Heavenly Realm
I headed back to Jangryeong Valley with the Sword Demon. To check if Zhuge Sha had come back to life, our quickest route was to go to his grave. As soon as I cast the Golden Flight Technique, I found myself standing over the grave. Upon arrival, I quickly scanned the area but found no sign of life.
‘Should I dig it up?’
I seriously contemplated this. Perhaps he had come back to life and was currently gasping for air inside the coffin. Just as I was thinking this…
“What the… Why am I here?”
A familiar voice called out from a distance within a bamboo grove. It seemed like the owner of the voice was blissfully unaware of our presence. I exchanged looks with the Sword Demon and stealthily moved towards the bamboo grove.
In the middle of the grove stood Zhuge Sha. Unlike his previous decadent demeanor, he now looked quite flustered. He muttered to himself,
“Damn it! Is this the Resurrection Technique? But I’ve been dead for years, and I was cremated with all my ashes scattered in the river… The only one who could pull off a resurrection in such circumstances is the Great Immortal.”
He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. The Sword Demon concealed his presence and gestured to me. I took a moment to gather my nerve and stepped forward to Zhuge Sha.
“How does it feel to be alive, Zhuge Sha?”
Zhuge Sha abruptly turned toward me, clearly startled, and his expression was one of shock. It seemed he had no idea I was there. But soon enough, he regained his composure and asked,
“Did you bring me back?”
“Indeed.”
“Your technique seems amateurish—what kind of sorcery is this?”
I gazed at Zhuge Sha for a moment before replying,
“Do I have any reason to tell you that?”
“……”
Zhuge Sha blinked a few times and retorted,
“I suppose that makes sense. You wouldn’t bring me back without reason. What do you want from me?”
“That’s something another person will explain.”
Swish
As soon as I finished my sentence, the Sword Demon appeared beside me. To Zhuge Sha’s eyes, it must have looked like a person popped out of thin air, as he gasped. The Sword Demon performed a salutation and said,
“Greetings, Master of Jangryeong Valley, Zhuge Sha. I am the Sword Demon, Seo Mun-dae-ryong.”
“……!!”
“And this is my Dharmaguard, White Eagle.”
Upon hearing the Sword Demon’s introduction, Zhuge Sha’s expression morphed—a mix of astonishment, disbelief, and horror. He seemed to process the situation and directed his attention to the Sword Demon,
“As you might know, I’ve died. I made the decision to die because I no longer had any attachments to this world. How dare you call me back from the afterlife? What do you think you know about the principles of the world?”
He sounded almost chastising. However, the Sword Demon chuckled softly and replied,
“Oh, that’s unfortunate. Now that you’re alive, wouldn’t it be worth living a little harder?”
“For your sake?”
“Exactly.”
Zhuge Sha’s face turned into a shadowy smile.
“I really don’t understand. You’ve come to find me a worthless loser who has merely been acting as the lord of Jangryeong Valley. I was so pathetic that I ended my own life; why would you resurrect someone like me?”
He was indulging in self-deprecation, and if someone were to hear this, they might think Zhuge Sha had truly given up on life. The last time we met, he had shown that he had accepted death. It seemed that he hadn’t changed much since then.
The Sword Demon answered calmly,
“White Eagle. Bring it out.”
“Yes.”
I had already determined how to persuade Zhuge Sha, so in the face of this crazy dude who wanted to die, I could remain composed and simply execute the next step.
In my hand, the Seven Luminaries’ making had somehow appeared. At first, Zhuge Sha looked at the making with a dazed expression, but soon realized that something was amiss. He stiffened and said,
“The Seven Luminaries? How do you have that…”
“White Eagle is the master of the Seven Luminaries. Resurrecting you has something to do with the Seven Luminaries.”
“……!!”
“After all this, wouldn’t you be willing to listen to our story?”
As expected, upon the appearance of the making, Zhuge Sha ceased his panic over dying and instead seemed deep in thought, muttering while glancing at the making. After a while, he finally spoke,
“Fine. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
“But I need one promise from you.”
“What is it?”
“That there won’t be any lies in your tale.”
“Fine.”
With that, we entered the inner building of Jangryeong Valley together. It was strange as I had expected Tao King Byeok Ji-sang to be waiting inside as the lord of Jangryeong Valley, yet he was nowhere to be found. Feeling suspicious, I asked Zhuge Sha,
“Where’s Tao King Byeok Ji-sang? Is he not here?”
“How would I know? You’re asking a guy who was just resurrected a hundred questions.”
He retorted brusquely.
“Don’t worry about him. Let’s get to our discussion.”
A moment later, we sat around a table across from each other. Zhuge Sha gazed at us with his usual drowsy, decadent eyes and said,
“First, tell me how you managed to resurrect me.”
The Sword Demon replied, looking directly at him,
“All I know is that White Eagle used a miraculous method. It’s probably the power of the Seven Luminaries.”
As Zhuge Sha’s gaze shifted to me, I nodded and echoed the Sword Demon’s words.
