Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
I headed back to Wuhusa with Miho using the Thunder Cloud technique.
Pah!
When we arrived at Wuhusa, Miho seemed to be in awe, looking around at everything with wide eyes. I couldn’t help but ask her curiously,
“Are you feeling any headaches or discomfort?”
“Are you talking about the illusion I just saw?”
“Yeah…”
At that, Miho chuckled softly.
“I was a bit surprised, but it was just like someone suddenly poking me in the back with a finger. It didn’t really faze me.”
“Hmm…”
I noticed that the reactions of humans and yokai differed when encountering the Otherworldly Race and Dark Sky Village. In the case of Mangnyang, despite being a person with outstanding mental prowess among humans, he felt significant dizziness and confusion when traveling with me using Thunder Cloud. However, for Miho, it seemed her surprise was simply due to the unfamiliar sight.
‘Yokai seem to have considerable resistance to magic.’
As I pondered this, Miho asked,
“Bai Woong, what exactly is your goal right now?”
“Uh?”
Caught off guard by her sudden question, I replied.
“To defeat the Demon Subduing Hall, of course.”
“Hmph… Then there’s something odd about this.”
“What is it?”
“Your first life.”
Miho was currently transformed into a stunning beauty. Perhaps because of this, some servants cleaning the leaves at Wuhusa glanced over, staring at her in disbelief. Miho picked up a leaf, twirling it in her fingers, before continuing,
“You lived quite ordinarily without any significant calamities until you were around fifty or sixty, didn’t you? Although the Nine Lotus Sect was rampaging, that was nothing related to you as an ordinary citizen, right?”
“Well, that’s true…”
“Did you ever consider that leaving the Demon Subduing Hall alone might not lead to any significant changes in the world?”
“………”
Miho was hitting the nail on the head. I had often worried and lamented during my previous life whenever difficult situations arose.
Indeed.
What would happen if I did ‘nothing’?
I knew quite well that when I lived as an ordinary citizen, the world moved on without any significant events. Miho was probing whether I was needlessly stirring a hornet’s nest and dying meaninglessly. After some thought, I answered,
“I don’t think that’s the case.”
“Why not?”
“Certainly, the Human Sacrifice I stumbled upon in Taekyeong Village was a real occurrence, and General Huang Yeon being trapped in Great Thunder Prison was irrefutably true. If I hadn’t helped them, they would have unequivocally met their end. And the forces of the Demon Subduing Hall would have gained power as they wished.”
“So you’re saying that if you had left it be, the Demon Subduing Hall would have ruled the world in the shadows?”
“Probably, yes.”
“Heh, that’s something uncertain.”
Miho chuckled softly before continuing,
“In the end, since you find yourself in the position of an Observer, you can never be fully objective. No matter how trivial your actions might seem, is there no chance they could affect the future?”
“That might be true, but isn’t it even more pointless to think that far?”
“Why is that?”
“If you could think that far, then you would be a deity.”
I shook my head.
“Anyway, there are people I can save, and if I have the ability, there’s no reason to turn a blind eye. If I do what I can until the end, a path will surely appear.”
Miho looked at me with curious eyes.
“How peculiar. You don’t seem like such a righteous person, yet your conviction to subdue the Demon Subduing Hall is unwavering?”
“……….”
“That seems to be a feeling different from a sense of justice.”
I fell silent at Miho’s words. Indeed, as she pointed out, my actions against the Demon Subduing Hall weren’t purely motivated by a desire to uphold righteousness. There was a more personal reason, but it felt too embarrassing to share right now, especially since Miho couldn’t be completely trusted at this moment.
“Anyway, let’s get down to business. Over there.”
I pointed to a figure strolling about fifty paces away, the manager of Wuhusa.
“Oh…”
Miho smiled and slowly walked toward the manager. As soon as he spotted the stunning beauty, his expression became slack-jawed, seemingly lost in thought over Miho’s voluptuous figure. They exchanged a few light words, and before long, the manager was completely captivated and chuckling in delight, trying to win Miho over.
