. “I don’t know what that symbol signifies. Feel free to use your Soul Exchange Technique on me.”
“Really, you don’t know?”
“I told you to do as you please. What’s the point of interrogating me this way? You won’t get the answer you’re looking for and even if I lie, there’s no way for you to verify it.” He chuckled bitterly.
“You really haven’t changed at all from back then.” Mangnyang sighed lightly.
After Zhuge Sa used the Soul Exchange Technique to interrogate him, it merely confirmed that he knew nothing. Zhuge Sa, clearly frustrated, slapped a dejected Zhuge Bu’s cheek and then turned to Mangnyang.
“Our only option is to capture Zhuge Yulong and ask him.” He concluded.
“That’s a solid plan.” Mangnyang replied.
“Anyway, we should acknowledge your caution. You don’t share everything, even with your blood kin.” Zhuge Sa added.
He was right. Mangnyang believed that Zhuge Bu had studied the Yu-Long Collection for at least ten years, yet even he didn’t know the true meaning of the symbol. It was evident that Zhuge Yulong treated that symbol as a deeply buried secret he’d take to his grave.
After the interrogation ended, Mangnyang said to me, “Though we managed to take down the Demon King, we now need to keep a watchful eye on the situation.”
“I feel the same way.” I agreed.
Zhuge Sa chimed in from the side, “Fighting the Avatar of the [Old Ruler] residing in the White Lotus Sect is a huge risk. The Demon King, although a Divine Being now, started as a Human Sorcerer, while this guy is the real deal. We can only hope King Mi-hu will take him down for us.”
I pondered for a moment before asking, “It seems we have about a month until the Heavenly Sovereign—what should we do?”
“The situation has changed from before.” Zhuge Sa said, intertwining his fingers.
“This Heavenly Sovereign may actually be necessary for humanity’s survival.”
“What are you getting at?”
“The previous Heavenly Sovereigns heavily emphasized punishment against humans who dared to summon the [Old Ruler]. However, now that you’ve taken down the Sea God, the meaning of this upcoming Heavenly Sovereign is different. The Heavenly Sovereign essentially descends to the Earth, and since the Sea God is gone, it might actually benefit the muddled Central Plains.”
……
“So, waiting for the Heavenly Sovereign could be a strategy. With the Demon King removed, it might become easier.”
That was a thought I hadn’t considered before.
Until now, I believed the Heavenly Sovereign symbolized the destruction of everything and thought we should do everything to stop it, but in a chaotic situation where demons run rampant, could it actually be advantageous? I came to my senses and turned to Zhuge Sa. “…Even so, there’s still a chance that humans could be massacred. The divine beings descending won’t spare the humans.”
“There’s no avoiding it. As you said, tens of thousands of humans could be killed by the divine beings. But in my opinion, it’s only a matter of who carries it out.” Zhuge Sa replied monotonously.
“Through the foresight of Baek Woong, you’ve seen how the apostles of the [Old Ruler] are rampaging within the Nine Lotus Sect. Whether they’re the apostle of the Evil God or just other members of the [Old Ruler]’s faction, once they start spreading chaos, humanity will undoubtedly lose its rights and become livestock. The celestial realm would give a lesson to humanity for punishment, but it’s unlikely they would completely eradicate us or turn us into livestock.”
“Hmm…”
“This means the forces of the celestial realm may come down to reside in the human world and protect humanity’s lineage.”
I grasped Zhuge Sa’s point well. If it was unavoidable, then opting to be ruled by the softer group was a wiser choice.
But then Miho, who had been listening, spoke up. “Is that really the case?”
All eyes turned to her. Miho looked a bit cold as she stared at the sky and continued, “The Queen Mother of the West doesn’t particularly like humans. Besides, those in the higher echelons of the celestial realm I’ve seen generally feel compelled to keep humans alive, grudgingly.”
I exclaimed in surprise, “Miho, is that true?”
“Yes. While I can’t speak for the Three Purities, most of the Great Immortals just below that level were quite skeptical of human civilization.” Miho twirled her hair around her finger as she explained.
“It’s not that they wish to protect humans. It feels like they carry an obligation or fate they can’t escape from. Genuine guardians who want to protect humans are extremely rare.”
“Hmmm…”
“Those connected to you—Yeodong-bin, Fire Dragon Incarnate, Jang Sam-bong—could be considered unusual.” Miho’s words held significant weight. Having lived by the Queen Mother of the West for hundreds of years, she had a perspective rooted in that very realm.
I was confused and replied, “But aren’t most of those Great Immortals born in the celestial realm? If they’ve ascended, they must have been human—why wouldn’t they want to protect us?”
“You’re saying a strange thing there, Baek Woong.” Miho gave me a baffled look.
“What’s so great about human civilization? They raise animals for their own profit and butcher them cruelly, constantly overusing cattle and horses. Pigs, inherently intelligent creatures, are fattened like livestock solely for their delectable meat. Humans harm others recklessly not just to survive, but for their enjoyment—destroying the natural ecosystem in their greed.”
……
“Those who ascend from plants and animals generally carry a deep-seated resentment towards humans, and even human-born beings tend to lose their compassion and adopt a neutral perspective about their kind, tainting their view of humanity in gray.” Miho concluded.