“I can’t disclose the method, but I awoke the Seven Luminaries and gained special powers. Since Zhuge Sha, it was requested by the Lord of the Shadowless Gate to revive you, I accepted.”
“Hmm… awakening the Seven Luminaries… that’s not inconceivable… but such immense power is a bit overwhelming.”
A flicker of greed crossed Zhuge Sha’s expression. It was clear he had an eye on the Seven Luminaries. As I guarded it and kept it hidden behind my back, Zhuge Sha spoke again,
“Fine, let’s say that’s the case. So you want me to join you as a strategist?”
“Precisely.”
“What’s the reason? I’m not boasting, but I’ve never displayed my abilities even once in this world and have cut ties with my family. Why would someone from the Heretical Faction suddenly come to resurrect me and seek my allegiance?”
His statement seemed valid, and the Sword Demon answered,
“You’re the only one capable of opposing Zhuge Bu, the Treasure of the Central Plains.”
“……”
“If I recall correctly, your Zhuge clan are descendants of the Astronomical Observers, tracing back to Zhuge Kongming. And one of the most renowned figures of your time was Zhuge Bu, whom you are likely equal to.”
Zhuge Sha frowned and replied,
“Defeat Zhuge Bu? What are you trying to do? Do you mean to topple the Imperial Palace?”
“If it were for anything less, why would I come this far?”
“……”
Zhuge Sha fell silent as he grasped the seriousness in the Sword Demon’s tone.
Then, unexpectedly, an expression of joy lit up his face,
“Heh, this is interesting. I thought I had lost all attachment to the world, yet maybe I can find some enjoyment in it after all.”
“What will you do?”
“I want to hear more before deciding.”
Zhuge Sha continued firmly,
“Let’s say I’m willing to help you. What’s your reason for wanting to destroy the Imperial Palace?”
The Sword Demon replied without hesitation,
“Not at all. What we want to do is eradicate the evil hidden within the Imperial Palace. We aim to remove the sinister forces that plunder innocent people and sacrifice them to borrow the power of the [Old Ruler].”
“Ha… you sure know a lot. I didn’t expect a martial artist to be aware of such things.”
Zhuge Sha expressed his surprise,
“Indeed, if you manage to achieve that, you could become a great hero that no one could rival…”
“Any issues with that?”
“Your thought alone surprises me. You could remain idle and enjoy life as the leader of the Heretical Faction, the most skilled martial artist in the world. Why attempt to fight against such a formidable foe?”
The Sword Demon smirked and replied,
“Actually, that’s not my own thought, but what White Eagle believes. White Eagle provided significant assistance to me, so I want to help him in every way I can.”
“Oh.”
Zhuge Sha’s gaze shifted toward me. He scanned me for a moment before speaking,
“Master of the Seven Luminaries, why do you wish to confront the Imperial Palace?”
“Those guys are bad news.”
“Is that all?”
I didn’t have any good feelings toward Zhuge Sha, so I responded brusquely,
“Do I need a greater reason? You want me to just sit back and cower?”
Zhuge Sha burst into laughter,
“Hahaha! I see there’s someone just as mad as I am.”
“……”
What a convoluted individual. It was certain that he seemed pleased with me, though whether it was a compliment or an insult was ambiguous. It could be neither. After some time of chuckling, Zhuge Sha cooled down and said,
“I accept. I pledge my allegiance to you, Sword Demon Seo Mun-dae-ryong.”
“Well thought out.”
“From now on, you can treat me casually.”
“Very well.”
It seemed like I had successfully recruited Zhuge Sha. He briefly kneeled to establish a lord-vassal relationship with the Sword Demon before beginning to speak,
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
“Zhuge Sha, why did you commit suicide?”
“As I mentioned before, I couldn’t bear my own fate. It was a destiny I couldn’t oppose.”
Upon hearing that, the Sword Demon seemed to feel something strange. He pondered for a moment before asking,
“Do you mean to say you were destined to die young?”
“Indeed.”
“If you wanted to live, couldn’t you have used techniques like the Taishan Resuscitation to extend your lifespan?”
Zhuge Sha looked surprised at the Sword Demon’s knowledge of medical techniques.
“Your Excellency seems to know a lot about such sorcery.”
“I learned this from White Eagle.”
“To put it simply, if it was a destiny I had no way of escaping, I chose not to resist it. I had no further attachments to this world, so I decided to die. After all, extending one’s life using resuscitation has its limits, and I wanted to turn the tide.”
“Turn the tide?”
“I can’t tell you more than that.”
Zhuge Sha firmly replied. Then he continued,
“You seem to have insights into Tao King Byeok Ji-sang. She and I have a contractual relationship. In exchange for managing my estate, I transferred control of Jangryeong Valley to her after my death. So it’s best not to pry too deeply into her matters.”
“What do you mean?”
“She and I are merely collaborators. Intruding into her aura will bring disaster.”
From the surface, it seemed like Zhuge Sha had shared everything, but upon closer inspection, I could see that he was clearly hiding something.
