Reincarnation Sword God

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657——————==
Dark Heaven Village
As I encountered the Eight Parts of the Divine Tripitaka for the second time, my face hardened instantly. Setting everything else aside, it was clear that this fellow did not come with good intentions, especially considering that Mangnyang was frozen in time, leaving us at a significant disadvantage. Tripitaka was one of the upper echelons among the Eight Parts of the Divine, possessing immense sorcery skills that could even suppress the awakening Yaksha from Yeodong-bin’s memories. Given the odds were stacked against us in a fight, anxiety welled up within me.

‘No, losing isn’t the problem. If it comes to it, I can just end my life quickly. The real issue is why that guy is focusing on me…’

It must be because of the novel [Tripitaka's Journey]. I glared at him and said, “You keep following us. Are you hoping for a self-biographical novel?”

In response to my question, Tripitaka shrugged his shoulders. “That would be nice, but after our discussions, we believe it’s best to keep an eye on you.”

“Our discussions?”

“I have trustworthy companions, and we often discuss important matters.”

Tripitaka chuckled as if it were a trivial matter, but I realized that ‘we’ referred to the group of Eight Parts of the Divine. They had definitely already discussed the stories related to the Mangnyang, having come into contact with the demonic sword Hruntin. It seemed like they had decided to closely monitor my suspicious movements and ensure Yeodong-bin’s descent. I clenched my teeth internally.

‘Damn it. Have I been too conspicuous in this lifetime?’

But there was no other choice. To gain the blessing and favor of the Celestial Sage, trying the trend of the novel was something worth attempting. It was only right to sort out the seal of Luoyang. My naivety was my only crime. Regaining my composure, I calmly asked, “What do you want?”

“As I mentioned, you’re currently in a predicament, so I shall use my sorcery to drive away the nuisances from the Underworld. That is why I’m here.”

“You appeared at just the right moment, like you knew what we were up to. You were keeping an eye on us all along.”

As I spat those words, Tripitaka smiled slightly. “If you don’t need my help, I’ll take my leave. But there may come a time when you will.”

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin glared at him and said, “There’s no need for that, Tripitaka.”

His tone was devoid of respect, filled only with hostility. It was rare for Cheon Woo-jin to evoke such murderous intent toward anyone, which startled me, and I turned to look at him. When Tripitaka cast his curious eyes on Cheon Woo-jin, he replied, “We don’t have time to waste here. We can’t keep getting tangled up with scheming guys like you. Just stay quiet.”

“What will you do if I stay quiet?”

“I’ll kick you in the backside.”

“Hahaha, that’s a funny joke I’ve heard today…”

He tried to maintain his usual boisterous laughter, but his expression warped the next moment.

“No, that’s…”

Did Cheon Woo-jin’s hand signs provoke Tripitaka’s temper? The face of the peerless beauty twisted into a grotesque visage, losing all human semblance, resembling an Asura.

[So you dare to touch my authority, believing you’re the god’s disciple?]

“Speak as you please. You were the one who cast surveillance spells on us first.”

Cheon Woo-jin said calmly, “Unravel the spells you’ve cast on us and get lost. And don’t show your face again.”

Creeeak…

A sinister aura emanated from Tripitaka’s body. It felt just like when Geol-seon had demonstrated his power in front of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, resembling something that transcended humanity, about to reclaim its true form. Tripitaka was clearly struggling with whether or not to reveal his true essence as a Celestial Sage among the Eight Parts of the Divine.

I swallowed hard.

‘What’s up with Cheon Woo-jin… why is he acting like this?’

I was merely considering rejecting Tripitaka’s offer or using it to my advantage, but Cheon Woo-jin’s reaction was intense. I felt uneasy, thinking I might step onto the path of death again because of him. There was a real risk I could die before even reaching Dark Heaven Village. I had never even contemplated fighting the Eight Parts of the Divine in the first place.

Should I stop Cheon Woo-jin now and apologize to Tripitaka?
Am I making a huge mistake?
But then I changed my mind.
‘No. That guy is a comrade who shares memories with me. I shouldn’t doubt him; I must trust him.’

The privilege of a reincarnated person is that ‘failure’ is permitted. Rather than blindly pursuing success and losing our allies’ trust, it’s much better to face a catastrophic defeat. As long as I could start over, I could always rectify things. I chose to trust the sorcerer Cheon Woo-jin’s abilities and decisions, deciding to watch until the end.

If it comes to it, I can pull out the Ruyi Staff to summon the Celestial Sage. In a way, this might be the best approach, but it’s unwise to rush into debt with him because removing that assistance from my options could lessen my chances at Dark Heaven Village. I thought that Cheon Woo-jin likely recognized this fact as well.

Tripitaka’s eyes swirled with chaos. He still maintained a human form, but the instant I saw his face, an overwhelmingly terrifying aura surged forth that could make a typical human soil themselves. His mouth twisted into a grimace, and with a wide grin, he held his pale face with his hands, saying,

[Heh heh heh, so you dare challenge me, relying on the likes of Yeodong-bin?]