After about half a watch of conversation, the manager and Miho headed towards a building together. Noticing from a distance, Miho sent me a message.
[ I’ve enchanted him. Just slip into the Wuhusa up to the third floor without getting noticed.]
Following Miho’s directions, I quietly moved to Wuhusa. Upon entering the Wuhusa, there weren’t any guards, just servants wandering around. I used Stealth Technique and moved up to the third floor as instructed.
[ This way.]
Once I opened the innermost door, there sat the Wuhusa manager with a bewildered expression, completely spaced out. Before him, Miho was crunching an apple and taking a bite.
“You can ask anything.”
Intrigued, I asked Miho,
“I’ve been curious about this for a while—at what stage were you enchanted? It looked like you were just chatting normally.”
“Hehe, that’s a secret.”
Miho merely smiled mysteriously. It seemed she was hesitant to reveal her secrets knowing I was a reincarnator. I rubbed my chin and began questioning the manager.
“Do you know what kind of gambling Dongbang Mukyeol and King of Gambling were engaged in?”
“I do…”
“Speak then.”
“Dongbang Mukyeol… played Mahjong with King of Gambling…”
Mahjong!
It was a game similar to Kang Ho or Tupan, where players stack tiles to earn points through pairs or combinations. While it had elements of luck, it required strategizing and thinking too, hence professional players existed.
Of course, it was still a form of gambling. The game could be played without bets, but most often, people gamble for money or assets. And with a figure called the King of Gambling involved, there’s no way they’d play without putting something on the line.
I was curious and asked,
“They could’ve just played in a shady gambling den, so why did they come all the way to Wuhusa for Mahjong?”
“I don’t know…”
“Do you have any guesses?”
After a moment of silence, the manager spoke,
“…There were two other Otherworldly Creatures with them… They played Mahjong in their company, and I heard there was some kind of secret deal between them…”
“You heard that? Didn’t you witness their Mahjong game?”
“That’s right… Dongbang Mukyeol spread Sleep Inducing Powder all over Wuhusa… Only a few Experts from Six Harmonies Gate managed to wake up from the effects of the powder and see the Mahjong game, but they couldn’t stop it due to their compromised condition…”
“Ugh!!”
I felt something amiss.
‘Wuhusa is quite vast. The amount of Sleep Inducing Powder needed to incapacitate the entire place all at once?’
It seemed the manager genuinely didn’t know the motive behind the gambling.
I seriously considered my next words.
“So how did the game turn out?”
“…King of Gambling swept the board and came out on top… Dongbang Mukyeol and those two Otherworldly Creatures lost everything… They cleared up the Mahjong table and disappeared…”
“Where did they go?”
“I don’t know…”
“What about their appearances or gender?”
“I don’t know… They were dressed in black and wore Human Skin Masks…”
Human Skin Masks.
I carefully noted that down and continued questioning,
“Is that King of Gambling skilled in martial arts as well?”
“Yes… He’s among the top five Experts from Sichuan…”
“What does he look like?”
The manager scribbled down what he knew about King of Gambling’s features on a piece of paper. His drawing skills were subpar, but he accurately captured key attributes.
I pictured the rough sketch in my mind, and the result was,
“He’s a handsome guy.”
“……”
What was going on? Since I entered the world of martial arts, every major character I met had been either handsome or incredibly good-looking. Knowing I would become a troll when I grew up made me feel uneasy. Feeling a bit sour, I quickly pushed that thought aside and continued digging for more information.
Once I had gathered all the information, Miho wiped the manager’s memory. Then we used the Thunder Cloud technique to exit Wuhusa and arrived at a tranquil valley in the desolate mountains. I needed to have a chat with Miho to gather my thoughts.
“I think I need to go to the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“Indeed, Sleep Inducing Powder is likely connected to those guys.”
