Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
It was the moment when Heavenly God Ye screamed like a banshee.
Chwa-la-ra-rak
Suddenly, a bizarre creature began descending from the sky. It was rare to see a true divine power being demonstrated like this—it was usually just indirect methods, so both Mangnyang and I stared in shock at the entity.
The creature had a human face, dog ears, and an unidentifiable beast’s body. Its appearance was undoubtedly monstrous, yet instead of malevolence, there was an aura of divinity surrounding it. As Mangnyang gazed upon it, he whispered.
“Shabi God coming down as the apostle of Dao King Jejeun…”
The Shabi God finally opened its mouth and spoke in a booming voice that resonated with the soul.
[Here is the meaning of Jejeun: both Red Bow and White Arrow belong to the Heavenly Emperor. Bestowing them upon a Mortal may be too much of a blessing.]
However, Ye scowled in annoyance, displaying emotions typically uncharacteristic for such a being. He then pulled a red bow from his back and addressed the Shabi God.
[If that’s the case, what about this bow that has vanquished the Three-Legged Crow, Great Wind, Unclear, Chakchi, Nine, or even the Bashe? That merit is something even the Yellow Emperor couldn’t judge!][……]
[Please make the right decision.]
The Shabi God fell silent for a long time. Then, resembling a raven, it shifted its beastly form slightly, causing a dazzling light to emit around it. Beautiful birds adorned with vibrant colors, unlike anything I’d ever seen before, took flight. Mangnyang marveled at the sight.
“Five-Color Bird!”
Hwah-aat!
The Five-Color Birds gradually fanned their wings, transforming into light orbs as they soared into the sky. Once that spectacle ended, the Shabi God too suddenly turned into a ball of light and vanished without a trace. As we remained bewildered by what had just occurred, Heavenly God Ye declared,
[Jejeun has granted permission. You shall receive my blessing.]
It seemed that the Shabi God had conveyed the will of Jejeun solely to Ye. As Ye seemed ready to bestow the blessing and disappear, I hastily spoke up.
“I-I apologize, but I have a question.”
[What is it?]
“If I receive a blessing I don’t understand, it might be overwhelming. Could you provide an explanation?”
I recalled the last time I unintentionally received Xiang Yu‘s blessing, which left me in a frenzy without knowing what to do. This time, it was vital to understand the specifics of the blessing. Though it might be seen as disrespectful to question a heavenly deity, Ye acknowledged the importance of my query and responded.
[The blessing I will bestow is Red Bow and White Arrow. Furthermore, it also carries the ability of Fil Jung that I mentioned earlier.]
“What power does Red Bow and White Arrow hold?”
[When you face a crisis, the Red Bow will appear and load the White Arrow for you. You will overcome danger with that arrow.]
Paa-at!
With that final answer, Ye vanished. Cheon Woo-jin stumbled and knelt to the ground. Clearly, he was exhausted from experiencing the divine presence of such God-like beings consecutively. I was curious what would happen if Cheon Woo-jin were to receive the blessing from Ye, but I guess that would remain a mystery this life.
After the ceremony ended, Cheon Woo-jin forced back a nosebleed and said,
“Heavenly God Ye is one of the most powerful War Gods in history. As you’ve gained his ability, your actions may disrupt the balance of heaven and earth, so take care.”
This guy is giving me advice?
It was so unlike him that I blinked in surprise. Cheon Woo-jin usually spoke in a way that implied I should hurry up and get lost while being half-fainted from the fatigue of the divine ceremony. That itself was proof that something extraordinary had occurred with Heavenly God Ye bestowing me with the Red Bow and White Arrow.
“What do you mean be careful?”
Cheon Woo-jin wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, displaying a pained expression.
“You’ll cause disasters if you use it recklessly.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Ugh… my head… then be on your way.”
Mangnyang and I left Cheon Woo-jin behind as we exited the village. I glanced back at the village, noticing that Mangnyang still had no visible reaction. Even if something was odd enough for Cheon Woo-jin to warn me about, it didn’t seem significant enough to warrant his involvement?
I then headed with Mangnyang to a small tavern we often frequented. Mangnyang eagerly ate chicken dishes, commenting,
“Just as you said, the next step is to go to Shadowless Gate and liberate the likes of Seo Mun-hye.”
“Indeed. It’s the usual work.”
“Hmm… that sounds good, but let’s think about it differently this time.”
“How so?”
With a chicken drumstick in his mouth, Mangnyang muttered,
“Before doing that, we must visit my uncle, Zhuge Sa first.”
“Ah…”
“You may not think of it as very important, but within the next few years, Zhuge Sa will meet his end, which is a significant problem. That person cannot be killed by others.”
I turned to Mangnyang in surprise.
“He can’t be killed by others?”
Mangnyang was no one to disregard people. His words and assessment were already recognized by great generals like Hwang Yeon, Lee Kwang, and the heroes of the world. I hadn’t expected Mangnyang to give such high praise so firmly.
Mangnyang nodded.
“My father always said this: When Zhuge Sa serves the Overlord, no one in this world can stop him. He and Zhuge Fu must join forces.”