“Of course, I don’t only rely on Yeodong-bin.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued indifferently, “The effect of Maheshvara seems to be working. Now, will you lose all your causalities and be expelled from this world, or will you retreat and release your tracking spells?”

[You…]

“The one who initiated conflict first was you. Don’t try to trick us; just get lost at once!”

[You want me to get lost… Should I kill you right now?]

“Can you really? If you’re serious about it, I too can summon the Celestial Sage. I’m the one being generous here.”

Cheon Woo-jin raised his voice, and Tripitaka murmured.
[If you weren’t the disciple of Master Mangnyang, I would never have let you off so easily…]

“So what? What are you going to do about it? If you’re brave, then become a disciple of Master Mangnyang, just like me.”

[Hmph…don’t provoke me too much…]

With that, a chilling glare emanated from him as he said,
[Fine. I won’t show myself before you again. But remember, my companions will be watching you…]

Boom!
A moment later, Tripitaka’s body vanished as if washed away.
And simultaneously, the space-time stasis broke loose.
Mangnyang, startled to see the sudden change in our auras, quickly grasped the situation.
“Looks like the Eight Parts of the Divine came and went.”
“That’s correct.”
“I’m sorry, Baek Woong. I can’t resist spells manipulating time.”
As Mangnyang spoke apologetically, Cheon Woo-jin said,
“Indeed, Brother. Tripitaka’s sorcery is something even the highest sorcerers struggle to endure.”
“Did the Priest drive him away?”
“Yes.”
I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin, my eyes filled with concern.
“Are you alright? Didn’t you provoke him more than necessary? You could have been more gentle…”
Hearing my words, Cheon Woo-jin exploded.
“Hmph. Don’t be ridiculous! So you would’ve just handed over our causality to the Eight Parts of the Divine without a plan?”
“Causality?”
I echoed, and Cheon Woo-jin sighed heavily.
“Ugh. Why do you think that guy would show up before us trying to ask for your permission? That Celestial Sage’s power is unbelievably immense. He could have wiped the Underworld’s minions clean without a word and made us owe him.”
“Is it so strange? Perhaps it’s just his hobby…”
I cocked my head, unable to grasp Cheon Woo-jin’s logic. Just then, Mangnyang interjected.
“Baek Woong. What the Priest means is that Tripitaka asking for your permission itself signifies the acquisition of causality.”
“Causality can be obtained like that?”
“Of course. Because there is a cause, there is an effect. It’s a simple principle but fundamental to causality, which constitutes the universe. If Tripitaka asked you for permission and you accepted, that forms causality. Then, the Eight Parts of the Divine could intervene in human affairs using that causality.”
“Ah…”
“They possess powers akin to Demon Kings, yet without that causality, they cannot intervene in worldly matters.”
Understanding dawned on me, and Cheon Woo-jin snapped with an irritated expression.
“And if you had accepted his proposal, Tripitaka would have easily wiped out the Underworld minions while holding that causality over us. In a state with causality, he would act on the relationship of ‘Client’ and ‘Executor.’ Wouldn’t that be catastrophic considering he was already surveilling us without causality?”
“Ugh.”
“Before challenging Dark Heaven Village, you’d be stripped to the bone. The Eight Parts of the Divine and Changhil could toy with all of us.”
“But if that’s the case, couldn’t we just refuse? Why did you provoke him?”
As I protested, Cheon Woo-jin countered.
“Sure, he had cast surveillance spells on us, but the sorcery was so stealthy and high-level that even I would’ve struggled to land a hit. Instead of letting it stay, it had to be forced to cancel.”
“By threatening with the Celestial Sage’s influence?”
“Exactly. That’s one of the strongest and most destructive sorceries in Buddhism. Maheshvara, to the degree of wielding the most destructive force among the three thousand.”
Cheon Woo-jin mused aloud.
“It’s all thanks to the information you gained from the Neuro Sound Temple in your past life. According to what that Information listed about the Celestial Sage, he despises Maheshvara, considering it a weakness.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Maheshvara is the emblem of destructive Buddhism, embedded with the power of the God of Destruction. It also possesses the authority to deconstruct the causality of higher beings.”
Recalling what the abbot Jorhan showed me from the Neuro Sound Temple’s vast array of information, Cheon Woo-jin had devised a way to counterattack. I quickly shouted at him,
“Teach me that hand sign! I’ll use it next time to drive him away.”
“Even if I teach you, you won’t be able to use it.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not skilled enough. You could initiate the Maheshvara hand sign, but your understanding of sorcery is insufficient to effect causality. It requires at least the highest level of sorcerer knowledge, competence in Taoism as well as Buddhism, and familiarity with the esoteric arts.”
“……”
I couldn’t believe my shortcomings would keep me from countering the Eight Parts of the Divine!
As I contemplated my lost chance of using it, Cheon Woo-jin continued.
“It was almost a gamble. Fortunately, it worked well, and his tracking spells unraveled.”
“A gamble? You mean there was a possibility he could revert to his true form and attack?”
“Of course there was.”
“Wait a minute… are you saying if Tripitaka had a mood swing, we all would have died on the spot?”
“Naturally.”
