NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 654
Chapter 654: Dark Heaven Village
“Pa-at!”
I arrived at the ancient castle where Yu Ji must have last been. This place was a castle near Gaixia, now just a relic without any caretaker. In ancient times, it might have been the final battleground for the fierce Chu-Han Contention, but now there were no heroes or armies left.
“Woo-ung…”
I utilized the Heavenly Secret Technique to summon the powerful souls nearby. However, the names that appeared were not particularly renowned; they were mostly figures who had served under Xiang Yu at Gaixia. They likely died battling the Han army in the final confrontation. Observing the stream of Xiang Yu’s subordinates emerging, I felt a peculiar thought.
“Among Xiang Yu’s subordinates, there were quite a few talented figures unknown to history. But why did they lose?”
Being summoned by the Heavenly Secret Technique meant they possessed far superior strength, wisdom, or talent compared to mere mortals. They must have been powerful individuals at least at the level of human leaders, yet Xiang Yu had been cornered with such talent on his side? When I posed my query to Mangnyang, who accompanied me, he replied.
“The current trend of the world tilted towards the Han, rendering the quantity of talent irrelevant. Moreover, Xiang Yu was extremely self-righteous, failing to properly utilize the talent he had. If he had only crossed the river to the east, he might have rekindled hope, but he gave up instead.”
Mangnyang sighed deeply.
“Though his innate power was unrivaled in history, his actions were akin to those of someone who gave up on becoming the ruler of the world. Such queries are moot. The talented individuals summoned from Xiang Yu’s ranks met the same tragic end…”
“…”
Mangnyang seemed to hold a rather low opinion of Xiang Yu. I sensed something was off.
“Something… feels strange…”
Mangnyang’s assessment seemed to align with the opinions of most scholars currently in the Central Plains. Xiang Yu was viewed merely as a reckless overlord who self-destructed, lacking any governing capability. Yet, the Xiang Yu I had encountered was remarkably shrewd and insightful—a character who wouldn’t make such grave mistakes.
Above all, even with just his strength, Xiang Yu could face hundreds of thousands of troops. Was there truly a reason for him to be chased down by human forces to his death?
Regardless, what mattered now was not that, so I inquired about the general Biran, who was said to have fought alongside Xiang Yu until the end.
“Subordinate Biran of Xiang Yu, I wish to know what happened to Yu Ji. Did she really take her own life to avoid being a hindrance to Xiang Yu as history recounts?”
[……]
Biran wore a deeply troubled expression before responding.
[Do not speak such nonsense. To insult my lord and her honor, I wouldn’t answer even if I were to go to hell.]
“Um…”
He was quite a stalwart individual. Being summoned by the Heavenly Secret Technique meant he was risking the afterlife to seek a place in heaven, showcasing a loyalty that tosses away the odds of success! Thinking he must have been quite distinguished in life, I spoke respectfully.
“I have only heard rumors about that matter. I apologize if I have been rude.”
[If you accept it.]
“Could you tell me if you know Yu Ji’s whereabouts?”
[She left after receiving ‘strength’ from my lord.]
Strength, I presumed, meant she received the power of the Celestial Dungeon from Xiang Yu. I was puzzled and asked.
“But at that time, tens of thousands of the Han army were surrounding Gaixia. How could a woman break through their siege alone?”
[That I cannot know. However, I can surmise that my lord and Liu Bang made some covert agreement regarding her. The Han army did not attempt to stop her.]
“Um…”
[We do not blame my lord for that. At that time, we had entrusted our lives and deaths entirely to him.]
Could it be that Xiang Yu negotiated with Liu Bang to spare only Yu Ji?
The historical facts I knew clashed quite greatly with this theory, leaving me in a state of confusion. While I pondered, Mangnyang interjected.
“Baek Woong, it may be best to seek Liu Bang next and summon him with the Heavenly Secret Technique. He would be the one who permitted Yu Ji’s departure.”
“Liu Bang of the Han… Where might he be?”
“In the vicinity of the Han Royal Tomb. Near Luoyang. I know the location, so let us go.”
“Pa-at!”
I arrived at the royal tomb of the Han with Mangnyang. The tomb seemed well-preserved, and there were not many people around. I marveled at my surroundings.
