758——————==

Dark Heaven Village

We set off to Goryeo after organizing our powers, heading towards the ruins of the Sacred Altar Tree. It would be a long journey from Luoyang, but with Cheon Woo-jin using a large-scale space-warping technique, we arrived at Jinan without even half a moment’s delay. Truth be told, it would have been faster to take the Celestial Sage’s steed, but he seemed annoyed at the idea of taking anyone but me.

‘Great. We should arrive in less than a day.’

We intended to head straight to the coastal region from Jinan. Cheon Woo-jin mentioned he could use sorcery to pass through the sea depths more quickly once we hit the beach.

That’s when Shin Gong-pyo appeared.

Whoosh!!

Cheon Woo-jin, who had been continuously casting the space-warping technique, suddenly halted, startled. Something had disrupted his magic. Floating in mid-air, Shin Gong-pyo glanced at our group and spoke.

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Gong Gong have vanished.”

“Shin Gong-pyo! Where have you been?”

“I took care of the Imperial Palace minions early on, but it seemed like things were getting dangerous, so I stayed outside Luoyang. But what exactly just happened?”

It appeared that Shin Gong-pyo knew almost nothing about the situation. Given that the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Gong Gong were missing, I felt uncertain about how to approach Shin Gong-pyo now. Still, deciding to give it a shot, I briefly explained what had happened, only mentioning that Chi You had suddenly disappeared.

After listening to me, Shin Gong-pyo responded.

“Are you trying to gather information from Zhuge Yulong to deal with the completed Portrait Immortal?”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm… If he’s an artificial demon with the Heart of Tydaht, that could be dangerous. Alright then, I’ll accompany you.”

“……”

Although Shin Gong-pyo said it like a generous offer, I wasn’t exactly thrilled. We had decided to become comrades last time, but given his unpredictable nature, I couldn’t fully trust him. Shin Gong-pyo glanced at Cheon Woo-jin and said.

“Hey. Let’s combine our techniques for once.”

“Sure.”

Woosh!!

A moment later, as Shin Gong-pyo and Cheon Woo-jin unleashed their techniques together, we arrived at the ruins of the former Sacred Altar Tree in one go. It seemed that sorcerers reaching the Grand Master level could achieve significant effects with even a small amount of effort when working in tandem. Arriving sooner than expected, we decided to explore the ruins for Zhuge Yulong.

Zhuge Sa focused his mind and recited a spell.

“This way.”

The dagger that Zhuge Sa had plunged into Zhuge Yulong’s heart was his possession, making it easiest to trace his magical energy. Following Zhuge Sa’s lead, we began searching the ruins’ underground, and after walking for a while into the cave, we saw giant roots tightening around the land nearby. I muttered in awe.

“The Sacred Altar Tree must already be dead, yet it seems to retain some life force.”

“The spirit of the Sacred Altar Tree is gone, but it’s a creature that can live for thousands of years on its residual life energy alone.”

Zhuge Sa replied like that, glancing over at the darkness opposite him, before conjuring flames through his spell. The silhouette of someone was then revealed against the cave wall.

It was Zhuge Yulong.

He was stuck against the wall, with the dagger lodged in his heart, hanging limply without moving. After a while, he slowly lifted his head to look our way.

“……”

Zhuge Yulong didn’t say a word, keeping his lips tightly sealed. Zhuge Sa then taunted him.

“Brother. Overcoming that cursed dagger within ten years might be a tall order, huh?”

“…That seems to be the case. What is this dagger?”

“It’s a masterpiece created by the alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan during his later years. I happened to snag it lucky at an auction back in the day. It’s not exactly a treasure, but it gets the job done.”

With that, Zhuge Sa continued.

“The dagger not only enforces constraints but also forces a state of immortality, so you probably had plenty of time to think in here without needing any bodily functions. And while you were pondering, the world outside changed drastically.”

“……”

“Don’t you want to know what happened?”

Zhuge Yulong offered no response. Zhuge Sa shot me a glance, likely thinking it would be better for me to persuade him directly. Approaching Zhuge Yulong a bit, I said.

“Zhuge Yulong, I’m Baek Woong. I came here seeking your help.”

“If you want my help, then pull out this dagger first. Otherwise, I’ll tell you nothing.”

“I can’t do that. The moment the dagger is removed, you’ll commit suicide and shift to another body.”

