Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
When I woke up, I was inside the training temple at Jinrang Valley. I had been changed into new clothes and was lying down, with bandages wrapped around several wounds I had sustained during the battle. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, I felt the somewhat chilly temperature and slowly rose from my bed.
‘It’s early evening…’
How long had I been asleep? I remembered using all my strength in that last sword technique and then collapsing, but after that, all I knew was that Geuk Ho—my older brother—had moved me. Judging by how hungry and lethargic I felt, a considerable amount of time must have passed.
Scratching the back of my head, I half-sat up in bed and gazed at the sunset while checking my internal power with the Lesser Circulation Technique.
Everything was normal. My internal power was completely filled. It seemed I had indeed recovered through natural healing, and I was confident that even the wounds wrapped in bandages had healed completely.
As I sat on the bed for a while, I suddenly heard a voice.
“Older Brother, you’re awake?”
It was a voice as clear as a jade bead. Startled, I turned toward the door and saw Sagong Rin walking towards me, having noticed that I had awakened. Feeling a little awkward, I responded,
“Yeah, Rin.”
“Hehe… Why are you being so formal?”
“Because you’re my… sister.”
As I was talking, it suddenly hit me that this probably wasn’t a great idea. Her expression grew colder, and I could see she was about to bring up something about ‘age.’ So, I quickly wrapped things up.
“… Because of your dignity.”
Sagong Rin smiled broadly and approached me, placing her delicate hands against my forehead.
“Hmm, you don’t have a fever. Older Brother, how do you feel?”
As I saw her beautiful features up close—features I had once thought were those of an otherworldly beauty from my previous life—I found my heart racing. After a few years in this new life, my body had fully stepped into puberty, and I felt my face warm up. It was no surprise since Sagong Rin was undoubtedly one of the most stunning beauties I had encountered on my journey.
“I’m… okay.”
“Master and Older Brother were quite worried about you.”
Clatter!
Sagong Rin placed a bowl of porridge made from black rice next to my bed. Given that it was warm, she must have kept it heated at intervals since making it. Just then, my stomach growled, and it felt like I could easily devour the porridge.
“All three of you are out now, so eat this and regain your strength.”
“Out?”
“Yes.”
I tilted my head.
“By the way, how much time has passed? And what happened with the battle…”
“It’s been two days since Geuk Ho brought you back. I heard that the battle with the Wind Spirit Sect ended in total victory.”
“Victory? So what about the Huashan Sect…”
“They’ve been completely wiped out.”
“……!!”
I tightened my grip on the bedding while sitting. I felt joy at the news of Thunder God Lineage finally achieving complete victory in that arduous battle. But I was also concerned about the future now that we had annihilated the Huashan Sect and were at war with the Wind Spirit Sect.
“Oh, Older Brother! You’re awake!”
“Mmm…”
Just then, Jeonghu entered my room alongside the Green Forest King Gu Cheol. Jeonghu appeared to be about my age, a fair-skinned youth, and Gu Cheol was even more heavily bandaged than I was. They both performed a salute simultaneously, and I returned it in kind.
Jeonghu chuckled as he said,
“Rin helped bathe Older Brother.”
Huh?!
I turned to Sagong Rin in shock, and she looked flustered.
“Jeonghu, why did you say that now?”
“Just because~”
As I realized that not only my clothes but also my underwear had been changed completely, the thought struck me—did Sagong Rin actually see me naked? My face turned beet red, and Gu Cheol’s gruff voice broke my thoughts as he saluted again.
“Anyway, I, Gu Cheol, am in awe of Senior Brother’s divine elegance. I look forward to your guidance.”
“Likewise, I hope to receive your support.”
“Please, relax. I’m the youngest here.”
“… Alright.”
Originally, the Green Forest King Gu Cheol was a top martial artist leading the Eighteen Green Forest Factions as a henchman of the Wind Spirit Sect. However, after being recruited by Lee Kwang, he became the youngest disciple of the Thunder God Lineage, placing him lower than even Jeonghu, who was notably younger. The disciple relationship in the Thunder God Lineage completely disregarded age.
I asked Gu Cheol,
“By the way, where are Master and the others right now?”
“They have gone to Jangryeong Valley with the Half-Celestial Alliance Lord.”
“Jangryeong Valley…?”
“Yes. They mentioned they have business with the Lord of Jangryeong Valley. That’s all I know.”
I became curious about what was going on.
Jangryeong Valley!
It was rumored to be a place where answering three questions correctly would reward one with luxurious treasures, but those who answered incorrectly would face severe penalties. Hearing this, it seemed Mangnyang had followed the Thunder God Lineage members, but it was surprising that he had chosen to act on his own initiative.
‘Ah, right. The Lord of Jangryeong Valley is also from Mangnyang’s clan.’