“I had no idea such a place existed near Luoyang.”
“Baek Woong, you can probably locate the past emperors of the Han with the Heavenly Secret Technique. We need to find one with the aura of the Red Dragon.”
I followed Mangnyang’s instructions. Moments later, I detected dozens of past Han emperors, searching for one with particularly strong dragon energy. Yet, I couldn’t find anyone fitting that description, resulting in a puzzled expression.
“There doesn’t appear to be anyone…?”
“This is strange. Allow me to try.”
Mangnyang had also trained in the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate and could use the Heavenly Secret Technique. As he concentrated energy in his fingers, he looked quite flabbergasted.
“Um…!! There’s truly no one.”
“Could it be that Liu Bang lost his dragon energy upon death?”
“That’s unlikely… The chances of that are slim. But…”
As Mangnyang pondered, he suddenly seemed to think of something.
“… There is one possibility.”
“What is it?”
“It could be that, after Liu Bang died, he reverted to his original form as the Red Dragon.”
“… What? That’s absurd…”
“Not entirely impossible. We considered Liu Bang merely a human endowed with the prowess of the Red Dragon, but what if he was, as the world claims, the true incarnation of the Red Dragon? It wouldn’t be out of the question for an incarnation to return to its original form.”
“……”
“It seems what the Mystic said was true.”
He scratched his head and continued.
“The question now is, what exactly is this Red Dragon that granted Liu Bang his strength?”
“Mangnyang, you’re knowledgeable of Taoism; don’t you have an inkling?”
“The Red Dragon does not exist within the hierarchy of divine beings in Taoism. While dragons do exist, none warrants the specific designation of ‘Red Dragon.’ Therefore, I have suspected all along that ‘Red Dragon’ was a metaphor.”
“A metaphor?”
“It may be a hidden entity whose identity is irrelevant to the world, one that could cause trouble if revealed. It could be that this mysterious being stealthily bestowed the incarnation of Liu Bang.”
“Hmm, what could that be…”
The air reeked of a complex conspiracy.
As I pondered, I stated, “In conclusion, we can’t determine who Liu Bang represents right now.”
“The only certainty is that Liu Bang was not a mere human from birth.”
Mangnyang continued.
“We need to discuss this with the priest further. Let’s head back.”
Returning with Mangnyang to the Southern Continent, I shared our discoveries with Cheon Woo-jin and Zhuge Sa. Cheon Woo-jin then spoke.
“The most famous Red Dragon I know is the Southern Red Dragon, King Guangli, Ao Yun.”
“The Dragon King of the Four Seas, huh?”
Cheon Woo-jin nodded before responding.
“However, as you all know, the Dragon Kings, including the Four Seas’ Dragon King, have been rather absent from the Celestial Realm for some time, and the Four Seas’ Dragon King has gone completely missing. This is likely a consequence of the Great Dragon stopping the calamity during Yeodong-bin’s time.”
“That makes sense.”
“The Great Dragon inflicted mortal wounds on all the Dragon Kings at that time. Some may even have perished. Under such circumstances, summoning the Southern Red Dragon, King Guangli, would not be met with any response.”
“Hmm…”
At that moment, Zhuge Sa grinned.
“But isn’t there another famous Red Dragon?”
“… You’re referring to the Fire Dragon Incarnate?”
“Regardless, she’s still a Red Dragon. Once she regains her strength, she may be stronger than the individual Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.”
Cheon Woo-jin shook his head, as if refuting the notion.
“She does not exist solely in her original form as an incarnation of the Spirit Dragon. I’ve never heard of an incarnation creating another incarnation.”
“Isn’t that often the case with great demons?”
“That’s only possible for an amorphous entity like a half-demon. If a powerful divine being, like the Fire Dragon Incarnate, were to try such a thing, it could very well lead to their annihilation.”
“How bothersome.”
Zhuge Sa yawned and suggested, “Instead of tiptoeing around to bother Xiang Yu, why don’t we just use the Black Token to casually ask the Ruler of the Jungle to save Yu Ji?”
“……!!”
“That would be far more convenient.”
Wait, could that work?!
As I mulled over the plausibility of that idea, Mangnyang chimed in.
