It had been two years since that day, and I had been at the Qinglong Martial Hall for exactly five years.
My body had nearly reached adulthood.
In the morning, I would guide the disciples as a teacher, and in my spare time, I would push myself in personal training. The more I delved into martial arts, the more I realized my inadequacies, and since I aimed to become a great master, my passion never waned. Although it had become difficult to receive direct instruction from Sanjie Li Guang, I had never enjoyed practicing martial arts more than I did now.
'If I train for another eight years... should I challenge the Tie Xue Sect...!!'
By then, I would have achieved something.
If I could defeat the top elder of the Tie Xue Sect in a one-on-one match, there would be almost no one in the martial world to fear! Moreover, given that I was from the Qinglong Martial Hall, it was highly unlikely that anyone would casually try to behead me during a duel as they used to.
After toppling him, I planned to live a comfortable life with honor and wealth. I knew my talent was not enough to aim for even greater martial prowess.
So, I trained day and night, aiming for ten years.
But my ten-year resolve was suddenly thwarted.
After that day's training, Sanjie Li Guang called me to the Wulong Hall and said,
"Bai Xiong, you've been recommended to the Jinyiwei thanks to the help of my friend."
"Me?"
I thought I must have heard wrong and asked again. But Sanjie Li Guang, without any further explanation, simply turned to the next page of the book he was quietly reading. Knowing his way of communicating, I quickly realized the reality and said,
"The Jinyiwei is the highest martial rank that guards the imperial palace and the royal family, isn't it? I've heard that only the most skilled martial artists who pass the imperial examination can become Jinyiwei. How could I..."
That's right.
The imperial examination for martial arts is held only once a year, and only about a hundred people pass each year. Among them, only the top ten percent are selected for the Jinyiwei. Moreover, they undergo additional training to become warriors, so their skills are unparalleled.
The Shuangmen Si Jia in Luoyang, a renowned martial arts school, can barely send one disciple to pass the imperial examination after fierce competition. The Jinyiwei is one of the few positions where even high-ranking officials cannot place their children through bribery. This is because the royal family never selects incompetent individuals to guard them.
Therefore, it was quite unexpected for me, a teacher at the Qinglong Martial Hall far from Luoyang, to be recommended to the Jinyiwei. As I was surprised, Sanjie Li Guang slowly closed his book and said,
"In my opinion, your skills are sufficient. You may not be able to succeed me, but you can match the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei. You would be more capable than any of the Jinyiwei members there."
Surprisingly, Sanjie Li Guang's evaluation of me was quite positive.
The deputy commander of the Jinyiwei is the second-highest rank among the four main positions: commander, deputy commander, thousand-commander, and captain. I knew this from the information I received from Wang Liang when we planned to infiltrate the imperial palace. If my skills were comparable to those of a high-ranking martial official, it meant I had grown a lot.
However, what I couldn't understand was not my skill level.
I was usually cautious about what I said in front of Sanjie Li Guang, but I asked again because I didn't understand.
"But... isn't the Jinyiwei too unexpected? Why suddenly..."
Sanjie Li Guang didn't get angry but chuckled.
"It's to help your senior brother, Jin Shaoqing, become independent."
"......?!"
What did he mean by that?
I looked at him in disbelief, and Sanjie Li Guang calmly continued,
"You know that your senior brother's skills are too advanced to be wasted as a mere teacher. He has grown to a level where he can make a name for himself in the Central Plains."
"... Yes, that's true."
I readily acknowledged Li Guang's words.
Looking back, Jin Shaoqing had already surpassed the peak of martial arts when I first met him five years ago. His growth was astonishing for his age, and now, after five years, his level was immeasurable. If he were to wander the martial world and engage in righteous deeds, it was entirely possible that he would form a major sect within a year, attracting many followers.
"However, he is not adept at using organizations or political intrigue. He is also too upright and will likely face many unnecessary conflicts and difficult situations. These are trials that cannot be overcome by personal wisdom alone; someone must help and guide him to endure them."
I sensed the hidden meaning in Li Guang's words and said,
"Do you want me to go to the Jinyiwei to help my senior brother?"
"Yes. You might not reach the commander, but you could quickly become a thousand-commander and even a deputy commander. The Jinyiwei is a merit-based society, so if you secure a solid position in the imperial palace, you can help your senior brother when he faces difficulties in the future."
"......"
"And I need to keep an eye on them."
Indeed, according to Wang Liang, the power of high-ranking officials in the Jinyiwei was considerable. Even influential ministers would flatter them to avoid their displeasure, and they could mobilize patrol forces at will. It was a position that martial officials aspired to, second only to generals.
