Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 249

Heavenly Realm

The Sword Demon and I made our way to the place where the Black Night Gate’s secret techniques and hidden arts were supposedly stored. It was time to see if the information that the Black Horse staked his life on was true. Lo and behold, there were secret techniques there, including the Black Night Divine Art, Black Moon Palm, and Black Moon Sword Technique. I couldn’t help but mutter in disbelief upon seeing the names of these martial arts.

“Everything’s got ‘Black Moon’ in it. It’s surprising enough to find a proper martial arts secret in the Assassination Sect…”

It’s a common belief that assassins typically hold lower statuses in the martial world. Usually, it’s quite rare for hired assassins to surpass the elite levels of martial arts. The existence of formal secret techniques and top-tier masters within the Assassination Sect felt utterly bizarre.

“It’s not that surprising. As far as I know, the Black Night Gate used to be a proper sect that secluded itself to train in martial arts. It only deteriorated into a hired sect at some point.”

“Hmm…”

“The Black Horse’s martial skills are at a respectable level among the Eight Demons of Martial Daos because of that.”

The Sword Demon continued to clarify my doubts.

“These martial arts are worth keeping. You should remember this location well.”

The fact that the Sword Demon deemed this place worthy suggested that the Black Night Gate was originally a martial arts powerhouse. I made sure to memorize the location, thinking that if I ever needed to retrieve the Black Night’s secret techniques later, I could find it.

Afterward, we took the Black Horse’s seal and headed to the Grand Battlefield. There, we discovered a treasure trove of gold bars collected by the Black Horse, along with various property deeds. After successfully extracting what was worth at least thousands of silver taels, the Sword Demon asked,

“Gold bars aside, what should we do about the property deeds?”

“What do you think, Your Honor?”

“Personally, I’d want to convert them all into gold and take them to Goryeo. But I’m asking you because I wonder if you have a use for them.”

“Hmm…”

I pondered for a moment before replying,

“It seems like the Black Horse bought land for a reason. Shouldn’t we investigate its origin further?”

“Are you suggesting it’s land needed for the operation of the Assassination Sect, not for speculation?”

“That might be the case.”

“True. That devious villain wouldn’t have bought the land just for profit. I’ll look into it.”

The Sword Demon nodded in understanding.

“Depending on what you do moving forward, the rest could also become an asset.”

“Are you referring to the young assassins?”

The Black Night Gate had been gathering orphans aged around 10 to 15 to train as assassins, preparing for the retirement or death of current members. Before dying, the Black Horse revealed their training location to us.

“Indeed. While the people of Jianghu morally disapprove of assassins, having a future force of assassins in the coming years is a big advantage.”

“……”

The Sword Demon was subtly asking if I would become the master of the Assassination Sect. Since we already knew the location of the training camp, all I needed to do was remove or recruit the instructors. After some thought, I replied,

“No, I want to let them walk in the sunlight.”

“Really? You don’t have to be merciful to those young assassins… Even if they are used as assassins or consumables, they won’t think to resent you.”

What the Sword Demon said was true. Those who were born as orphans and raised as assassins would simply obey orders throughout their lives, having their destinies mortgaged. But shaking my head, I firmly said,

“Either way, the people I’ll face in the future won’t be affected by the power of assassins. There’s no reason to toy with their lives recklessly.”

“If you feel that strongly, we’ll take care of it today.”

“Yes.”

Paaang!

We headed to the training camp for young assassins. In an instant, we found the instructor training the assassins and decisively subdued him in just a second.

“Blood Sword. The Black Horse is dead.”

“……”

At the Sword Demon’s words, the Blood Sword instructor fell silent, seemingly unfazed, likely due to his experience as a top assassin. The Sword Demon briefly showed him the Black Horse’s seal and continued,

“I could behead you without hesitation, but for now, I’ll spare your life. Gather all the young assassins here within one meal time.”

“How can I trust that you’re not here to slaughter us?”

The Sword Demon snickered.

“Funny. Do you even know who I am?”

“Who are you?”

“I am the Sword Demon, Seomun Daeryong.”

“……!!”

“Even the Black Horse couldn’t escape my gaze. I swear on my name that I won’t kill you, so stop messing around and gather them quickly.”