“Hmm.”
So this is how yokai view humans.
“Humans are not exactly positive beings. I can’t even fathom why the celestial realm would maintain policies to protect them.” Miho’s words struck a chord with me.
‘I don’t like humans that much either.’ I thought.
While I cherished and cared for my companions, I didn’t hold unconditional love for humanity as a whole. I, too, found myself unable to extend love beyond my own circle. But saving humans from complete annihilation was a different issue, which fueled my current efforts.
Zhuge Sa waved dismissively. “Let’s not reiterate those obvious points. Is there anyone here who doesn’t realize humans might be worse than animals? It’s common knowledge. Discussing it only leads to a futile discussion.”
“That’s true.”
“Anyways, it’s best to remain still for now. But…”
“But?” I pressed.
“We should double-check the five Heavenly Altars.” Zhuge Sa suggested.
According to Zhuge Sa, the value of the Heavenly Altars had somewhat decreased since we couldn’t perform the Offering Ceremony right now. Yet, they are still the locations where the celestial realm could descend, and watching those sites was undoubtedly crucial.
“What if King Mi-hu decides to strike?”
But with King Mi-hu keeping an eye on us, moving separately seemed dangerous. We had barely escaped annihilation last time when we ran into him unexpectedly. I escaped this time purely by luck, but the same fortune may not apply next time. Zhuge Sa responded to my concerns.
“If it truly poses a risk, using dolls might be a better idea instead of venturing out personally.”
“Dolls?”
“Come here.”
With a wave of his hand, Zhuge Sa summoned something from thin air. It was a technique to draw forth souls.
Thud, thud.
As Zhuge Sa deployed the Soul Exchange Technique, five humanoid figures stumbled out from a secret area. I quickly grasped the situation upon seeing them.
“Portrait Immortals.”
“These were the highest-grade ones I chose not to sacrifice last time. They are well-crafted and much more reliable than those hastily made Potraits. If we load some martial arts and techniques into them, they should be able to perform basic scouting.”
“So you want to send the Portrait Immortals out to scan the Heavenly Altar of Mount Heng?”
That was an unexpected strategy. Zhuge Sa affirmed, “That’s the way to go. If you move yourself, what will you do if you fall into a trap or face King Mi-hu again? You’re our Colonel, so it’s vital to avoid unnecessary risks. If you’re caught, it’s game over.”
“Hmm. Can the Portrait Immortals really use the technique?”
“Let’s test it with the baits.”
I handed Zhuge Sa the bait and he gave it to the most attractive female Portrait Immortal along with the bait, commanding, “Use the bait to head to the Heavenly Altar of Mount Heng and report the situation back.”
“Yes.”
Whoosh!
In an instant, the Portrait Immortal used the bait to teleport, and I held onto the other end of the bait. Moments later, her voice came back through the link.
[Arrived at the Heavenly Altar of Mount Heng.]
[Are there any enemies or demons?]
[There are none in sight.]
[Return.]
[Yes.]
Whoosh!
Before long, the Portrait Immortal returned, and after issuing orders, she readily returned the bait back to me. Zhuge Sa grinned at me, “How about that? Simple enough?”
“Yeah, but we only have one bait.”
“We can send them out in pairs. It’s more efficient than having just one out, plus it’s safer for reconnaissance. Even if two are caught, the remaining one can still come back.”
……
So even if a Portrait Immortal gets destroyed, it’s not like an actual living being is dying?
While that may be strategically sound, I still had my doubts.
‘Do these Portrait Immortals really lack any will of their own?’
The white-haired boy, that Portrait Immortal, indeed moved with its will. It even defied the mold of a Portrait Immortal becoming an archbishop of the Nine Lotus Sect and an apostle of the Evil God. This implies there was more to these Portrait Immortals than simply being puppets. There might be traps that even their creator, Zhuge Yulong, knows nothing about.
Yet regardless, Zhuge Sa’s strategy was the best course of action. I agreed with Zhuge Sa’s plan. “Let’s proceed with it.”
After the operation was decided, Zhuge Sa demanded that I create plenty of obsidian. He emphasized that I needed to harness all my knowledge of martial arts and the memories of Ji-seon Mang-nyang into the obsidian to empower the Portrait Immortals.
“Generally, one would teach martial arts or techniques directly to the Portrait Immortals, but we have obsidian techniques, so we don’t need to go that route. Absorbing memories into the obsidian will make them stronger much quicker. If we delete your unnecessary past life memories, we can fill the rest with knowledge.”
“Is there any chance the Portrait Immortal could betray us since it possesses a sense of self?” I inquired hesitantly.
Zhuge Sa chuckled, “If that was the case, it would be even more fun! But they’re merely puppets artificially sustained by the Eight Trigrams, so that’s exceedingly unlikely—even odds on a desert blooming flowers.”
“Hmm…”
The five Portrait Immortals received the obsidian and spent a brief moment—about half a moment—fidgeting as they processed the memories. Subsequently, they began experimenting with martial arts techniques to test their capabilities.