“Then why take such a gamble?!”
Cheon Woo-jin looked at me as if perplexed at my questions.
“What do you mean by that? No one would die.”
“What?”
“If you die, a new reincarnation starts. Even if we’re still under his tracking spell, we’d end up being cornered again just like last time. I figured it was worth the gamble. Plus, I could also summon the Celestial Sage with the Ruyi Staff, so it wouldn’t be as serious a crisis as it seemed.”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“You’re trying to evade debt with the Celestial Sage while taking a gamble?”
“That’s part of it.”
Cheon Woo-jin really was something. In that fleeting moment of Tripitaka’s sudden visit, he accounted for every possible factor and executed the best move. As a result, I ended up conserving the causality I could use to summon the Celestial Sage.
“But do tell me next time.”
“Do you think I had the leeway to speak in that situation?”
“Damn you…”
Why does he insist on throwing barbs?
As Cheon Woo-jin spoke impolitely, I grew annoyed, and Mangnyang chuckled bitterly.
“Baek Woong. Although the Priest speaks aggressively, the outcome is good, so let it slide.”
“Fine, I got it.”
“Now then, although we’ve shaken off their interference, the real issue begins. We still have no means to defeat the Underworld minions…”
“Hmm.”
I crossed my arms in contemplation. Then, I said,
“I’ll just give up on finding Yu Ji’s soul.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. It’s too bothersome and dangerous.”
I nodded.
“I tried to gain Xiang Yu’s assistance, but if it’s this tedious and fraught with danger, then there’s no reason to carry on. I’ll focus on the conquest of Dark Heaven Village instead.”
Even if I want to try, I just can’t see an easy solution to the this. It seems inevitable to get cornered again!
Having faced the pitfalls of attempting too many projects at once, I instinctively knew this was the time to pull back. The journey to the Underworld is a massive adventure in itself, and I can’t be doing that alongside the conquest of Dark Heaven Village.
I understand that recklessly trying to exceed my abilities will only lead to disaster.
“Oh, that’s quite a good judgment.”
Mangnyang clapped the fan on his palm.
“There are ways to eliminate them, but it seems wiser to let that go. I was going to suggest something to you, but you’ve figured it out on your own.”
“Thanks for recognizing that.”
“However, there’s still something concerning…”
“What is it?”
After a moment of hesitation, Mangnyang replied,
“… In the Underworld, it’s highly probable that the Northern Dipper Star Lord has some sort of deal or contract with Zhuge Yulong. Therefore, discovering their secrets could greatly aid us in unveiling the secret of the Vermilion Bird’s immortality.”
“The secret of the immortality? But it’s already been uncovered.”
I asked in confusion.
“The Vermilion Bird has mastered alchemy and sorcery, creating hundreds of vessel bodies, hiding them in secret bases for endless resurrection. Is there really anything more to uncover?”
“Baek Woong. You’re overlooking one important thing.”
“What is it?”
Mangnyang’s eyes grew serious.
“Reflect on it. We believed we had completely cornered the Vermilion Bird back in the era of Gin Nara. All of his clones and secret bases were destroyed, and we thought his true form was annihilated. Yet in the end, the Vermilion Bird possessed the capability to reincarnate with the prowess of a Demon King among the Eight Parts of the Divine.”
“That was the case.”
“At the time, we believed he was irretrievably lost. Yet still, he summoned a Demon King-level entity back to life. This means the Vermilion Bird possesses yet another secret of immortality, beyond resurrection of mere clones.”
Indeed.
I found merit in Mangnyang’s point. While pondering his thoughts, Cheon Woo-jin gazed up toward the Northern Mourning Mountain and said,
“Whether he contracted with the Eight Parts of the Divine or not, his soul did not make it to the Underworld. That doesn’t mean he lost his physical power; he effectively lent all his wisdom and skills to the Gin Nara. This suggests he has formed a peculiar pact with the Northern Dipper Star Lord, preparing for his afterlife.”
“That’s right, Brother.”
Mangnyang said decisively.
“We must unveil every single detail of the Vermilion Bird’s secrets. This is the only way we can eradicate the Imperial Palace Forces and pave a path to success. Until now, we were under the illusion that we held the path, only to be repeatedly ambushed by the Vermilion Bird.”
“But at present, there’s no strategy, Brother. Breaking through that foolish encirclement requires someone like Xiang Yu or the Celestial Sage… or perhaps only a being of the Eight Parts of the Divine.”
“Other than a frontal assault, we do have other options.”
After a moment of contemplation, Mangnyang addressed me.
“Baek Woong. Let’s prepare to head to Dongyoung.”
“Why Dongyoung?”
He pointed to the far eastern horizon.
“To meet the sorcerer who first succeeded in the Taishan Duke Ritual.”
“Hmm!”
I sensed who Mangnyang intended to see. I cautiously asked,
“Can we actually meet that individual? Based on the information we’ve gathered, they seem to manage the deepest seals; we probably won’t be able to catch even a glimpse…”
“Of course, just because I’m seeking the highest sorcerer responsible for the most crucial barrier, that doesn’t mean it will be immediate. His clan will likely block us.”
Mangnyang gave a slight smile.
“The key is negotiation. If we provide what he desires, he won’t have a choice but to meet us.”

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