“……”

“I heard you’re a person who would endure any torture to achieve your goals. That’s why Zhuge Sa gave up on torturing you; it would just be a waste of time.”

“You know me well.”

“But… if Chi You and the Eight Parts of the Divine have been annihilated? Would you still keep your silence to fulfill your desires?”

Zhuge Yulong flinched, seeming caught off guard by that unexpected comment. But he quickly regained his composure and coldly scoffed.

“That’s a lie. Don’t make up absurd stories.”

“Why do you think it’s a lie? Just because Chi You and the Eight Parts of the Divine exist doesn’t make them immortal beings.”

“Chi You is exceedingly cautious and will never reveal himself until the end. I was even worn out trying to draw him out! And even if he did show himself, it’d be when he’s sure he can settle things with the Three Sovereigns. You expect me to believe that some nonsensical scenario played out?”

“It’s true.”

Seeing Zhuge Yulong appear completely unconvinced, I could only scratch my head. It was clear he had a decent grasp of Chi You’s attitude, and his judgment was likely correct too.

No matter how hard someone tries to bring Chi You out, he won’t show himself easily. Because the optimal moment to reveal himself is right before the end, when humanity nears a number of ten billion, right before the ultimate culmination. Therefore, given there aren’t that many humans now, and the Chinese characters haven’t spread worldwide for the past three to five hundred years, there was no reason for him to reveal himself. Having witnessed the true identity of Chi You, I could see Zhuge Yulong had a point.

“Believe it or not, Chi You’s forces have been eradicated. Also, the Seven Luminaries have mostly gathered, facing their final moments.”

Swish

I pulled the five pieces of the Seven Luminaries from my wooden armor. Showing each one to Zhuge Yulong, he couldn’t hide his surprise and widened his eyes.

“……!!”

“All that’s left is the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram. Once we have it, the path to the Sun will open. And as you can see, we know how to liberate as well.”

“Just how… did you gather so many of the Seven Luminaries?”

“If you cooperate with us, or rather, agree to exchange information, I’ll let you know. If not, you’ll just be stuck here, simmering in your rage until the end of time.”

Creak

I stowed the Seven Luminaries back into my wooden armor and said coolly.

“Make your choice. Will you help us, or shall we part ways here?”

“Please give me a moment to think.”

“Sure.”

Silence fell. After a while, Zhuge Yulong finally spoke.

“Just tell me one thing. Where are my sons?”

“……”

I felt a sudden pang of discomfort. Did this guy, who looked like he couldn’t bleed even if poked, really just ask about his sons’ whereabouts? I took a moment to respond.

“Mangnyang is dead. And Zhuge Bu is in our custody.”

“I see…”

Did I just imagine it, or did a shadow of sorrow flit across Zhuge Yulong’s eyes? He seemed particularly affected by the news of Mangnyang’s death. Zhuge Yulong pondered for a moment before saying.

“Alright. If you promise to free me, I’ll trust you and agree to exchange information.”

“What? I can’t let you go. I know exactly what kind of techniques you can use.”

“Then I can’t cooperate either.”

“Now that’s some serious guts. Are you saying you’re fine with fading away like this?”

With cold eyes, I stared at Zhuge Yulong and said.

“Just so you know, I know exactly how many hiding places you’ve got for those puppets and where they are. Want me to list them all?”

As I began revealing the locations of his bases, Zhuge Yulong’s expression stiffened. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Do you think we left those puppets unharmed on our way here? Or do you think we just ignored them?”

“You wouldn’t smash them, right? If you do, I’ll receive a signal.”

“Correct. But that doesn’t mean we can’t break them from now on.”

“……”

“You’re already in a dead end. It might be bothersome, but I can just go back, smash all your puppets, and then kill you here, guaranteeing you won’t resurrect again. Eternal death, how does that sound? Is that the ending you want?”

“Why didn’t you break them on the way here?”

“I didn’t need to bother. It would just be a waste of time. Collecting the Seven Luminaries is the goal, and with Chi You, the Eight Parts of the Divine and the Imperial Palace eliminated, what kind of threat could you possibly pose? By the time you lift the curse of the dagger, everything will have been settled, and we could come up with even more seals. If you refuse this information exchange, you’ll be the one at a disadvantage.”

For a moment, Zhuge Yulong fell silent. Then he said.

“What do you want from me? It seems you want something else too.”

