0094 : Dark Heaven Village
Following the figure who identified himself as the Twelfth Righteous Master, I entered Dark Heaven Village. As we walked in, the Twelfth Righteous Master spoke.
“I apologize for the fog. It’s due to the formation.”
True to his words, bridges resembling spider webs connected the cliffs all around, and in the center of the village stood a colossal tree that seemed on the verge of touching the sky. The human presence was almost nonexistent, rendering the scene somewhat eerie.
Though the Twelfth Righteous Master treated me casually, I couldn’t muster the thought to respond in kind. He was an absolute being whom even the King of Goryeo could not address lightly. It felt entirely natural for me to use honorific speech. In fact, he was likely older than me.
Occasionally, passersby greeted the Twelfth Righteous Master. They wore normal clothing instead of costumes, though some of them did don masks.
“Time to repay your debt.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Is that your way of telling me to go to hell?”
“Hehe.”
As their cheerful exchanges ended, a woman burst into a giggle.
“Ha ha! Your outfit looks fabulous today!”
“Ha ha, thank you.”
It was probably not a sincere compliment.
As I absentmindedly stared at his dog costume, he turned the mask, hiding his face, toward me and said,
“Oh right. Aren’t you curious about that enormous tree?”
“Not particularly curious, but it sure is big.”
I responded rather curtly, perhaps having my illusions about the Twelfth Righteous Master shattered. Indeed, the size of the giant tree in the village center could have easily matched hundreds of spans and appeared incredibly wide. It pierced the sky, and one could say the village was built around its roots.
“Ha ha. That tree is called the Divine Altar Tree. There’s a legend that it connects to nine worlds. As you can see, it is as large as an ordinary mountain.”
I thought for a moment and replied,
“That’s strange.”
“What is?”
“I didn’t see such a tree while traversing the mountains to come here. Why is it only visible after entering Dark Heaven Village?”
“It’s due to the barrier. To ordinary people’s eyes, the Divine Altar Tree remains unseen. Only those permitted to enter the Divine Altar can see it.”
“Why do it that way?”
The Twelfth Righteous Master pointed at the Divine Altar Tree with his finger.
“If that tree were absent, it would cause a real crisis. So, we must protect it with our lives.”
“What kind of crisis?”
“Humans would be unable to exist as humans. It would be truly terrifying.”
“……?”
The Twelfth Righteous Master spoke of things I couldn’t comprehend. He turned to look at me and tilted his head.
“I thought you would understand since you have clashed with the Sea God’s clan.”
“Sea God…!! Are you talking about those pirates from the sea?”
“When you reach the level of the Twelfth Righteous Master, information flows in without notice. I already know you fought against the pirates who worship the Sea God when you first entered Goryeo.”
Only then did I grasp the meaning of his words and cautiously said,
“So the Divine Altar Tree is a divine tree that protects Goryeo’s land from the Sea God.”
“Well, that’s not all. Don’t you have any other questions?”
The Twelfth Righteous Master was quite an unusual person. Contrary to someone who received my sparring manual, it seemed he had no intention of ‘fighting’ me at all. Moreover, wasn’t he hoping I would ask questions to gain information? I felt a twinge of suspicion but continued to inquire nonetheless.
“The appearance of those pirates seemed more like fish people than humans. Why is that?”
“Those who worship the Sea God eventually lose their human forms and transform into such beings. The difference is that the pirate leaders are not innate but acquired. A clan mixed with demons and blood would dominate that area.”
“Isn’t it possible to hunt down that Sea God? He looks quite like an evil demon beast.”
“Demon beast… calling it a demon beast. Ha ha ha. It’s not a presence you can evaluate so easily.”
As the Twelfth Righteous Master leisurely walked across the bridge connecting the cliffs, he said,
“Unfortunately, with the strength of our clan, it’s only possible to safeguard this land from the Sea God and the Evil God. To do more than that would require the power of at least the Heavenly Emperor.”
“Are you a member of the clan?”