The Blood Sword stared at the Sword Demon in disbelief, but as the Sword Demon effortlessly sliced through ten trees in one go with his spirit sword, he gaped in shock. He likely had never imagined such might from a legendary master. Realizing the situation, the Blood Sword took off running.

Moments later, he returned with all the young assassins. This area was remote, so it seemed they were living in humble huts scattered around. In addition to the young assassins, two or three instructors followed along.

Sword Demon Seomun Daeryong declared,

“The Black Night Gate is finished. And what the Black Horse left behind is now mine.”

The instructor-level assassins exchanged glances, then the Blood Sword stepped forward as a representative and asked,

“Can we continue training as usual?”

“No, that’s not necessary. From today, you will belong to the Shadowless Gate and will start learning martial arts from scratch.”

“……!!”

“I should mention that if you don’t conduct yourselves properly as members of the Shadowless Gate, you’ll face immediate execution. Only those who are prepared may raise their hands.”

The instructor-level assassins and the young assassins looked at each other apprehensively. A moment later, they all raised their hands. The ominous atmosphere created by the Sword Demon was undeniable. The Sword Demon grinned at the forced agreement.

“Good.”

I gathered all of them into the Shadowless Gate. Then I turned to Sword Demon Seomun Daeryong.

“We now have 26 new disciples.”

“Just when I needed more minions to do the chores. While I had been in the Central Plains, I was thriving as a leader, but now that we’ve come to Goryeo, I feel a bit exposed…”

As the Sword Demon grumbled, he continued,

“Now, let’s closely examine the Black Horse’s assets.”

Together, we traveled for several days across the battlefields, assessing the extent of the Black Horse’s wealth. We discovered that the land and buildings acquired by the Black Horse across the Central Plains were of massive scale, rivaling that of the wealthiest in a single city. Plus, it became clear we were right to be suspicious of the Black Horse’s motives.

The Sword Demon looked baffled.

“This crazy fool… did he just save money for fun!”

“…….”

“Why on earth would he think of buying the King’s Garden?”

Indeed.

We found that he had no ulterior motives; the Black Horse merely saved up funds acquired from contract work like a dragon hoarding treasure, occasionally buying properties. Watching his wealth grow day by day was probably the Black Horse’s greatest joy. Furthermore, given that he had personally purchased the massive garden owned by the emperor’s kin, Wang Ya, it could only be described as extravagant foolishness.

I couldn’t believe it and asked,

“Is it really that lucrative to be in contract work?”

“The Black Horse, despite all, was the best assassin in the Central Plains, and the Black Night Gate was the finest hired sect. With both righteous and sinister jobs pouring in, it would be strange if he didn’t earn a significant fortune! Plus, the fees for contracts were exceedingly high.”

“Hmm…”

“If a commoner tried to hire the Black Night Gate, their finances would be in ruins.”

In that moment, I recalled how the village chief had spent money to commission the Black Night Gate to kill me. At the time, I didn’t think much about it, just feeling wronged for dying, but even as the village’s tyrant, the chief must have shelled out a ridiculous amount of cash to have someone killed.

I suddenly grew curious and asked the Sword Demon,

“Is the Black Horse truly the best assassin in the Central Plains?”

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

“I’m just curious…”

“Aha, you’re wondering if the Black Horse is the limit of assassins.”

The Sword Demon chuckled before answering.

“Of course not. There’s no way the best assassin is the Black Horse.”

“Eh?”

“There’s a secret rumor circulating in the martial world. A supreme assassin that has reached the level of ‘No Kill’ exists, and that sect is said to have a single inheritor. Once, they thought the Black Horse was that assassin, but he is utterly incapable.”

“No Kill? You mean an assassin that doesn’t kill? That can’t be considered an assassin…”

“That’s not the case. It means they appear unable to kill anything, yet in reality, can end the lives of all living beings—a reaper of sorts. It’s like flipping the narrative that if it’s alive, it can be killed.”

The level of ‘No Kill!’

Just hearing about it was enough to spark immense curiosity. I blinked, trying to comprehend the Sword Demon’s words.

“That sounds like nonsense. Do such assassins really exist?”

“I believe they do.”

The Sword Demon crossed his arms and continued,

“… Because records exist that our sect’s ancestor met that reaper.”

