After leaving the village where Cheonujin was, Mangryang and I first entered Luoyang together. In my previous life, I had tried to cultivate martial arts on my own, so I parted ways with Mangryang. This time, however, my goal was different, and I wanted to discuss our future direction with him first.
The inn was crowded at dusk. Mangryang ordered frog legs and, while tearing them apart, said,
"Hmm, let me see... When I was conducting the ritual, I didn't hear this story. So, you mean to say that in your previous life, you had already received the blessing of Taixu Tianzun? And that too, the Great Fortune?"
I nodded.
"Yes. I managed to learn the secret techniques I desired while surviving in chaos."
"Hmm... And this time, it has transformed into the blessing of immortality from Xi Wangmu."
Mangryang, who had been chewing on the frog legs, fell into thought. Then, he poured himself a drink and said,
"Something seems off."
"What do you mean?"
"If what you say is true, it means that your reincarnation is not subject to the gods, right? Of course, they might be able to detect anomalies with their divine powers, but neither Taixu Tianzun nor Xi Wangmu know that you have turned back time."
"Indeed..."
Mangryang slammed his fist on the table.
"It's not just 'indeed.' This seems to have a very significant meaning."
"What kind of meaning?"
"......"
Mangryang took a big gulp of wine and then poured some into my cup.
"Let's have a drink first."
"Are you sure it's okay for a child like me?"
"What does it matter? As long as you can expel the alcohol with your inner energy, it's fine."
"True."
I took a sip of the wine Mangryang offered. The scent was fragrant and pleasant. The bamboo wine had a spicy taste that lingered on my tongue. Since I didn't particularly dislike alcohol, I savored the flavor for a while. Then, Mangryang spoke.
"Think about it. Taixu Tianzun is one of the highest-ranking deities in Daoism, and Xi Wangmu is a powerful being who oversees all female immortals. They can bestow great blessings by consuming the water of the Black Night. If even they don't know about your time travel, what does that mean?"
"......?"
Mangryang, who had been gnawing on a chicken leg, said,
"The creator of the Cheonyeomjeon, or the one who imbued it with the power of reincarnation, must be a great being with power surpassing Taixu Tianzun or Xi Wangmu."
"Ugh...!!"
I had never considered this point, so I let out a sigh.
'The creator of the Cheonyeomjeon?'
I had never really thought about it before. I had only considered it a mysterious book that could turn back time. But after learning about the Seven Luminaries, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and the deities of Daoism, the meaning changed. The Cheonyeomjeon must have been created by someone, and that creator must have been of a rank far beyond human imagination.
Mangryang muttered,
"Perhaps you've gotten involved in something more troublesome than you thought."
"I've always thought that."
"Not in that sense, but hmm. Here, another chicken."
Mangryang had already finished a whole chicken. He ordered more side dishes and continued,
"How much do you understand about the divine ranks in Daoism?"
"I learned the basics while studying Qimen Dunjia."
"Actually, most of those considered gods in Daoism are not true gods but rather highly revered immortals. To Daoist practitioners, there's not much difference between immortals and gods. You can see this from the fact that there's a separate term for half-immortals."
"Hmm."
"However, if we assume the reincarnation in the Cheonyeomjeon, it might not be as simple as that. If the creator is of a higher rank than them, it could only be a true deity from another religion."
I was puzzled and asked,
"Isn't it said that in Daoism, Taishang Laojun and Shakyamuni are considered almost equal? I thought there was a clear distinction between Daoist and Buddhist ranks."
"Hehe, that's just a distortion that occurred during the integration and absorption of Indian Buddhism into Chinese folk beliefs. The deities and Buddhas worshipped in Indian Buddhism are very different from what we think."
Mangryang started gnawing on a chicken wing. He seemed quite hungry.
"Actually, India, the birthplace of Buddhism, doesn't widely practice Buddhism. India is the center of the most complex polytheistic worship in the world, and Shakyamuni is just one of the eight million deities worshipped by Indians."
"What? I've never heard that before."
"Do you know anything about Buddhism?"
"To be honest, not much."
"The Brahman, Narayana, and Mahesvara that Buddhism refers to are not just simple deities of the Great Heaven. Brahman is the creator of the world, Narayana is the maintainer, and Mahesvara is the destroyer in the end times. They are themselves great deities, but they were demoted to lower ranks when Buddhism merged with Daoism in China."
I found this story intriguing.
'A deity's rank can be lowered?'
It was something I had never considered. As I listened quietly to Mangryang, he picked up a duck leg and said,
"However, the power of Brahman, Narayana, and Mahesvara has not diminished at all. They are beings whose rank is unrelated to their external exposure. The creator of the Cheonyeomjeon could be such a being."
"What kind of being are you talking about?"
Mangryang chewed on the duck leg and said,
"A being that doesn't require faith or human recognition, a being that is a complete deity! Only such a being could surpass Taixu Tianzun or Xi Wangmu."
"......?"
I tilted my head.
"What does that mean?"
"Ha... In your previous life, 'I' should have made you read more religious texts. You are now closer to the realm of the divine than anyone else in China, yet you are so ignorant."
Gulping
Mangryang, who had been sighing, drank the wine straight from the bottle and explained. He had already finished most of the chicken.
"Think about it. Why are deities like Taixu Tianzun and Xi Wangmu so powerful?"
"Um... Because of their high rank?"
Mangryang shook his head while holding a chicken leg.
"No. It's because countless humans worship them, recognize them, and venerate them! The power of a deity is greatly influenced by faith. While they can maintain a certain level of power even without faith because they have ascended from the rank of immortals, faith creates a significant difference in power."
"Deities are so influenced by human belief?"
"Yes. Whether it's a Daoist deity or a Buddhist deity, they are ultimately created and shaped by humans. Their divine powers are closely linked to humans."
Mangryang was slowly finishing the last chicken leg. I glanced at the table and saw that it was almost empty. I had no choice but to order a bowl of chicken porridge. As I did, Mangryang said,
"Whether a deity or an immortal, they are beings that maintain reverence based on human belief. In other words, a deity that is forgotten by humans gradually loses power and eventually disappears. However, there are beings that are quite detached from this rule. They are deities that have existed since the creation of the world, regardless of human faith or recognition."
Gulp
Mangryang, who had eaten a lot, seemed to have made a sound unconsciously. I was eating the chicken porridge and was quite surprised by Mangryang's appetite. It seemed that he became extremely hungry after performing rituals. I thought that next time, I should make sure to feed Mangryang a hearty meal before we start. Meanwhile, Mangryang continued,
"These beings are extremely secretive and are not known to the public. Even if they are known, they are often shrouded in mystery, and only a few people know their true nature."
"Didn't you say that deities and immortals gain power from human belief? Why is that?"
"Because if humans knew about them, they would be so terrified by their mere existence that they would go mad!"
"......!!"
"Moreover, such beings do not require human faith. They possess the immense power to overturn the world on their own. They are not friendly to humans and generally treat them like insects."
Mangryang said this as if spitting it out.
"My teacher, Master Mangryang, actually plays a role in preventing these beings from interfering with the world. Despite his power being far greater than that of a great immortal, he remains in this world precisely for this reason."
"Prevent them from interfering...?"
"The role given to my teacher is that of a guardian. Therefore, no Daoist deity, except for Taishang Laojun, can force or command my teacher."
I suddenly recalled a conversation with Master Mangryang.
[The sorcerer you faced is not of this world. An outsider who accidentally entered. Just encountering his magic or knowledge can corrupt and degrade ordinary beings, leading them to worship despair. My job is to prevent such wanderers from reaching this world, but this time, I was