“Yes, that’s right. I am the Twelfth Righteous Master and also the guardian of the Divine Altar Tree.”
Squeak, squeak
An unsettling sound came from the bridge, but I was able to cross without much trouble. It was the consequence of forcibly building a village in a place where humans originally couldn’t survive—the inhospitable canyon. The Twelfth Righteous Master entered a tiny cabin and said,
“What are you doing? Come in.”
“This doesn’t exactly look like a training ground…”
“Just come in and see.”
“Understood.”
My opponent was the supreme master of the Eastern Martial World, a being of the highest authority. I had heard that even the Jeong clan and the Lee clan treated the Twelfth Righteous Master with great care. It made sense, as he was the one behind their rise to power. As I removed my shoes and stepped into the cabin, I was taken aback to find an unexpectedly vast space inside.
It was bigger inside than out!
“…….!!”
I was astonished. What appeared from the outside to be a room barely enough for four could house thousands of pyeong of space within. Moreover, it was grand and ornate like a palace.
‘This… this must be a space created by advanced magical techniques.’
As I looked around in disbelief, the Twelfth Righteous Master sat down in a chair and said,
“Before we begin the sparring, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Twelfth Righteous Masters you’ve fought so far.”
“You want to hear my thoughts?”
The Twelfth Righteous Master poured green tea into a cup.
“The greatest swordmaster in Dongyoung’s history, I Cheon Il-ryu, also couldn’t request a spar from the Twelfth Righteous Master. Masters like Saul Abbi and Jo Yi Seon are truly formidable figures. That’s why he is most satisfied being the strongest in Dongyoung now.”
I was aware of that.
I thought the strengths of Saul Abbi and Jo Yi Seon were on par with Ik-gwang. Looking up at them, it was impossible to gauge their level. Consequently, my spar with Saul Abbi ended in just fifty seconds as he relentlessly pummeled me, and I fared similarly against Jo Yi Seon. They were masters with unfathomable strength.
He chuckled lightly.
“Yet, even with the Jeong clan ensuring your safety, you dare to request a sparring match with all the Twelfth Righteous Masters… I’ve never seen someone with such boldness in the history of the Twelfth Righteous.”
“……”
“Don’t feel pressured; just speak comfortably. Now, take a seat.”
“Hmm…”
I awkwardly took a seat opposite him. The mask he wore completely concealed his face. However, the reason I perceived him as a man was due to his voice and physique, which were typical of a man in his twenties. I cleared my throat and shared my thoughts.
“There are many exceptionally skilled individuals in Goryeo. It’s beyond comprehension.”
“Oh? Beyond comprehension, you say?”
“The vast Central Plains make it hard to find even one peak master, yet there are more than a dozen supreme masters circulating here… Could it be that the Twelfth Righteous Masters are sharing their teachings?”
My observations expressed what I had felt thus far honestly. After all, normally a peak master was akin to the leader of a major sect, and those who could fly were usually of first-rate level. Thus, finding a peak master in the Central Plains was exceptionally challenging. Yet here, higher than even the leaders of the Nine Great Sects were the leaders of the Twelfth Righteous, which was utterly surprising.
The Twelfth Righteous Master chuckled again.
“Yep, that’s right. Our clan takes the lead in teaching the martial arts of the Twelfth Righteous, which greatly aids in cultivating masters. It’s not surprising that there are many peak and ultra-peak masters among us. We’re transmitting insights that are of a level unattainable by a mere sect.”
Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I exclaimed,
“Could it be that you are planning to invade the Central Plains…?!”
“Huh? Why would I do something like that?”
The Twelfth Righteous Master muttered as if in disbelief, shaking his head and pushing the tea cup into the mouth of his mask.
“You’ve watched too many martial arts novels.”
“Well… it’s not like I haven’t watched any, but it’s hard to view the cultivation of so many masters as anything but suspicious.”
The Twelfth Righteous Master interlaced his fingers.