To incapacitate the entirety of Wuhusa like that isn’t something ordinary. Plus, considering the Experts from Six Harmonies Gate guarding the place weren’t exactly pushovers further solidified my concerns. Regardless of what Dongbang Mukyeol did, it was highly probable that the Sichuan Tang Clan supplied the Sleep Inducing Powder in advance.
I contemplated,
“The manager was somewhat lackadaisical, but the Sichuan Tang Clan is prestigious in Sichuan. Approaching them as I did earlier could be dangerous.”
“Hmph… You’re provoking my sense of challenge.”
“If it gets too tough, just say so. Kidnapping is also an option.”
At that, Miho burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, are you underestimating me? If I set my mind to it and used my charm, I could get anything done. The issue lies elsewhere.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Dongbang Mukyeol likely has the appearance of a Human Skin Mask.”
“Ugh…”
I murmured in contemplation. While many people from the martial arts community, including the manager, had claimed to have seen Dongbang Mukyeol, it seemed they all didn’t believe that was his true appearance. Dongbang Mukyeol likely learned a special technique or carried a Human Skin Mask with him at all times. If that’s the case, I might not even recognize him walking past me on the street.
Miho fiddling with her tail said,
“Regardless, we should head to the Sichuan Tang Clan, but I think we need to approach from a different angle.”
“How so?”
“Who would be most likely to know Dongbang Mukyeol’s whereabouts?”
“Ah…!!”
Now, I understood Miho’s meaning. Miho covered her mouth and giggled.
“The King of Gambling likely has deep ties with Dongbang Mukyeol. Rather than endlessly pursuing Dongbang Mukyeol, it’d be more prudent to track down the Sichuan Tang Clan and the King of Gambling to extract information.”
“I see!”
“I’ll leave the negotiations to you, Bai Woong.”
“Leave it to me.”
Immediately after, Miho and I returned to Chengdu. Then we headed towards the Sichuan Tang Clan, whose location I had memorized through prior visits. The Sichuan Tang Clan was located on the western side of Chengdu, requiring several crossings to reach. It appeared to be on the outer city, living in seclusion in a village nestled in the valley outside.
As I arrived at the Sichuan Tang Clan, the Experts standing guard on the periphery stopped me. They all wore the same attire, seemingly to protect themselves from the dangerous poisons or toxins they used.
I remained silent and stood still while observing the Sichuan Tang Clan guards. I felt a chill run down my spine. While it didn’t seem like I was under any form of restriction or spell, an overwhelming presence was palpable. That was clear evidence that these warriors had undergone rigorous training.
One of the guards wearing a vigilant expression asked,
“Who are you?”
“I am Bai Woong. I’ve come to visit the highly esteemed Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“You know proper etiquette it seems. But don’t try to spin any tales; tell me directly what your purpose is here.”
His swift and resolute reply made me smile,
“You aren’t just gatekeepers, are you? These must be the elite experts of the clan?”
Their average martial arts prowess was far too high for mere gatekeepers. Each of them surpassed first-rate fighters and looked quite aged as well—none appeared to be under 40.
“You have no reason to answer that question.”
“Equally, you lack the right to negotiate with me.”
Swish!
Three clan guards drew their blades simultaneously. They claimed their techniques were their lifeblood; thus, it may have been either their knife technique in tandem with a hasty trap. In either case, poisons and traps were too daunting, so I responded calmly,
“Relax. I haven’t come here to fight. I’m just here to buy information from the clan.”
“Do you think the Sichuan Tang Clan will recklessly sell information to outsiders? Do you see this place as some roadside market?”
“As I said, the decision lies not with you. So please relay my words to your superiors.”
He stared at me for a moment before replying,
“What if we refuse?”
“Then you’ll have to act with all your might according to what you desire.”
“……”
The implied threat seemed to provoke some contemplation among them. Finally, they relented,
“Go inside and inform the higher-ups.”
“Understood.”
The guard referred to as Bang darted inside.