“……!!”
“Of course, Zhuge Sa is extremely cynical and has a negative personality, so he’s not someone who serves others. However, his wisdom and strategies are beyond what even I can handle, so that assessment is by no means exaggerated.”
To be honest, accepting Mangnyang‘s evaluation was hard. If I were meeting him for the first time, I might wonder what right he had to praise himself like this, but after 14 lifetimes and decades of connection, I had witnessed Mangnyang‘s abilities clearly. In my eyes, no strategist could possibly surpass Mangnyang.
But to think Mangnyang could barely handle Zhuge Sa‘s strategies!
That made me feel a bit rebellious, and I replied gruffly,
“Who knows what kind of guy he is? He’ll probably die of his own accord. He doesn’t seem very impressive.”
“Haha. I think I might get along well with you.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You’ll find out once you meet.”
Mangnyang looked completely carefree now. Considering that, I thought there was no need to keep complaining. So I moved on to more practical matters.
“By the way, I heard that Zhuge Sa, as the ruler of Zhangling Valley, poses three riddles to visitors and rewards those who answer with gold. Do you happen to know the answers to those riddles?”
“I know the answers but not their meanings.”
“What do you mean?”
Mangnyang, crossing his arms, replied.
“That’s quite tricky, though. It feels like he hasn’t predetermined the answers. Rather, it seems like he wants to know what responses others would produce. He appears to want something from those who visit him.”
“Hmm…?”
“If I go with you, we should be fine.”
“That seems right.”
I agreed with Mangnyang‘s assessment. He probably had already solved all three of Zhuge Sa‘s riddles before and since understanding their answers didn’t matter much, the key was to see if Zhuge Sa was alive or dead.
‘Time within the Zhangling Valley almost comes to a standstill. A day or two of delay shouldn’t matter.’
Finding out whether Zhuge Sa was alive sooner rather than later would be much more beneficial. I decided to postpone the matters regarding Shadowless Gate for a while.
After finishing our meal, Mangnyang and I moved using a Beetle to a small village. This village was where I had saved people from a flood back when I knew very little about the Maki and had received information about Zhangling Valley in exchange.
Feeling nostalgic, I glanced at the village chief’s house. Sure enough, there was the sturdy old village chief I had led away from drowning years ago. I felt happy to see him and greeted him.
“Hello.”
However, the village chief frowned.
“Who do you think you are to speak casually to someone older than you?”
“……”
I felt dumbfounded, but I realized he had reason to react that way. To martial artists, my overwhelming prowess would likely make them wary of me, but to the average person, I merely looked like a teenage brat. I awkwardly waved off the greeting and dragged Mangnyang away from the village.
After we stepped outside the village, Mangnyang tilted his head.
“You should know better than to speak casually given your physical age. Why did you make such a mistake?”
“Well…”
I hesitated before answering, telling Mangnyang that it was an unconscious mistake due to memories from the last time. After hearing my explanation, Mangnyang said,
“You must not make such mistakes for your own sake from now on. Until now, you may not have had to care much about it in your previous lives, but as you gather more memories and connections, you will notice that if they become intertwined, you may experience mental issues in the long run.”
“……!!”
I firmly shut my mouth. Just like Mangnyang said, while this incident might appear to be a simple mistake, it could serve as a trigger for potential mental distress. And the idea that accumulating memories could impact my mental state was completely plausible. I reflected deeply and replied to Mangnyang.
“But regardless of anything, memories are always accumulating… what if the day comes when my memory can’t keep up?”
“That’s something to think about as well. Hmmm…”
Mangnyang pondered for a moment before responding.
“I might have a solution, but I’m not certain.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s head to Zhangling Valley first. Once we see my uncle, it won’t be too late to talk about it.”
I realized Mangnyang was urging me to stop thinking deeply about this matter for my own sake. He instinctively guessed what kind of gloomy thoughts I was having as a Reborn. And that assumption was almost correct, so I smiled wryly.
Right—my memories are definitely piling up. So far, I had managed to remember everything without issue, but somehow I felt that after just ten more lifetimes, considerable forgetfulness might set in. While it wouldn’t be a cause for concern regarding simple experiences, it could become a significant flaw in areas requiring precise knowledge.
So, how can I effectively transfer the accumulation of memories?
As I walked along the mountain path with Mangnyang towards Zhangling Valley, those thoughts raced through my mind constantly. Mangnyang would surely have arrived at an answer with his brilliant mind, but that didn’t mean I would stop my own thinking. What Mangnyang had continuously emphasized was the principle of [thinking for yourself]. Knowledge not understood and realized with one’s own mind holds no value.
Eventually, we arrived in front of Zhangling Valley. It was a basin-like location, enclosed by towering walls as tall as Zhangling itself. There was no gatekeeper in the passage leading into Zhangling Valley.
Mangnyang walked ahead and said,
“If we walk about five li straight, we’ll encounter a barrier.”
“A barrier? Can Zhuge Sa cast spells?”
“Of course. He’s quite an adept sorcerer.”