“Suspicious, you say? Then let me ask you this: why do martial sects cultivate masters?”
“Well, to expand their influence and showcase their martial arts.”
“You fool. That’s merely a secondary objective. Fundamentally, they cultivate masters to pass down the legacy of martial arts.”
The Twelfth Righteous Master, having said that, continued,
“I’m not thinking about war or conflict with the Central Plains Martial World. The foes we’ve chosen as our arch-enemies are simply too powerful. We’re only training strong martial artists and sorcerers to ensure we can manage any upheaval as best as possible.”
“Who are these arch-enemies?”
The Twelfth Righteous Master set down his teacup and replied,
“… I’ve heard that the White Lotus Sect has consumed about 40% of the Central Plains Martial World. It’s already a foregone conclusion that within three years, the White Lotus Sect will dominate the Central Plains. You’ve heard of Baek Woong, right?”
“Yes. The North Sea Sect Leader mentioned it before I came here.”
The North Sea Sect, led by the Twelfth Righteous Master, was based far north in the frozen lands. In the Central Plains Martial World, it was known as the North Sea Ice Palace.
Perhaps due to the characteristics of the location, some of their members had the lineage of Colorful Persons, which might explain why the North Sea Sect Leader had the appearance of a Western foreigner with golden hair and blue eyes. I clearly remembered losing to the North Sea Sect Leader in a devastating defeat within just a hundred seconds, and during my struggle to rise without injuries, he had shared news about the Central Plains with me.
“If the White Lotus Sect is considered to be on a comparable level to small fry when stacked against the clan’s enemies…?”
“…….!!”
I was taken aback. The power of the White Lotus Sect was terrifying; how could such a comparison be made? It was even more perplexing that these words were coming from the Twelfth Righteous Master, who surely understood the might of the White Lotus Sect. Seeing my reaction, the Twelfth Righteous Master waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s just a saying. Truly, those arch-enemies will probably never descend into the mortal world. We merely utilize the power of the Divine Altar Tree to obstruct their influence, and our role is to eradicate the cult that worships those Evil Gods and other malevolent beings. Even managing just that is a daunting challenge.”
“That’s hard to believe.”
“Haha… That’s just how it is. The true horror would be realizing you have an enemy while being entirely powerless to act.”
In truth, I thought I roughly understood what the Twelfth Righteous Master meant by “arch-enemy.”
The ancient rulers mentioned by Master Mangnyang!
These were mythic entities that had existed long before the rise of humanity or primates. They referred to those Evil Gods who considered humans as mere insects. The clan was undoubtedly protecting Goryeo and the regions of Liaodong from the ancient rulers’ influence with the power of the Seven Stars and the Divine Altar Tree.
‘With this kind of defense, perhaps I wouldn’t even need to wield the Sea God.’
The critical issue was preventing the Golden Guard from acquiring the Seven Stars. However, it seemed unlikely that the Golden Guard could breach the barriers surrounding the Divine Altar Tree and defeat the Twelfth Righteous Master, known as the strongest among the Twelfth Righteous, along with the clan members. Such an event would be impossible unless all the guardian beasts of the White Lotus Sect stormed in together.
As I pondered, the Twelfth Righteous Master spoke up.
“I suppose you are curious why I’m rambling on about all this to you, Baek Woong.”
“Yes.”
I wanted to ask why he was wearing that mask, but I held back. The Twelfth Righteous Master shook his cute puppy-shaped head and said,
“You carry the blessing of the Queen Mother of the West. How did you come to obtain such a blessing? She is a high Taoist deity and doesn’t easily bestow blessings of immortality.”
“……”
“As I was contemplating based on reports, I concluded that you must have amassed a tremendous amount of merit. And after contacting Master Mangnyang to confirm, I learned that you had offered prayers to the Seven Stars.”
“Do you know Master Mangnyang?”
“I oversee Goryeo and Liaodong, while he handles the Central Plains. It’s essential for us to help each other, isn’t it?”