“Oh, it’s not anything special. I need you to share everything you know, and assist in gaining the final piece of the Seven Luminaries. While I fulfill my desires, yours will also be granted.”

“Do you know what my desire is?”

“Not really. So starting now, just tell me and we’ll negotiate.”

“… Three things.”

Zhuge Yulong slowly opened his mouth.

“If you ask me precisely three questions, I’ll answer them honestly. But nothing beyond that.”

“You’re a tough nut to crack. We’re one piece away from wrapping this chaos up, so what is the deal…?”

“If you plan to eliminate me, go ahead. But I won’t submit.”

“What…?”

I mumbled in disbelief, and Zhuge Yulong retorted.

“I will never bend my will. I will not give up until I fulfill what Jin Cheon-hwi entrusted to me!”

Jin Cheon-hwi?

Unexpectedly, Jin So-cheong reacted first. He stepped forward, glaring sharply at Zhuge Yulong.

“Do you know my father?”

“So you must be Jin So-cheong…”

“That’s right.”

Zhuge Yulong seemed to be aware of the relationship between General Jin Cheon-hwi and Jin So-cheong. After all, he was the greatest mastermind of the Imperial Palace; there was no way he wouldn’t know that. Zhuge Yulong looked at Jin So-cheong with hollow eyes and said.

“Jin So-cheong, you are a comrade of Zhuge Sa, and if you captured my son, you would probably know something about my past… But I did not decide to commit this grand betrayal solely because of your mother’s death. It’s the will that Jin Cheon-hwi entrusted to me that truly drives my actions.”

“You’re saying Jin Cheon-hwi rebelled against the Celestial Realm to save humanity?”

“No… it’s a matter of greater essence than that… I merely sought to enact it in my own way.”

With that, Zhuge Yulong shot a fearsome gaze in my direction and said.

“Bearer of the Five Luminaries… Baek Woong! If you intend to kill me, do it now. If you wish to torture me, do so. However, I will never kneel before you! Anything that isn’t done my way is meaningless, and I have not the slightest faith in your ideals! Yet acknowledging your great undertaking, I swear to answer two questions honestly.”

“… Two questions?”

“I just asked one a moment ago.”

“……”

So are we counting Jin So-cheong’s question as one too? What a dirty bastard!!

As Zhuge Sa watched on, clearly exasperated, he stepped forward.

“You’re being a pain. I’ll just brainwash you until you spill everything you know!”

Woo-woo

However, even Shin Gong-pyo’s ancient brainwashing techniques seemed ineffective on Zhuge Yulong. Watching that, Zhuge Sa muttered in disappointment.

“That’s just the spirit inside the puppet… Even if you poured Divorce Techniques or brainwashing into puppets specially made with the Eight Trigrams, there’s no way it would work. As for mental techniques, nothing got through. Even the time I used the Demon King’s sight with the Divorce Technique, I could only bind the body but not the mind.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?!”

Shin Gong-pyo got snappy, but Zhuge Sa ignored him and addressed me.

“Baek Woong. It seems your brother’s made up his mind. What you ask must be done with utmost care.”

“Got it.”

Rather than just submit to a situation without the desired conclusion, he chose death instead.

Choosing such an odd option for someone who’s been putting in all efforts to align with the evil gods like Zhuge Yulong, I could understand his choice stemmed from absolute distrust. It wasn’t surprising he’d prefer annihilation over trusting me out of the blue as I gathered the Seven Luminaries.

I pondered deeply before speaking.

“Given that you know nothing, let’s have a brief explanation of the situation first…”

I shared the context of gathering the Seven Luminaries, the confrontation between Chi You and the Three Sovereigns, as well as the annihilation of both Chi You and the Eight Parts of the Divine. I even told him about the Portrait Immortal Jin. By the time I had shared that much, Zhuge Yulong had a considerably serious expression on his face.

“… So, the Portrait Immortal, Jin, who takes Tydaht as his heart, has become the biggest hurdle.”

“……”

“Yet we’re predicting that Jin is someone you—the Zhuge Yulong—could never foresee, right?”

“Why do you think so?”

“Originally, weren’t you crafting the Portrait Immortal as a sacrifice to the evil god or ruler of the Imperial Palace? Yet Jin seems too free from the law of cause and effect.”

“… Interesting.”

“Tell me everything you know about Jin, including your insights and weaknesses.”

Zhuge Yulong remained silent for a long time.

Then he finally spoke.

“Divine Blood.”