While Mangnyang himself seemed to harbor a sense of discomfort about that, I heard the Lord of Jangryeong Valley was from the Zhuge clan, which was known for its lineage associated with the Heavens. Even when we had faced total retreat from Luoyang, it was a place I intended to rely on as a worst-case scenario. It was clear that the Lord of Jangryeong Valley was no ordinary figure in the martial world.
At that moment, I heard a voice.
[Looks like your disciples are treating you quite well, Baek Woong.]
It was Miho’s spirit voice. I realized that the jade pendant hanging around my neck was missing, leading me to wonder where Miho had gone, only to discover she was still nearby. Glancing toward the window, I heard her giggling.
[I’m just playing around with that old man in Jinrang Valley. Come find me after you eat.]
“Um…”
Feeling helpless, I wrapped up my casual chats with my fellow disciples and then ate the black rice porridge before heading towards Jinrang Valley. It seemed like Miho was going to visit Dongbang Mu-gyeol. I told my fellow disciples not to follow me.
When I arrived at the serene thatched cottage where Dongbang Mu-gyeol lived, I found Miho waiting at the door in the form of a little girl, laughing heartily.
“Haha! You look like you’re starving!”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Considering how many days you’ve probably gone without eating, simple porridge isn’t going to cut it.”
With a beaming smile, Miho reached out and patted my face.
“Let’s go eat something delicious soon.”
“Sure, but what are you doing here?”
As far as I knew, Dongbang Mu-gyeol was living a mundane life in seclusion at the thatched house in Jinrang Valley, having his internal power sealed off so he had to live like an ordinary villager every day. It seemed no one cared about his situation unless I unsealed his power. So, it was incomprehensible that Miho was visiting Dongbang Mu-gyeol.
Miho replied,
“Actually, I came out here while helping you, and I got bored, so I thought about checking on Jinrang Valley. Then I realized I had forgotten something.”
“Forgotten something?”
“You only superficially obtained information about Dongbang Mu-gyeol, but you haven’t read his deeper memories at all. I found that quite bothersome, so I put him under my spell.”
“……!!”
I was startled and entered the thatched house. There, I found Dongbang Mu-gyeol sitting vacantly on the bed, fully bewitched. Fortunately, it seemed Miho hadn’t done anything harmful—he was just sitting there in a daze.
“What’s going on? So, you interrogated him?”
“Right. I did what I needed to do and was just waiting for you to wake up.”
Even as we spoke, Dongbang Mu-gyeol showed no reaction to our voices. It seemed that being under the ultimate hypnotic spell was erasing his memories. I sat down on a chair in the thatched house and replied,
“I don’t think the information Dongbang Mu-gyeol gave before was false. It was effective, and even the Master of the White Lotus Sect seemed to believe everything he shared. It felt like he spilled everything to survive, but is there more information he has kept hidden?”
Miho crossed her arms.
“Rather than information, there are aspects he is concealing. For instance, it concerns the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”
“Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?”
What does that have to do with this?
The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors refers to the mythological figures who dominated the central plains during ancient times. In actual historical context, all of them beyond Emperor Yao and Shun were treated as gods. They were figures inextricably linked to the myths and legends of various Taoist and Buddhist sects, often associated with the seven luminaries given to humanity.
As I looked at Miho with a curious expression, she began speaking to Dongbang Mu-gyeol.
“Hey there. Tell me in detail about your encounter with the Southern Barbarians when you visited the Library of Yue.”
“I understand…”
Dongbang Mu-gyeol replied like a puppet and continued,
“I gained the opportunity to explore the Great Library in exchange for presenting the Holy Lotus to the Black Prince Nareshuan, the foremost ruler of the Southern Barbarians… At that time, I encountered a suspicious clan and conducted additional dealings…”
What on earth does this mean?
I was startled to ask him,
“A suspicious clan? What do you mean by that?”
Since Dongbang Mu-gyeol had the support of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, it appeared he had been able to use a few strands of Holy Lotus for negotiations toward his objectives. Nevertheless, I had never heard anything about a suspicious clan before, leaving me astonished.
“I could communicate with both the Southern Barbarians and the Yue language… but I was not capable enough to interpret the texts of the library… When I was there, those who wished to receive the Holy Lotus in exchange for interpreting the ancient texts appeared, and Nareshuan subsequently commissioned them as well…”
“I see…”
“Thanks to their help, I was able to interpret the heirlooms in the library… Moreover, I also caught sight of the Giant ruins.”
“The Giant?”
“The descendants of the Yan Emperor, the Shennong, mentioned in the legend of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors… They were the clan of enormous gods like Chiyou, Guangbo, Gonggong, and Xingtian… They left behind their traces in mystical ruins, which were located far below the Southern Barbarians and the Wuyue…”
“……!!”
Are we saying that giants actually existed?!
Within myths and legends concerning ancient times in the central plains, giants frequently appeared, and their common narrative involved a tragic fate after opposing gods or celestial emperors. Even so, the size depicted for these giant beings seemed too immense to be anything but myth. To think that giants were genuinely part of history!