“Hmm.”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise at the unexpected information.
Could it be that Master Mangnyang and the Twelfth Righteous Master were in contact, sharing information? If they were guardians opposing the Evil Gods, it made perfect sense. The Twelfth Righteous Master quietly added,
“I can guess why you’ve come to Goryeo. It’s probably to seek the Seven Stars, right?”
At this point, there was no longer any need to lie. With the power of the Twelfth Righteous Master, killing me would be as easy as flipping a hand. Hence, I spoke honestly.
“That’s correct.”
“What’s the reason behind your search for the Seven Stars? Is it because of the legend that obtaining a legendary artifact blessed by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors will grant you immortality?”
“That’s not it. I’m trying to monitor their movements because there are wicked beings targeting the Seven Stars, and I need to protect them from those threats.”
“……”
The Twelfth Righteous Master seemed to scrutinize me closely. His mask obscured his face, making it impossible to read his emotions. However, unlike his earlier chattiness, every word he spoke was direct and to the point. He sat calmly, grasping every detail about me, indeed fitting the title of the supreme figure of the Eastern Martial World.
After a long silence, the Twelfth Righteous Master spoke again.
“I also know that those who stole the Earth Star Diagram from the Balhae Empire are manipulating the imperial court of the Central Plains.”
He truly seemed to have an understanding of everything happening in the East. The rival that both Mangnyang and I had taken as our greatest enemy was the Demon Subduing Hall. Mangnyang was currently forming an alliance against the Demon Subduing Hall in the Central Plains to fight for his life.
Suddenly, I felt a surge of frustration and said,
“Then why aren’t you controlling them? They are prepared to summon Demon Beasts or perform human sacrifices at any moment. If you don’t stop them, a great disaster will occur.”
“I’m not standing idle because I’m unaware.”
He crossed his arms.
“The Central Plains is under Master Mangnyang’s jurisdiction. Have you ever wondered why someone as powerful as Master Mangnyang, who surpasses even the Great Immortal, is allowing those forces to remain unchecked?”
“That…”
This was a question I had pondered throughout my rebirth. Even his disciple, Cheon Woo-jin, had reached a formidable level as a powerful avatar; why then was his master, Mangnyang, allowing the Demon Subduing Hall to operate freely? The Twelfth Righteous Master continued,
“Master Mangnyang has taken up residence near Luoyang not for any trivial reason. The most malevolent entity in history lurks there, and he’s utilizing all his power to keep it in check.”
“The most malevolent… entity?”
“I don’t know the full details. However, as a guardian of Taoism, Master Mangnyang is supposed to patrol the entire Central Plains and suppress Evil Gods. The reason he remains in one place is that he must continuously seal this being. If Master Mangnyang ever strays from that location, a tremendous Demon will be unleashed.”
“……”
“That entity is likely the one pulling the strings behind the Evil God’s cult. I am already too busy countering the Sea God to assist Master Mangnyang.”
I gulped.
Master Mangnyang was appointed by the Jade Emperor or the Great Immortal to protect the earthly realm. According to Mangnyang, no Taoist would dare to cross him on the Central Plains.
Just how powerful could the malevolent entity in Luoyang be for even Master Mangnyang, with his immense strength, to struggle to contain it?
After this point, the Twelfth Righteous Master asked,
“I have one question. Do you intend to continue gathering the Seven Stars?”
“Of course. I will uncover the whereabouts of all the Seven Stars.”
“Good ambition. It just so happens that we need to engage in some sparring.”
Nodding, the Twelfth Righteous Master muttered,
“How about we try this?”
With a swift motion, the Twelfth Righteous Master glided like a ghost and soon found himself on the martial arts platform set at the center. I couldn’t even detect how he had moved; his techniques seemed to transcend the physical realm.
With a flourish, he brandished a Galaxy Nine-Section Whip in one hand and stated,
“Baek Woong, if you can withstand three moves from this whip, I will reveal the location of the Moon Star.”
