Chapter 2098 – 2098. The Path To Ascending In Radiance
I arrived at the city, my destination.
It was a place that had developed simply because it was close to the capital.
I walked confidently towards the city entrance, not concealing my energy. Ordinary people felt an instinctive fear of me and kept their distance. They lowered their gazes, afraid of even making eye contact.
The soldiers guarding the city, who seemed to have some martial arts training, recognized my energy and swallowed nervously, tensing up. Ignoring them, I passed through and entered the city.
I had no intention of causing trouble in this city. As it was close to the capital, the government officials directly managed it. In this era ruled by the Emperor, turning the government into an enemy was no different from suicide. Even the Demonic Cult and the Martial Alliance were wary of the Emperor’s gaze.
I walked down the main street. Everywhere I went, the surroundings became quiet. It was because I wasn’t hiding my energy. There were still some gazes following me, but no one openly tried to interfere.
I entered a building with a sign that read “Five Dragons Trading Company.”
According to Baekran, it was one of the disguised businesses run by the Golden Guard.
A merchant was sitting on the first floor. Around him were boxes filled with unknown contents.
“Oh, welcome. What brings you here? Our Five Dragons Trading Company specializes in animal hides. Are you looking for any particular hide?”
I stared intently at him. He trembled under my pressure but didn’t avert his gaze. He was quite a spirited merchant.
“I’m looking for the hide of a yellow dragon.”
I spoke the code to contact the Golden Guard. The merchant glanced around, then said,
“P-please come this way.”
I followed the merchant into a room.
Click, click. The merchant pressed a hidden switch on the wall seven times. The sound of metal interlocking and gears turning came from within the wall. It was a mechanical formation.
‘The energy is spreading, cutting off the outside. Is this a combination of mechanical formation and sorcery?’
There was a chair in the room, so I went and sat down.
“There are many kinds of yellow dragon hides. Which one are you looking for exactly?”
“I want the one with a white flower drawn on it.”
“The person you seek is currently in the capital. You should be able to make contact in about three days.”
“Three days, huh.”
I didn’t like it, but there was nothing I could do.
“I will guide you to a brothel so you can stay comfortably for three days.”
“No need. I’ll wait here.”
I exited the game world and started auto-progress. Three days passed in an instant.
• • •
Baekran entered the room and took off her bamboo hat. Her bangs swayed. They were clean, white hair. The back of her hair was tied up and fixed with a black hairpin.
Her soft eyes and faint smile were the same as when I last saw her. Her beautiful appearance made everyone, regardless of gender, feel affection.
“…You’ve reached the Three Perfections Realm in the time I haven’t seen you.”
“When I met you last time, I was already halfway there.”
“It seems you’re ahead of me.”
“I was just lucky.”
It was a jest.
The Three Perfections Realm was not so simple that it could be explained away with luck. The reason she was ahead of me was probably due to her experience from before the regression. It was something she had already experienced once.
“What made you try to contact me? Is there a problem with the Heavenly Demon?”
“The Heavenly Demon is always the same. He’s a recluse.”
“I see. Then why did you call me? And in this way? Do you know how surprised I was when you suddenly appeared and tried to contact me? What on earth is going on…?”
“I have something to ask you. It’s important.”
“Hmm. I’ll answer as sincerely as possible… but can you reduce your energy? Your energy is so fierce that my skin has been tingling since I entered the room.”
I suppressed my energy. It felt like I was forcibly suppressing my mood, which made me feel suffocated.
“You seem anxious. What is it?”
I explained Mireyeong’s condition to her. Of course, I hid the detailed information about Mireyeong.
“…Indeed. Your companion, a sorcerer, tried to enter the Harmony Realm but failed, and her mind is trapped in her inner world… And because fire energy is constantly leaking out little by little… the problem is serious.”
“Is there no way to solve it?”
“To answer directly, I don’t know the method.”
“……Didn’t you say you studied sorcery to some extent?”
“There’s a big difference between knowing and not knowing. Just because I studied sorcery doesn’t make me a sorcerer. Even if I can use sorcery, it’s all basic. In terms of sorcery skills, I’m worse than a novice sorcerer. The sorcerer you know is a skilled sorcerer who tried to reach the Harmony Realm. The depth is different. I can never catch up.”
“……”
Was seeking out Baekran the wrong choice?
I immediately started planning my next move. The first thing that came to mind was using an elixir on Mireyeong. However, I wasn’t sure if an elixir could cure her.
Right now, Mireyeong’s mind was trapped in her inner world. Would using an elixir be able to free her mind from that world? I couldn’t be sure.
“I understand that the sorcerer is a precious person to you. But please calm down. If you’re too agitated, things that could work might not.”