“So? Did you enter those ruins?”
“With the help of that suspicious clan… who called themselves the Zhuyong Tribe, I was able to enter… And inside, I discovered something terrifying…”
“Something terrifying…?”
“There… slept the divine beings of the ancient era… Or rather… I can only describe them as demonic in nature… absolute…”
Dongbang Mu-gyeol began to quiver before murmuring more.
“… Furthermore, the Zhuyong Tribe couldn’t decipher the strange language that was written all over… That language formed a barrier which sealed those divine beings… The duty of the Zhuyong Tribe is to guard that barrier for eternity…”
“……”
Strange language.
Hearing that, I recalled the bizarre demonic tomes I had collected. I pulled out the scroll I had brought along, the <Legend of the Nine Cities>. Since showing the Heavenly Dream Manuscript would be a bit impractical, I decided to show Dongbang Mu-gyeol the Legend of the Nine Cities instead, saying,
“Did that strange language look something like this?”
“… Oh, ohh… Absolutely! The form is slightly different, but the unique feel is the same…”
“Hmm.”
It seemed there were remnants of foreign tribes connected to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors on the lands of the Southern Barbarians as well. Yet, if that’s the case, how is this related to the traces of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors? I found myself feeling ominously tremulous but shook my head. For now, almost everything was speculation.
“That Zhuyong Tribe said they were descendants of the giants, so they must have been quite large.”
“No… they looked just like ordinary humans… but they possessed unique abilities that couldn’t be attributed to mere humans…”
“What kind of abilities?”
“They were… able to swap bodies with others…”
“……!!”
“The power is said to originate from the Yan Emperor. They used that ability to live for thousands of years…”
Body swapping!
If that’s true, it meant that as long as the soul remained intact, they could swap bodies infinitely and enjoy immortality, doesn’t it? I found it hard to believe what he said, yet I couldn’t help but accept it given Miho’s mesmerizing magic had him under its thrall. I took a deep breath and steadied my mind before speaking.
“So, what was their interest in the Holy Lotus?”
“That, I don’t know either…”
“How does their body-swapping ability activate? Why didn’t you get your body snatched?”
“It seems that ability doesn’t force itself on others but requires their consent. They claimed the ability was lesser than that of their original tribe…”
“Hmm.”
I sat back and considered my next question.
“Was there anything else unusual you saw?”
“A tower without windows… a strange tower made of dark stones…”
“A tower?”
“The tower served as both the living space of the Zhuyong Tribe and a ruin… Besides that, there wasn’t much else.”
Zhuyong Tribe!
Tower without windows!
Somehow, I felt this could be a clue to obtain the Yan Emperor’s seven luminaries. Even after asking Dongbang Mu-gyeol a barrage of questions, he only recounted what I already knew, leaving me frustrated. Suddenly, an impish thought popped into my head, and I asked Dongbang Mu-gyeol,
“Hey. What martial arts did you learn, and what secrets are hidden within?”
“Ugh… ughh…”
Dongbang Mu-gyeol struggled to answer this question and squirmed. Seeing this, Miho chimed in,
“Pulling it from the depths of his subconscious is going to be tough, even with mesmerism.”
“What do you mean?”
“In other words, the secret is one he would rather die than reveal, no matter the consequences. Continuing to press him might drive him insane or break his spirit.”
“Hmm…”
I felt a touch of disappointment. If it was that hard to mesmerize a supreme master and reveal their martial secrets, it wouldn’t be easy for me to learn from Dongbang Mu-gyeol—someone whose techniques seemed rich with knowledge.
I turned to Miho,
“Miho, what do you think? Do you think the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are related to foreign tribes?”
Upon hearing my question, Miho looked pensive, deep in thought. It was odd for a human like me to delve into matters like this, and for Miho—who had lived in the Heavens—it seemed to be even more consequential.
After pondering for a while, Miho finally replied,
“My former master, the Queen Mother of the West, has a shape that is different from her human manifestation.”
“……?”
“In other words, the form that exists in the Heavens is merely a projection of an idol created by mankind’s subconscious. Since beings in the Heavens are all spiritual entities, they can relatively freely alter their appearance.”
Having said that, Miho took a short breath and continued,
“… And even after serving the Queen Mother of the West for nearly a thousand years, I’ve yet to see her true form.”
“What are you implying?”
“There’s certainly a vast gap between the ‘ancient beings’ and the newcomers in the Heavens. I would be considered quite young here, while she is an ancient being who existed before the creation of the Heavens. She has never shared with me anything related to events from ancient times.”
“Hmm.”
“Even the Celestial Immortals themselves seem to avoid discussing certain secrets. It looks like there is a connection between that secret and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”
From Miho’s insights, I gleaned a lot.
And I came to my own conclusion.
The Heavens are undoubtedly full of unreliable beings.
Please leave recommendations and comments for premature ideas~