"When I first accepted you, I intended to train you as an outstanding teacher to promote the martial arts. However, your abilities are somewhat ambiguous. It would be a waste to keep you as a teacher, but you are not yet ready to be a successor of the Leishen School."
Li Guang stroked his beard.
"So, after much deliberation, I used my connections to recommend you to the Jinyiwei. This way, you can spread your wings in the world and also help your senior brother."
"Um..."
I was speechless.
To Li Guang, I must have seemed bewildered by the sudden proposal, but in reality, I was pondering this unexpected opportunity.
'How could such an unexpected opportunity come to me?'
In this life, I had only aimed to improve my martial arts, but I had a secret mission: to decipher the Tian'an Secret Book. To do that, I needed to obtain the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book, which was stored deep in the imperial palace. Only then could I unravel the secret of my time travel.
However, infiltrating such a deep and secure place was beyond my capabilities, so I had almost given up on it. But now, the opportunity to join the Jinyiwei had come! It was truly an unexpected chance.
If I joined the Jinyiwei and became one of the top martial artists, I might be able to access the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book, which is only available to the highest-ranking officials. Moreover, my martial skills had improved more than twice since I died in the Tie Xue Sect.
'... It might work. This might work.'
Sanjie Li Guang looked at me with an unusually calm expression.
"However, if you don't want to, I will put this proposal aside. I want to respect your opinion as much as possible. If you want to continue teaching, I can't force you."
I decided to accept the offer, as it was a truly good opportunity.
"No, I want to give it a try."
"Are you sure? You won't regret it?"
"Of course."
Sanjie Li Guang seemed to have been leading me to this answer. He nodded and handed me a tightly sealed letter.
"Then go to Luoyang tomorrow. Show this letter to the Taijian Sect leader, and you'll be fine."
"The Taijian Sect leader?"
"Yes. An old friend of mine."
"......"
I was momentarily speechless.
The Taijian Sect leader was a legendary martial artist who defeated the Huashan Sect elder in a duel within a hundred seconds. It was hard to believe that such a supreme master was a friend of Sanjie Li Guang.
But somehow, it made sense. While their public reputations were as different as the sun and a firefly, Sanjie Li Guang's skills had long surpassed those of a peak martial artist. No one I had met in the martial world was stronger than him. If the Taijian Sect leader had seen through Sanjie Li Guang's true nature, it was natural for him to treat him as an equal friend.
Sanjie Li Guang spoke calmly.
"You will be borrowing a position in the Taijian Sect to rise in the world. Naturally, you must be especially cautious with your words and actions there."
I understood the situation. Sanjie Li Guang had asked his friend, the Taijian Sect leader, for a favor, and the Taijian Sect leader had likely set aside a position in the imperial palace for me. It seemed certain from Sanjie Li Guang's confidence. However, I would probably not be well-liked by the people of the Taijian Sect.
'Ah, it will be tough.'
But that was a burden I had to bear. I said confidently,
"Yes, I will definitely achieve good results."
"Good."
"I will go and say goodbye to my senior brother."
"Of course, you should."
I then went to Jin Shaoqing and told him about my recommendation to the Jinyiwei. Jin Shaoqing, who seemed to already know, smiled and congratulated me.
"Great! You might even become the head of the Jinyiwei in the future."
"That's too much."
"Haha. I'm not joking. You really have that level of ability."
I felt good hearing Jin Shaoqing's encouragement. After all, I had honed my martial skills and built up overwhelming internal energy at the Qinglong Martial Hall. It was clear that I could easily outmatch most martial artists. I forced down the corners of my mouth, which were involuntarily curling up, and Jin Shaoqing said,
"Be careful. I've heard that the Jinyiwei must not only repel external threats but also be skilled in political intrigue. No one can protect you if you don't protect yourself."
"Don't worry. I have considered everything."
Perhaps Li Guang sent me to the Jinyiwei for that reason. He often said I had the temperament of a villain and was familiar with such dirty political struggles. He might think that my ruthless nature and cunning would help me succeed in the Jinyiwei.
I left for Luoyang the next day. Sanjie Li Guang, being generous, gave me 80 taels of silver for travel expenses, allowing me to travel comfortably without worrying about money.
'Ah, right. There are two places I need to visit.'
First, I visited the village where the [Tragedy of Human Sacrifice] had occurred. As expected, the village had been completely destroyed by arson, leaving only the ruins of what had once been homes. There were no signs of the gruesome bodies, indicating that the black-robed men had thoroughly cleaned up. Even the secret passages and wells had been sealed with earth.
