Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 208

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

A few days later, Mangnyang said to me,

“It seems it’s about time to make contact with the Red Moon.”

I was taken aback by his sudden statement and then realized what he meant.

“You’re referring to the former Dharma Protector of the Thunder God Lineage, the Red Moon?”

“Indeed. If we were to meet, now would be the best time.”

I pondered his words but couldn’t quite understand why we should meet such a powerful Peak Master now. Unable to hide my confusion, Mangnyang calmly explained,

“We agreed to give the world to the White Lotus Sect. That’s so we can strike down a powerful entity like the Imperial Palace, which is beyond our current capabilities. But if the White Lotus Sect succeeds in toppling the Imperial Palace, what will we do next?”

“Well… I haven’t really thought about it.”

I hadn’t given much thought to that. From my observations, the Master of the White Lotus Sect seemed so transcendent that judging good and evil was difficult. I figured he would at least have some self-restraint and judgment, so he wouldn’t go on a rampage like the Imperial Palace might.

Mangnyang chuckled softly,

“Being a subordinate force of the White Lotus Sect to reap a profit isn’t a bad idea, but that’s not a future I desire.”

“Why not? If the White Lotus Sect dominates the world, you, Mangnyang, would be treated as a key figure and could gain wealth and powerful martial artists!”

I could guarantee that if the White Lotus Sect conquered the world, Mangnyang’s influence would overpower even Jeong Cheon, making him a powerful person. With the right mindset, he could manipulate the world from beneath the White Lotus Sect. However, Mangnyang shook his head vigorously.

“If I sought personal success, I would have acted as soon as I left the Imperial Palace. What I despise most is being mired in reality and living a miserable life like a pig.”

With that said, Mangnyang spread his hands and continued,

“Absolute power inevitably leads to absolute corruption. One can see that truth just by looking at the Imperial Palace. The White Lotus Sect Leader is a superhuman, meaning the world will be peaceful while he reigns. Yet, once there’s no one to keep that power in check, it will eventually spiral out of control. To maintain balance in the world, we must prepare a counterforce before that happens.”

“Hmm…”

“And I intend to cultivate the Thunder God Lineage into that counterforce.”

What does that even mean?

I looked at Mangnyang, and he gazed up at the sky as he spoke.

“In the history of the White Lotus Sect, the Thunder God Lineage has actually been rated equally with the Su Shin Lineage among the Four Great Styles. The only reason the Su Shin Lineage became the strongest was the ruling leader’s rise over the Master of the White Lotus Sect. In other words, without this unparalleled martial arts genius as leader, the martial arts of the Thunder God Lineage were on par with that of the Su Shin Lineage.”

“What are you trying to say?”

With that, Mangnyang’s next words caused my eyes to widen.

“I believe… Jin So-cheong can catch up to the Master of the White Lotus Sect. If he sees the limits of the Thunder God Lineage, it’s definitely within reach.”

“……!!”

Did he just think that?

‘Ah… no way…’

I recalled memories from my last life. Back then, I had generously imparted the insights of Wudang’s Zhang Sanfeng to the Thunder God Lineage. We practiced and researched together. As a result, both Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong experienced tremendous improvement in their martial arts, to the point where Jin So-cheong even garnered admiration from masters of the White Lotus Sect. Jin So-cheong’s talent was extraordinary—a miracle that occurs rarely among beings.

But the thought of cultivating him to rival the Master of the White Lotus Sect never crossed my mind. As I stood there dazed, Mangnyang said,

“In your first life, Jin So-cheong was renowned as one of the Ten Great Masters of the World. That came as a result of merely honing the Thunder God Lineage’s martial arts without finding any alternative. No matter how much of a genius one is, if they’re a frog in a well, they’ll inevitably hit a limit. Moreover, it’s unclear whether he even had a clear purpose of vengeance against the White Lotus Sect.

But what if we allow Jin So-cheong to encounter the Thunder God Lineage’s Dharma Protectors, the Thunderbolt Three Saints, early on, instill the goal of overcoming the Master of the White Lotus Sect into him, and have the Bancheon Alliance secretly assist him?”

“……!!”

“Can you imagine how strong Jin So-cheong will become in ten years?”