“A precious person… I guess so. It’s hard to calm down. I don’t have much time.”
“You have a year, don’t you?”
“A year is nothing.”
In this world, a year was nothing.
“If you’re really short on time, sealing the sorcerer might be an option.”
“…Sealing?”
“There are many kinds of seals. From simply locking them in a dungeon to high-level seals that stop space and time. Do you want a seal? I can help you.”
“I want to keep sealing as a last resort. Is there no other way?”
“The only other option would be to find a renowned sorcerer. The best thing would be to find a sorcerer who has reached the Harmony Realm and ask for help.”
“Such sorcerers aren’t common. And there’s no guarantee they’ll help even if I find them.”
“As a backup, you could look for a sorcerer in the Three Perfections Realm. Do you know the Sima Clan?”
Sima Clan? I didn’t know the details, but I had heard the name before. It was a famous place like the Zhuge Clan.
“I’ve heard the name.”
“The Sima Clan is a family that consistently produces outstanding sorcerers. They have a close relationship with the Imperial Family. Most of the Sima Clan’s sorcerers work in the Imperial Palace. Including the branch families, there are probably over 100 Sima sorcerers working in the Imperial Palace.”
“100? That’s an impressive family.”
“Indeed. Among them, the current head of the Sima Clan, Sima Ryeong, is from a branch family, but she reached the Three Perfections Realm and took the position of head. She was the Imperial High Priest but retired and is now focusing on family matters.”
“Imperial High Priest? That’s an impressive figure.”
“Well, even as the Imperial High Priest, she only presides over regular rituals… she doesn’t really do anything else. So she doesn’t have as much power as people might think.”
“…Doesn’t she manage the Imperial Palace’s barriers and formations?”
“That’s a common misconception. The Imperial Palace doesn’t have barriers or formations.”
“What?”
“His Majesty the Emperor resides in the Imperial Palace. What use would such things be?”
Baekran chuckled. It was just a hunch, but it seemed like she was annoyed. I understood. Working in the Imperial Palace, where there were so many high-ranking officials, must be stressful for her too.
“Anyway, if what you say is true, the head of the Sima Clan would be helpful. I need to go to the Sima Clan and ask for help. …Can I get your help?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have any connections with the Sima Clan. The Sima Clan has deep ties with the Imperial Family, so even with the power of the First-Class Golden Guard, we can’t act carelessly.”
“……Should I go and threaten them?”
“I’ll take that as a joke.”
They had deep ties with the Imperial Family. That meant that if I messed with them, I could draw the Emperor’s attention.
“How should I approach them?”
“The best way is to approach them through a connection with a high-ranking official. Do you know any high-ranking officials? It would be good if they were related to the Imperial Family.”
“High-ranking officials I know? There’s no way I would…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence. Suddenly, one name popped into my head.
“You seem to have someone in mind. Who is it?”
“…Seong Jigon.”
I had been meeting with Seong Jigon regularly. Thanks to that, I knew what rank Seong Jigon held now.
Currently, Seong Jigon was a General of the Soaring Martial (昭武將軍) of the Third Rank.
“Seong Jigon? Ah. Are you talking about the General of the Soaring Martial in Hayang City? Your half-brother.”
Baekran said with a smile. She even knew facts that I hadn’t bothered to mention. It meant that she had investigated me to some extent.
“But the Third Rank is not enough, is it?”
“Seong Jigon is young for his age. He shouldn’t be at the Third Rank yet. He hasn’t achieved any great feats either.”
There were no enemy nations in the Empire. Since the entire continent was one, it was not easy to gain merit through war. The only way to quickly gain merit was to subjugate monsters.
Seong Jigon hadn’t done much monster subjugation either. Yet, the reason Seong Jigon was able to reach the high position of the Third Rank was… thanks to the help of his teacher, Guwol Seonja (九月仙子).
Guwol Seonja, the teacher of the Crown Prince. Even though that Crown Prince was dead, her power was no less than that of any high-ranking official.
“Ah, I see. You’re planning to ask him to use Guwol Seonja’s connections? Certainly, with Guwol Seonja, meeting the head of the Sima Clan would be nothing. You’ve thought well. But will Seong Jigon help you?”
“How close do you think I am with that guy? Of course, he’ll help.”
“Hmm. I see. I don’t intend to criticize your half-brother… but be careful. The rumors I’ve heard aren’t good.”
“Rumors aren’t good?”
“They say he often meets the mistresses of prestigious families for power. They call him a personification of the desire for power.”
Seong Jigon wanted power?
The mistresses of prestigious families would be women of a certain age. The reason Seong Jigon was meeting them wasn’t because of his desire for power, but…
“……”
I closed my mouth. It was something I didn’t want to imagine.