“Uncle, it would be a waste to expend that marvelous authority just for Xiang Yu’s request. Such power could shake the very heavens and earth, yet you’d squander it on just that…”
“Well, it does seem like a waste. Truthfully, I wanted to use it to save someone else.”
He smacked his lips, then continued.
“But would you genuinely seek Yu Ji’s soul to invade the Underworld? That would be completely backwards.”
I agreed with his sentiment.
“Yeah… that does make sense.”
The Underworld.
A realm where the souls of the dead gather.
Sorcerers seem to have a vague idea of its nature, but the living typically cannot enter that world. Zhuge Sa had mentioned that the Underworld is rather special among the other realms and confessed he had very little experience with it. Moreover, as it is closely linked to the Celestial Realm, the risk of falling into the hands of the Three Sovereigns would be high.
“While risking death to explore the Underworld may be tempting, the aim of this lifetime is not the Underworld but Dark Heaven Village. If I were to get sidetracked and die while preparing to go to Dark Heaven Village, that would be highly inefficient—a total waste of decades of effort.”
“Hmm…”
“It would just turn to dung in the end. I think using the Black Token is the better choice.”
Zhuge Sa’s suggestion seemed to resonate with Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin as they contemplated. After a moment, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.
“There is risk involved. We’re basing our assumptions on the precondition that Yu Ji with the Celestial Dungeon can be resurrected with the Black Token. What if that is not the case?”
Understanding the implication of this statement, Zhuge Sa coldly chuckled.
“Ha! How amusing. The era of the Chu-Han Contention was nearly two thousand years ago, and you think she is still alive?”
“We can’t completely rule out the possibility. After all, she received the power of the Constellation.”
“The fact that Yu Ji is not in this world has already been confirmed by the National Seal’s capabilities. If Yu Ji is in the otherworldly realm, could she have lived wandering for two thousand years? Can that even be considered human?”
“… Probably not. After all, she would have transcended humanity.”
“Stop talking and let’s just use the Black Token. What’s so difficult about that?”
Zhuge Sa seemed quite irritated.
Yet I thought his response was hasty.
“Right. As Cheon Woo-jin said, she might still be alive…”
What if I asked to summon a living being?
There was the risk of killing Yu Ji, who was totally fine, and summoning her.
The [Ruler of the Jungle] doesn’t give a single thought to human convenience; he is merely an [Old Ruler] who toys with the world for his own pleasure. It’s possible he might derive delight from seeing us despair due to forced interpretations.
And if I were to fail after hastily attempting this – giving Xiang Yu the obsidian later to recruit him as a companion would become impossible. Relying on the power of the [Old Ruler] was a dangerous idea, so I had to be prudent.
After some contemplation, I stated, “While I see the merit in Zhuge Sa’s proposal, I prefer to wait and observe. I’d like to execute it when the Fire Dragon Incarnate regains her strength.”
“Are you suggesting we inquire about the Red Dragon with the Fire Dragon Incarnate?”
“Yes.”
“Well, do as you wish, but be cautious not to waste too much time. The Master of the White Lotus Sect may very well arrive in the Southern Continent, and who knows what the Master of the Twelve Joules might pull in the future.”
“More importantly, Zhuge Sa, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Teach me the forbidden techniques for traveling to the otherworld.”
Upon my request, Zhuge Sa chuckled lightly.
“That involves summoning techniques using the beasts of the otherworld, which are incredibly difficult. Are you sure you can learn it? I had a tough time mastering it myself.”
If Zhuge Sa openly stated that it was difficult, it truly must be. However, I grit my teeth.
“I have to.”
“Even if it takes decades?”
“I will still learn it.”
With a determined expression, I clenched my fist.
“After all, to wield the power to find the Four Great Sacred Artifacts of the White Lotus Sect, I must acquire that skill.”
This was not an option.
Throughout this life, while navigating the National Seal, I became aware of the high possibility that there were relics scattered across worlds other than this one. However, since I needed Zhuge Sa’s help to move to the otherworld, I had reached a limitation.
I needed to have the capability to explore the otherworld on my own; only then could I proceed with searching the Underworld and eventually find the sacred artifacts of the White Lotus Sect.