I trembled at his words. For decades, I had felt the gap in talent between myself and Jin So-cheong. In this world, only Lee Kwang would truly appreciate the depth of Jin So-cheong’s talent as I did. The thought that flared up from Mangnyang’s words sent shivers down my spine.

‘It’s possible…!!’

No matter if the Master integrated the Four Great Styles, it didn’t matter. Jin So-cheong, simply by receiving the teachings from me about Wudang, managed to overcome a Dharma Protector in a short match within just a few years. I couldn’t even begin to fathom what level he would reach in about ten years.

Mangnyang let out a gentle laugh.

“I realized that you knew the Thunderbolt Three Saints’ forces and base of operations. When I reviewed the memories of the Obsidian recently, my thoughts solidified. So from the day I received those memories, I immediately set the Bancheon Alliance into motion.”

“Set into motion?”

“I informed the intelligence agency to subtly let the Red Moon and Green Moon know about the genius that is Jin So-cheong, and secretly members of the Bancheon Alliance have made contact with them. Currently, both the Red Moon and Green Moon have shown great interest in Jin So-cheong. Until now, they knew of Lee Kwang but were indifferent towards him.”

“I see…”

I finally grasped what Mangnyang was saying.

“So you’re planning to visit the Red Dragon Gate and negotiate with him beforehand?”

The Dharma Protector of the Thunder God Lineage, the Thunderbolt Three Saints, had secretly built a force within Jianghu after escaping the White Lotus Sect. The Red Moon established the Red Dragon Gate, while the Green Moon formed the Black Moon Group. Although the Red Dragon Gate and Black Moon Group weren’t well-known in Jianghu, all their members were elite masters personally trained by the Thunderbolt Three Saints, hiding tremendous power.

“Yes. After the White Lotus Sect strikes the Imperial Palace and claims the world, time will be of the essence. When the White Lotus Sect’s attention is on the Imperial Palace, we must consolidate the forces of the Thunder God Lineage in advance.”

“Of course…!!”

That was precisely what Mangnyang meant by saying it was the right time. Normally, the White Lotus Sect would gather all information from the Huashen Lineage’s financial backing. However, facing an enormous enemy like the Imperial Palace proposed an all-out war, stripping them of the leisure to worry about trivial matters. In other words, now would be the moment when the White Lotus Sect’s vigilance was least.

“What’s crucial is what happens after the Imperial Palace crumbles. After we bring Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong into the fold of the Thunderbolt Three Saints, they’ll naturally stay hidden and train their martial arts. Our role will simply be to give them time to escape when the White Lotus Sect’s offensive becomes intense.”

I mumbled as I absorbed Mangnyang’s plan.

“The White Lotus Sect will overthrow the Imperial Palace, and then the Thunder God Lineage will hold them in check…”

It was true for the Thunder God Lineage to abandon their previous selves. Strengthening themselves by attacking the Imperial Palace first would be the best approach for the Thunder God Lineage. Entering the race after the White Lotus Sect has already conquered the world would be a move of last resort.

But that was just from the Thunder God Lineage’s perspective. From our standpoint, the ability to restrain the audacious Thunder God Lineage while freely executing our designs was beneficial enough.

“It doesn’t matter if Jin So-cheong can’t defeat the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Knowing that there’s a vengeful Dharma Protector-level master within the White Lotus Sect will make them more cautious in handling Jianghu.”

Mangnyang grinned.

“Additionally, you can subtly merge into the Thunder God Lineage, saving them whenever necessary from the backend, while simultaneously establishing an important position. Since you’ve employed cosmetic surgery, your past will never come to light. It’s absolutely perfect, isn’t it?”

“Sounds great!”

As I felt pleased, I suddenly remembered something and asked,

“But what if the White Lotus Sect fails to defeat the Imperial Palace this time?”

“We don’t even need to think about that.”

“Why?”

Mangnyang replied firmly,

“If the Master of the White Lotus Sect can’t defeat the Imperial Palace, who among mortals could possibly challenge it? It would mean that it’s beyond human capability.”

“……”

That made me grasp the significance of the upcoming assault on the Imperial Palace by the White Lotus Sect. If it turned out that a powerful presence lurked within the Imperial Palace, even the Master of the White Lotus Sect wouldn’t manage to overturn it, it signified that human skills could never prevail against the Imperial Palace no matter what.