“……!!”

“It is said that this being acts not like an assassin but strictly follows its own principles to kill only when there is a grave need and for a greater cause. Also, no matter how supreme the master, they can’t escape death at the reaper’s hands.”

This was incredible.

Was there really a legendary assassin that resembled a reaper?

As I gaped in astonishment, the Sword Demon chuckled.

“Well, that was three generations ago, so perhaps they didn’t reveal themselves all that openly back then. Having only one heir could mean their lineage was cut off. The only thing for certain is that if you don’t fundamentally go against justice, you won’t be made a target of that entity.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s wrap up this idle talk and return to the Central Plains. It wouldn’t do to take too long disposing of a fortune this large.”

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Even though the Shadowless Gate has been affiliated with the evil faction, perhaps it had refrained from heinous actions because of that No Kill reaper?’

The more rogue actions they took, the easier it would be for them to become the reaper’s target.

This implies that as long as they maintained a sense of integrity, they would remain safe.

The Sword Demon believing in the existence of the reaper could mean just that. But as it was not something I’d directly inquire about, I tucked it away in my heart.

We needed the financial means to support all 26 new members, so we sold five properties, turning everything into gold bars, and proceeded back to Goryeo. After conducting a ritual to accept the instructor-level assassins and young assassins into the Shadowless Gate, we transitioned their powers into those of the Shadowless Gate’s. The conversion rate wasn’t great, but since the abilities of assassins had their limits anyway, this would surely benefit them in the long run.

Once all the processes concluded, it felt like the Shadowless Gate had quickly expanded. Although we had many experts, the fact they relied heavily on an elite few had been a drawback, which was now alleviated with the new intake.

After about a week, the Sword Demon finally finished organizing the sect and told me,

“It’s about time to move.”

“I understand.”

“Remember to escape immediately if anything happens.”

“……”

I wondered if that would even be possible.

I murmured bitterly to myself, realizing I might die just like this.

But nevertheless, it was something I had to do, so I headed toward the Central Plains.

Paaang!

Near Mount Tai in Seven Kills Village, I headed straight for the village chief. Here was a place filled with healthy humans living in dire poverty, resembling beggars. I approached the chief and boldly showed him the black wooden tablet.

“Here. I’ve brought the tablet.”

“Whoa… Whoa!!”

The chief, leaning on his cane, exclaimed in astonishment. Then he called out to the villagers around him.

“Hey! A Divine Guest has arrived!! Everyone, welcome him!”

“Whoa!!”

Suddenly, the shabby villagers, who were barely scraping by, rushed in unison and began to dance in a bizarre manner. Clapping their hands in rhythm, the whole spectacle was oddly captivating.

“Ho~ Ho~ Ho~”

Clap

“Yay~ Yay~”

I found myself ensnared in their rituals, blankly watching their dance. Previously, I would’ve laughed at their absurdity, but understanding that every single person in this Seven Kills Village was actually an alien race made the dance simply incomprehensible.

Just then, a strange sensation washed over me.

“#@&%~~ #&%^~~ @$^&@&~~”

“……?”

Something felt off. Their language, once merely a series of sounds, suddenly felt like it had [something else] intertwined with it. Initially, it sounded like nonsensical gibberish, but soon, distinct meanings began to emerge.

“Sending… Sending…

Oh our God…

Great One, accept our offerings.”

Gradually, the chanting became clearer. It suddenly hit me that the Seven Kills villagers were actually singing a song in alien language while dancing, cleverly mixing it in with human speech, thus escaping ordinary understanding.

Once the dance concluded, the village chief spoke,

“O Divine Guest, no matter where or how you acquired the tablet, that does not concern us… Since you have brought the tablet, we shall do our utmost to guide you to our deity…”

I gazed thoughtfully at the White Tree.

“Then, I should go under that tree, right?”

“Gasp… How did you know?!”

The villagers were taken aback. I stared patiently at them, responding,

“Before meeting [Him], I want to ask one thing.”

“……”

“If I were to free you from the Wheel of Destiny, what would you offer me in return?”

The villagers looked astonished. It was clear I knew the secrets of Seven Kills Village. Perhaps that was why the chief, who had been steady until now, started trembling like a leaf.