I searched for the nearby Taizheng Hall, but it too had disappeared. I asked a villager about its whereabouts.
"The Taizheng Hall's Xiantian Daoist? Ah, yes, there was such a person."
"Were there Daoist and many Wudang Sect disciples there? What happened to them?"
"Five years ago, a neighboring village was suddenly engulfed in a massive fire and burned down. They all disappeared around that time, so we don't know what happened. We just assumed the Daoist had moved elsewhere..."
"......"
In other words, the whereabouts of the Wudang Sect's Xiantian Daoist and his disciples were unknown. They might have retreated to the Wudang Sect's main mountain, or Xiantian Daoist might have died trying to prevent the human sacrifice. Either way, it left a bitter taste, and I shook my head.
'Nothing can be done. I was too weak back then.'
I couldn't sacrifice my life to save them. I might be selfish and despicable, but that's reality. I feared losing my chance by confronting the black-robed men. I hoped Xiantian Daoist had survived and continued my journey to Luoyang.
There was another place I needed to visit.
I went to Jinlang Valley and directly approached Wang Liang's residence. It seemed he was still operating as Wang Liang the Seer in the village. His Wuyunjin had vanished, and his house was easily accessible.
This time, Wang Liang wasn't with a woman. Instead, he was lying on a table under a tree, taking a lazy nap.
"Hey, Wang Liang. Wake up."
I shook his shoulder to wake him up. He woke up with a start, looking at me with dazed eyes.
"Wha?! What?! Who are you?!"
"Calm down. I came to ask you something, and I have no intention of harming you."
After a while, Wang Liang calmed down and straightened his clothes. He raised a fan from his waist, trying to create a mysterious atmosphere.
Uuuu
Black clouds gathered around him.
[ I... am Wang Liang the Seer, who has received the divine power of the Great Martial Emperor... What do you want from me...?]
I chuckled.
"Your Qimen Dunjia voice-changing technique and black cloud technique. There's no need to put on a show; let's talk plainly."
"Huh..."
He looked embarrassed when he realized I knew about Qimen Dunjia and stopped his tricks. There were simple techniques in Qimen Dunjia that didn't require special powers, like the voice-changing and black cloud techniques. When I was studying with Wang Liang for three years, he often used these techniques to create a mysterious atmosphere while telling fortunes.
Wang Liang spoke bluntly.
"It seems you are also familiar with Qimen Dunjia. What brings you here? I can't easily give up my business in Jinlang Valley."
"I have no intention of interfering with your business. I just have a few questions."
"About what?"
I took out the Tian'an Secret Book, which I always carried with me, and handed it to Wang Liang.
"Interpret this for me."
"This, this!"
The subsequent events unfolded almost identically to the previous life.
Wang Liang was surprised by the strange language in the Tian'an Secret Book and concluded that the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book was needed to interpret it. I listened silently.
'All familiar talk.'
After hearing this, I decided to ask Wang Liang for more information.
"Wang Liang, do you think the Tian'an Secret Book or the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book itself has any special powers?"
This was a question I had never asked before.
Wang Liung's eyes widened slightly as he said,
"This is not a spell book. Unlike the spell books of the Zuo Dao Sect, which contain divine powers and can perform miraculous feats, these books have no special powers on their own. I held the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book countless times during my time in the imperial palace, but nothing happened."
That's right.
This was the strange part.
I had picked up the Tian'an Secret Book just before my death and gained a new life. I had assumed that time travel was a power of the Tian'an Secret Book. However, Wang Liang, who had been in contact with the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book, which contained similar strange language, had not gained any powers.
Were the Tian'an Secret Book and the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book created for different purposes?
Or did they have different activation methods?
If so, why?
Perhaps Wang Liang had obtained special powers but was pretending not to. However, that seemed highly unlikely. If he had, he could have taken the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book out of the imperial palace and wouldn't have spent three years teaching me.
I asked another question.
"Have you heard about a village near Jinghe River that was destroyed by fire five years ago?"
"Of course. I was doing business here at that time."
"Um... Did you happen to see any such monsters?"
I took out paper and ink and drew a picture. It was the eye-covered monster that had killed me for the fourth time. Wang Liang was shocked when he saw the creature with hundreds of eyes and tentacles, shimmering.
"Where, where did you see this?"
"......?"
I was greatly surprised by his reaction.
"It's in the third chapter of the Wu Ming Zhi Shi Book! It's a picture of this demon!"