What would we do then? Would it be a complete despair?

‘…No, there’s a way.’

I decided not to dwell on Mangnyang’s words any longer. After all, worrying won’t help my current situation with my present capabilities. My past countless experiences had taught me that pouring mental energy into useless thoughts prevented me from effectively handling current matters.

Miho, listening from the side, interjected,

“Hmm… something feels off.”

“Miho, what do you find troubling?”

“Two things concern me.”

With her arms crossed and a serious expression, Miho spoke to Mangnyang.

“First, wasn’t the Black and White Lotus leaked during your tenth reincarnation? Wasn’t the White Lotus Sect powerful enough back then? However, they took over Jianghu slowly and didn’t engage directly with the Imperial Palace for over a decade. Isn’t that strange?”

Mangnyang closed his eyes and contemplated before answering.

“Hmm… Are you saying they ‘couldn’t’ clash, not just ‘didn’t’?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s something I thought about too, but I couldn’t find an answer. Miho, your point does raise a puzzling part.”

“Additionally… this one is more important.”

Miho’s eyes sharpened.

“The Master of the White Lotus Sect could have eliminated the Thunder God Lineage at any time. Even if he called upon anyone from the three major lineages under the White Lotus Sect, they could easily annihilate the weakened Thunder God Lineage. Furthermore, the Wind Spirit Lineage had even gathered intel on Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong. Yet, the Master of the White Lotus Sect ultimately left them alone and accepted their declaration of independence nearly favorably when the Thunder God Lineage declared it in the fourteenth reincarnation.”

“……”

“Do you think the Master of the White Lotus Sect is that benevolent? Isn’t he the same person who ordered the cleansing of the Thunder God Lineage?”

Mangnyang’s expression shifted gravely as he nodded at Miho’s questions.

“I can guess the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s reason for leaving the Thunder God Lineage untouched.”

“Ah, so it’s that?”

“Yes. This is why we need to nurture the Thunder God Lineage even more.”

As I listened to the two, a sudden realization struck me, prompting me to exclaim,

“The Ultimate Secret Technique of the Thunder God Lineage!”

Both Mangnyang and Miho turned to look at me simultaneously. Seeing their expressions confirmed to me that I was indeed correct. Mangnyang spoke with a somber tone.

“The condition the Master of the White Lotus Sect set for the independence of the Thunder God Lineage was to gather the Ultimate Secret Technique. If he has other motives, that must be the only explanation. For some unknown reason, he is waiting for the Thunder God Lineage’s Ultimate Secret Technique to come together.”

“Why? Isn’t he already unmatched in the world?”

“Unless you’re the one involved, it’s truly impossible to know. Regardless, if he indeed harbors such ambitions, nurturing the Thunder God Lineage becomes essential. Because as long as that Ultimate Secret Technique remains incomplete, the Master of the White Lotus Sect won’t ever annihilate the Thunder God Lineage.”

“……”

I felt a sense of despair.

It seemed that no matter how hard we tried to carve out a future for ourselves, we were somehow still under the influence of the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Did I wear a gloomy expression? Miho patted my shoulder and said,

“Don’t worry. I will protect you, no matter what.”

“That’s my line.”

“Geez… are you trying to show off here?”

Miho chuckled in disbelief. Just then, Mangnyang shook his head as he watched.

“What would a loveless person know of sorrow…”

“Hmph! What do you mean, a womanizer who seduces every village girl?”

“That’s not being a womanizer; it’s simply being popular, Miho.”

“……”

A short while later, we burst into laughter.

Perhaps due to sharing memories, it felt like despite knowing each other for only a short time, we joked around as though we were old friends for over a decade. I felt a tight bond, filling my heart with warmth.

‘I hope to live like this forever.’

Yes. Once the Imperial Palace is taken down, I will definitely make it happen. I want to leisurely spend time with Mangnyang and eventually go to Heaven’s Realm with Miho, where we’ll live happily. I heard once we go to Heaven’s Realm, we’ll gain immortality, hence I wouldn’t have to worry about reincarnation anymore.

‘Let’s push through!’

I clenched my fist tightly, as a sense of hope emerged that the long, winding path of my past lives was beginning to come into view.