“Who… who are you? Could you be the [Great One]?”

“No. I am but a human, merely possessing a special power.”

I answered, then asked again,

“Once more, if I were to liberate you from your fate, what would you do for me?”

“……”

The villagers began to mutter gibberish. I couldn’t decipher their meaningless words yet and could only listen to their murmurs. They huddled together, fiercely discussing something, and after a moment, the chief stepped forward.

“We shall serve you as the Master of Souls. We will obey for eternity and share the greatest secret our tribe possesses.”

“Good. Never forget those words.”

Paaang!

Upon standing under the White Tree, I felt the earth tremble around me.

Moments later, I realized that the surrounding space had shifted, and I was now in a peculiar alternate realm. The densely packed forest loomed larger than dozens of trees, and all sorts of evil beasts flew around.

This was indeed Dark Heaven.

Having visited before, I calmly began to walk. Even without the beasts guiding me, I knew where to go to meet [Him].

Rumble…

Something immense was bound within. In the midst of a colossal gorge lay a mass of tentacles bearing giant bat wings, easily surpassing the size of several trees.

Those tentacles appeared to have innumerable shapes attached to them that resembled women’s bosoms. The previously seen faceless bat was clinging to one of the giant appendages as if sucking on it like a baby.

Upon meeting that being again, I felt a sense of familiarity rather than the immense pressure I had felt before. This was my second encounter with it, and the pressure had significantly decreased.

That being seemed to look at me and said,

[Did you come seeking me without even being called? You are truly an interesting being.]

The tone conveyed curiosity. I bowed respectfully and communicated in my heart,

[Ancient Ruler, I have come to seek your powers.]

[Speak… I grant you the power of reversal, …to transform life into death and death into life… No one can evade… this power…]

[That is…]

I had begun to formulate a question but stopped short and said,

[May I ask a single question?]

[Speak…]

[Can your powers allow you to plunge the being known as the Cursed God into death?]

[……]

That being flapped its bat wings for a moment and replied,

[That is a different issue… The ruler of Le Rue… that being is a direct lineage of chaos… a transcendental being that has existed since before life and death themselves… Applying the power of reversal to them is not lawful.]

[Thank you for your response.]

As I expressed my gratitude, that being spoke with what seemed to be a chuckle,

[Do you wish to oppose the transcendent beings with the Seven Luminaries? That shall indeed be an amusing affair…]

It appeared the being had effortlessly read my mind, the hallmark of an Ancient Ruler’s ability.

[Is it impossible?]

[It is possible…]

While it was a positive answer, it left an uneasy feeling in my heart. I shook my head and declared,

[Please revive a man named Jeonggalsa.]

[Acceptable…]

The tentacles of the ancient ruler writhed and reached out, touching a specific point in the air. Suddenly, something smoke-like began to emanate from that spot. The ancient ruler blew that mist away, sending it somewhere.

[I have revived him…]

[Thank you. And may I ask for one more favor?]

I felt no fear, just a sense of calm as I made my request. The ancient ruler paused, shocked at my audacity, then spoke after a moment of silence,

[Speak…]

[Please free your servant race from their chains. They seem out of place in the human world.]

[That is quite an easy task…]

Then, that being spoke with a voice that seemed to carry joy,

[Come to me when you wish…]

Paaang!!

Moments later, I found myself back in Seven Kills Village.

As I cast my gaze around, I frowned.

“Damn!”

Corpses lay strewn everywhere.

All of them were corpses of dog-humans. It was clear that this return to their essence had meant they must have once been villagers of Seven Kills. They must have died under the ancient ruler’s powers.

‘Did the demand to free them from chains translate into a command to kill them?’

It seemed the interpretation was that they were liberated from their cycle of life.

‘Truly capricious… So this is what it means to be a god.’

While the ancient ruler had shown me favor, he was undoubtedly a terrifying being synonymous with chaos.

After burying the dog-human corpses, I returned to the Central Plains.

Hearing the news from me, the Sword Demon nodded and said,

“Then go on. You should meet the revived Jeonggalsa.”

That’s right.

The ancient ruler’s power was truly the power of reversal!

It could cause the living to die or bring the dead back to life!

I had once thought of using it for resurrection, but now it finally seemed applicable.

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