‘Well, it would be odd to spill all your secrets the moment we meet…’
For now, it was more crucial to maintain Zhuge Sha as an ally. The Sword Demon seemed to have recognized that fact as he nodded and said,
“For now, we plan to return to the Shadowless Gate. Follow us.”
“Please allow me a moment to gather my belongings.”
“How long do you need?”
“Half a moment will suffice.”
We sat and waited for half a moment as Zhuge Sha requested. After a while, he emerged from his study, rummaging through his things, seemingly having packed his belongings into a white sack.
“Let’s go.”
“It seems Tao King Byeok Ji-sang has stepped out for the moment. Is it fine if we don’t say anything?”
“I’ve left her a letter. She’ll understand everything.”
“Then let’s go.”
Paaang!
We returned to the Shadowless Gate with Zhuge Sha. The Sword Demon then explained, in detail, the current status of the Shadowless Gate and everything I had experienced in the Central Plains over the past while, for about half a moment. When we shared our intelligence regarding the White Lotus Cult and the Imperial Palace, I could see Zhuge Sha’s expression growing increasingly serious.
After a while, Zhuge Sha finally said,
“I have the best plan for the current situation.”
“What is it?”
“Assassination.”
Without hesitation, Zhuge Sha continued,
“Let’s go kill Zhuge Bu right now. If we do, the rest will become much easier.”
“……”
What kind of mad utterance is this?
I listened to Zhuge Sha’s proposal, baffled, and replied,
“Do you have any idea how strong Zhuge Bu is? His martial arts have reached an extraordinary level, coupled with the treasure, White Eagle’s True Form. He’s a monster that can freely employ multi-spells! And if the Imperial Palace has its defenses up, he’s nearly invincible. How do you expect to kill him in one go?”
Zhuge Sha chuckled lightly and said,
“You will see. Just take me to the Imperial Palace.”
“Wait a second. Why are you using casual speech with me?”
“Eh? I’m serving the Sword Demon as my lord, so why should I treat you properly?”
“……”
I felt like I was about to burst with frustration when the Sword Demon waved his hand.
“Enough. White Eagle has a point. Just how do you plan to kill Zhuge Bu?”
“While he may seem like a perfect genius, he has a deadly weakness.”
“A fatal weakness?”
Zhuge Sha replied,
“If you aren’t going to use him but attempt to kill him, it’s the deputy commander.”
After a moment, Zhuge Sha explained how to kill Zhuge Bu.
“That’s credible.”
Upon hearing that, the Sword Demon nodded, understanding the plan, and instructed me to use the Golden Flight Technique. I had no choice but to head to the Inner Imperial Pavilion in the Heart of the Imperial Palace.
Paaang!
The three of us appeared inside the Inner Imperial Pavilion, wearing masks. The evening was dark, and without candlelight, the chamber was cloaked in pitch darkness. Zhuge Sha leisurely picked books one by one, cramming them into his white sack as if unperturbed by the fact that Zhuge Bu was about to arrive.
A moment later, with a blinding flash of light, Zhuge Bu appeared before us using a teleportation spell, glaring at us with a furious expression,
“You’re back again, you thieves! I won’t let you…”
At that moment, Zhuge Sha pointed at Zhuge Bu and muttered,
“Burst, Gu.”
Boom!
“…… Cough…”
In that instant, something exploded near Zhuge Bu’s heart. He collapsed forward with a blood-soaked upper body, his face a mask of disbelief, unable to comprehend the situation. With a critical wound like that, he didn’t even have time to unleash any spells.
‘That’s… something even Hwa Seomyeong and Dong Bang Mugyeol couldn’t save…’
Having learned healing techniques, I immediately recognized the gravity of Zhuge Bu’s condition. With his heart blown apart and his nearby organs completely devastated, there was no chance of survival unless the Great Immortal intervened.
As Zhuge Sha loomed over the floor where Zhuge Bu lay convulsing, he smirked,
“Goodbye, my dear nephew. It’s been a long time.”
“… Zhuge Sha…”
“As I contemplated leaving the Zhuge clan, I found you strangely annoying. So I specially placed exploding Gu in your farewell feast.”
“……!!”
As Zhuge Bu’s eyes widened, Zhuge Sha chuckled,
“It’s amusing how something I did just for fun turned out to be so useful.”
Thwack!
Zhuge Sha delivered a powerful kick to Zhuge Bu’s head, sending it flying from the body.
In an instant, Zhuge Sha had obliterated Zhuge Bu, a formidable obstacle in the Imperial Palace.
“Hey, White Eagle! Gather all the books here into the sack!”
“Why should I take orders from you?”
Feeling exasperated, I grumbled back, but Zhuge Sha shrugged.
“If you don’t like it, use your brain.”
“……”
Sighing, I began to stuff the books from the Inner Imperial Pavilion into my sack. As I worked, I felt completely aghast.
‘How can he remain so composed after killing his own nephew?’
I could be certain of it. Zhuge Sha is not a man of principle.
He was a strategist who utterly disregards the ethics and morals of humanity.
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