After making that claim, Mangnyang, feeling hot, wiped his face with his sleeve.
“Last time I came, there was a Long Serpent Drinking Water Array set up. Given that human’s twisted nature, I’m sure he has not kept the same formation, so we’ll probably need to crack a new barrier this time.”
“Are you confident?”
“Well, not entirely. So if things don’t go well, you’ll have to help me escape.”
“……”
Even Mangnyang‘s knowledge of formations was incredibly strong, able to quickly solve even the dilemmas Cheon Woo-jin had faced with Qimen Dunjia. If he lacked confidence in dealing with Zhuge Sa‘s formations, it was clear meeting with him would be more of a hassle than I expected.
‘Damn it. I need to learn proper spells.’
As I grumbled internally, Mangnyang suddenly stopped. Before us lay a flat area filled with flags. Mangnyang stared at the arrangement of the flags before saying,
“Take a single step forward and the formation will activate.”
“What kind of formation is this?”
“It’s a Heavenly Chaotic Unity Formation. This is atrocious…”
As Mangnyang clicked his tongue, I cocked my head.
“Chaotic? Is it that evil of a formation?”
“More like a bothersome formation. Even if you get trapped, you won’t die, but you’ll suffer terribly and likely end up crying for help. It’s designed to humiliate those caught within.”
“……”
Perhaps Zhuge Sa felt humiliated after being answered by Mangnyang when he previously cracked his formation and solved the riddles. That seemed quite likely, and I certainly didn’t want to voice it aloud. After all, a twisted personality would surely amplify whatever misfortune loomed.
Swi-swi-swi!
Mangnyang carefully examined the flags and moved forward in an orderly fashion. He appeared to be stepping in a pattern fitting established rules, moving meticulously from side to side as he walked. After about twenty steps, Mangnyang said to me,
“Follow my lead; I’ve opened a way.”
“… But I can’t memorize that…”
I scratched my head. Of course, I should have been focusing on Mangnyang‘s footsteps, but somewhere along the way, I started to feel confused and unsure of my position. Then Mangnyang said,
“In that case, we’ll have to circle around and crush the core of the formation. Just hold on for a moment.”
After saying that, Mangnyang walked about in an unknown rule of paths, moving back and forth among the densely planted flags. After about three hundred steps, he halted at a specific point and uprooted a red flag from the ground.
“The formation’s gone. Now we can just walk through.”
“Will it really work like that?”
“This Heavenly Chaotic Unity Formation is a classic, textbook-level formation. Even a top-tier master trying to dash through would get caught, but if you break it down in the correct sequence, even a child could dismantle it.”
“Wow…”
“Still, it was tightly wound, so even a considerable level of formation knowledge wouldn’t have made it easy to crack.”
Observing Mangnyang mumbling those words, it appeared he had struggled to unravel the Heavenly Chaotic Unity Formation despite his appearance.
‘Mangnyang must dislike Zhuge Sa.’
It felt more like there was a bond of a bad friendship. As I followed Mangnyang into the dismantled formation, I couldn’t believe that tiny flags could somehow trap or enchant a person.
Eventually, Mangnyang and I came upon a peculiar house with alternating blue and green tiles. There was a bamboo grove nearby, swaying strangely in the wind.
Thak, thak!
Outside the house stood an odd contraption without a handler. It had four wheels and appeared to be made for a person to ride and move. While I stared intently at the object, Mangnyang suddenly shouted,
“Zhuge Sa! What’s up with just leaving this cart out for guests? Come out immediately!”
But no response was heard. Instead, the unmanned cart began creaking and moved towards the tiled house. Clearly, this was due to some magic, as it was evident Zhuge Sa was leading us in. With no other choice, we walked along with the cart until the door of the tiled house opened.
Dul-kak!
It felt like there was magic at work inside here too. Upon entering the tiled house, we saw a bear.
“……?!”
Giant Panda!
A lazy bear, said to inhabit bamboo groves nearby, lay sprawled on the floor of the tiled house, covered in black and white fur. I stared at the Giant Panda in shock, but moments later, it opened its mouth and spoke human words.
[Shhh… Pert!]
“……”
[Kaaak… phew…]
Is this…
[Shut your filthy mouth! You punk bastards…]
A language that’s usually used by low-life punks! It appeared the real body was somewhere else and this bear was merely being made to speak on its behalf. I was taken aback by the unexpected situation that didn’t incite anger, but rather just a feeling of surreal amazement.
Mangnyang scratched his head and asked, “Aren’t you going to give us riddles?”
The Giant Panda spoke again.
[Hey~~~ You bastard~~~~ with your fucking mouth… back when I was… in good shape~~~ now my body… is fucking sore~~~]
It seemed to speak slowly while trying to be annoyingly aggravating. Then, the Giant Panda picked up some nearby bamboo shoots and began to chew on them.
[That’s enough… I’m tired of this cursed life… so I’ll just quit… ha ha ha… So get out… you… fuckers… This is the advice from a wise elder who has lived longer than you all~~~]
“……”
And thus began my first impression of Zhuge Sa: completely insane.
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