I quietly anticipated whether they could suddenly wield martial arts proficiently, yet the results were lackluster.
Swish!
While one or two Portrait Immortals attempted to demonstrate the Thunder God Sword with little finesse, there was no sign of any mastery. However, in terms of techniques, they executed them remarkably accurately, even more so than I might have.
Zhuge Sa observed this and remarked, “The Portrait Immortals don’t gel well with martial arts. Since their foundation is based on reverse techniques, they struggle to adapt to martial arts based on Qi and Intent. However, when it comes to techniques, they display almost genius-level talent.”
“So they aren’t good at martial arts but could easily excel as sorcerers?”
“That’s the idea…”
Zhuge Sa trailed off a bit.
“We can’t rush sending them out right now, considering their lack of martial skill.”
“They can’t just adapt immediately. Let’s train them a bit over the next few days before sending them scouting.”
Zhuge Sa then said to me, “Baek Woong, you should personally instruct the Portrait Immortals in martial arts.”
“Huh? I already imparted all my knowledge through the obsidian.”
“Knowing something and learning it directly are different—your teaching will enhance their absorption rates significantly.”
“Got it.”
It sounded like it could turn out to be quite fun.
With a clap, I drew the attention of the Portrait Immortals. “Control your breathing and execute the Thunder God Sword along with the Thunder God Sword Dance!”
The Portrait Immortals began practicing martial arts under my guidance without so much as a change in expression. I was suddenly reminded of my training with Lee Kwang, feeling a little nostalgic as I marveled at the obedience of the Portrait Immortals.
Over the next three days, I addressed their shortcomings one by one. Curiously, the Portrait Immortals seemed to adjust to my corrections, and before long, they could perform the Thunder God techniques decently.
“Off you go!”
So believing they were sufficiently trained, I began sending out the Portrait Immortal scouts. The basic orders were to explore the Heavenly Altars and report back any suspicious discoveries.
[Heavenly Altar of Mount Heng, confirmed. No suspicious findings.]
The first scout was directed to Mount Heng, and everything seemed to be in order. However, the remaining four presented a different story.
‘At Mount Hua, there’s the Huashan Sect; at Songshan, there’s the Shaolin Temple; and at Hengshan, the Hengshan Sect…’
We had no idea how heavy the security might be around the Heavenly Altars. While I knew there was little to worry about at Huashan or Hengshan, it would be a hassle if trouble arose. As I mulled over this, Zhuge Sa suggested, “Just send them. Since Blood Eagle Valley has already crippled the True Heaven Alliance, I doubt either the Huashan or Hengshan Sects will concentrate on the Heavenly Altar right now. Most of the Nine Great Sects are likely on the verge of collapse anyway. Plus, the Shaolin Temple doesn’t need a scout.”
“Huh?”
“Blood Eagle Valley hasn’t caused any harm to the Shaolin Temple, so that side should be safe.”
I sent scouts out according to Zhuge Sa’s recommendations.
[Heavenly Altar of Mount Hua, confirmed. No suspicious findings.]
[Heavenly Altar of Hengshan, confirmed. No suspicious findings.]
The scouts sent to the two locations returned successfully. I had expected all scouts to finish their missions without issue.
……
“No response.”
It was until two Portrait Immortals I sent to scout the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai went missing.
Clearly, the Portraits had communicated with us periodically via the summons before suddenly going silent without a trace. I instinctively felt something was off with the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai.
Something was happening up there.
“I need to check it out.”
“No, you mustn’t.”
“What?! If we leave it be, we lose the summons and the bait…”
“That’s exactly why your life is more important.”
Zhuge Sa retorted bluntly.
“Originally, they were meant to act as our sacrifices. If they die, it’s no surprise. If you’re in danger, we gained knowledge that a trap exists there. Avoiding risks is the better choice; plunging headfirst into a trap would be foolish.”
……
While I pondered this, Cheon Woo-jin interjected, “It seems someone is hiding and laying traps near the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai.”
“Who could it be?”
“I can ascertain through the vision of the sea.”
Pak-ching!
Cheon Woo-jin pulled out his Half Yellow Pearl and activated his foresight technique. It seemed the power granted to him by the artifact had strengthened him considerably. After scanning the area around Mount Tai for a while, he frowned in frustration.
“Nothing is visible at all.”
“Huh? What do you mean? There must be a trap.”
“Exactly! I’m saying the trap is so cleverly concealed that it doesn’t even register on my foresight!”
“……!!”
“There’s a powerful sorcerer lurking around Mount Tai, cleverly avoiding detection using the Portrait Immortals.”
Who in the world could be hiding at Mount Tai?
As I struggled to make sense of this, Zhuge Sa said decisively, “Stop it. It would be foolish to fall for such obvious bait.”
“But what about the bait and summons…”
Swish!
In that moment, two items appeared above Zhuge Sa’s palm. He grinned widely and said, “I’ve connected with my treasures using one of the higher techniques from the Nameless Ritual Book. I’ve recovered them.”
……
Zhuge Sa tossed a treasure to me, saying, “Baek Woong. This makes things even clearer. It seems there are others who intend to seize the opportunity while the Heavenly Sovereign awakens.”