Chương 658: Heaven's Key (6)

"...!?"

I flinch at Bong Myeong's words.

"Through the Serving Command Palace, though faintly, I can observe the Head Realm. It is a privilege granted only to me, who is a native of the Head Realm, and the Imperial Venerable. Not long ago, while observing the Head Realm, I perceived that the Enders were about to arrive. Afterward, I observed the fates of the 'Guides' to be assigned to them, and those who are to 'guide' you Enders began to be born. I sensed them, and granted one of them the Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent."

"..."

"By making contact with you and pulling your fate toward me, I aimed to complete the Liberation Law Talent. And finally... after the death of two Guides, the Liberation Law Talent was completed."

'Two Guides?'

"... What exactly are these beings referred to as Guides?"

"Don't you already have a suspicion? Were there not those who first approached you when you awakened in the Head Realm?"

...!

"Those who approached you first and guided the path your fate must take. They are precisely... your [Guides]. You all were closely linked to them by fate, and your beginning, development, twist, and conclusion mostly unfolded through your entanglement with the Guides."

At those words, I recall a distant past.

The Heavenly Being stage cultivators I met in the Head Realm.

Jin Byuk-ho who took Jeon Myeong-hoon.

Heo Gwak who took Kang Min-hee.

Azure Tiger Saint who took Oh Hyun-seok.

Mad Lord who took Kim Yeon.

Seo Hweol who took Oh Hye-seo.

'So they were... the Guides?'

In Kim Young-hoon's case, perhaps it was the martial arts vendor who sold him martial arts in the first life.

And in my case...

From what Bong Myeong says, there is one answer.

'Buk Hyang-hwa. She... was my Guide.'

"And... Guides are always fated to [die] without exception. That is how their fate is written, and through their destruction, you undergo great events related to fate, and your beginning, development, twist, and conclusion progresses. In other words... the very existence of the Guides is your 'shackle'."

"...! Wh-What does that...? Then, are you saying we must forget them?"

"What strange words. When did I ever say such a thing? If there is a shackle... then there is always a key to unlock it. What I intend to tell you is the method to create an error in your shackle."

"An error...?"

"That's right. To cast off your shackle... yes. You could call it a key leading to heaven."

Bong Myeong smiles subtly and hands me something.

It is a small clump of light.

'Life?'

A clump of life force floats above Bong Myeong's palm in the form of a sphere of light.

"Take it. I have embedded wisdom within. The information is quite important that if spoken directly... it will [become something that never happened]."

"... Ah!"

I realize what they mean.

Just like when I deduced Hong Fan's identity before, and the Head Realm revised Mount Sumeru entirely.

It seems the wisdom is so dangerous that if spoken aloud, history will be revised.

"You are heading to the Outer Sea, so make sure to access it only there. Understood?"

"Yes, thank you. Then... what is the request the Supreme Deity has for me?"

"It's simple."

Bong Myeong smiles and extends their hand to me.

But with the words that follow, I can't help but be shocked.

"I... am a native of the Head Realm who miraculously ascended long ago to reach this position. But after receiving the Immortal Title of Bong Myeong (Serving Command)... I forgot my 'real name'. Tell me my 'real name'. Just as Gwak Am did... the first step to casting off this shackle is to remember one's 'real name'!"

"... Wh-What do you mean by that?"

How could I possibly know something like Bong Myeong's real name?

"Take my hand."

"Pardon...?"

"And listen carefully. The Head Realm repeats. Forever, in fact. And within that repetition, the history we know plays out over and over, and the great figures who once existed endlessly reappear in that world's history."

"Yes, yes..."

"And... when I ascended, I split myself in two. The current [me]... and the [me] who inherited the blood of Glass Peacock, who became mad with lust and rampaged wildly. That split [me] would not have escaped the Head Realm, for their head would have been filled only with magic artifact creation and lust. So... recall it."

As I grasp Bong Myeong's hand, I feel as if my mind clears.

"Back when you were there. Was there not someone who [created magic artifacts well], [was obsessed with lust], and [resembled me]!? Recall it. Because of fate's interference, I cannot read my own name in the Head Realm. Please, I beg you! Remember!"

"Th-This is..."

I try to reject it, saying it makes no sense.

But then it happens.

The clear energy rising from Bong Myeong's hand stimulates my mind, and suddenly, I recall a figure.

I do not know that person's face.

I only heard of his fame.

But suddenly, only that figure comes to mind.

'Obsessed with lust... skilled in artifact crafting... and looks like Bong Myeong...?'

I look at Bong Myeong's skin.

It is dark.

It looks sunburned, as if someone who lived near the desert.

And their appearance strangely resembles Buk Hyang-hwa.

'Someone who lives near the desert, oddly resembles Buk Hyang-hwa, excels at crafting artifacts... and is obsessed with... lust...?'

Flash!

I can't help but speak the name that naturally comes out of my mouth.

"... Gongmyo (孔卯)... Cheon-saek (千色)...?"

One of the Three Great Figures of the Qi Building stage.

Gongmyo Cheon-saek of magic artifacts.

The moment I speak that name— Tuk— It feels as if strength drains from Bong Myeong's hand, and tears fall from their eyes.

At the same time, I see one of the many chains wrapped around Bong Myeong's body shatter directly.

Pakang!

...!

The nearby principles begin to tremble.

Indra's Net shivers, and Bong Myeong's entire palace starts to quake.

But perhaps due to some method prepared, though the palace shakes, no strange phenomenon escapes beyond through Indra's Net.

Kugugugugu!

However, just from saying Bong Myeong's 'true name' once, the aftermath resounds massively within this space.

'Th-This is...'

Until now, I never thought much of the Naming Supreme Deity's 'Naming'.

Though they say fate resides in a name, I honestly never truly felt it.

But now, seeing this phenomenon, I finally understand.

'A name... is itself a 'symbol' containing immense power...'

Kurururung!

Bong Myeong's entire palace shakes violently.

If it weren't for Bong Myeong's palace, it feels like the entire Heavenly Domain would have been shaken.

At the same time, I understand now that Bong Myeong had intentionally provoked me at first while pretending not to know Kim Yeon's whereabouts.

'They provoked my hostility to force me into using a big move, and through that, they checked whether a 'gaze' of another great being was attached to me.'

Bong Myeong had said something like, 'If I give you Kim Yeon, it'll bring misfortune, so I tried to give misfortune first and then give you Kim Yeon'.

But it seems this was their true intention from the beginning.

'They made me reveal great power from the beginning, confirmed I was safe, and then made me find their true name.'

I can't help but admire Bong Myeong's deep calculations.

This is the level of calculation possessed by a Supreme Deity.

I can't even begin to guess how many moves ahead they have been thinking.

"..."

Drip, drip...

The tears from their eyes trail down their cheeks and fall from the tip of their chin.

Then, they burst into hearty laughter.

"... Yeah. That was the name. I... was that name."

Hwaaaak— Bong Myeong staggers back a few steps away from me, and perhaps it's because they channeled some Immortal Art through our clasped hands, but my mind continues to grow clearer.

'This seems to be... some kind of face-recalling Immortal Art.'

It appears to be an Immortal Art that brings to mind forgotten faces and enhances intelligence related to faces.

It's a rather funny effect, but seeing their tears, I can tell how desperate they were.

"... It's been long. It's truly been long... Finally... I have recalled my true name..."

Bong Myeong.

No...

Gongmyo Cheon-saek laughs while crying.

"Truly... thank you. I too... like Gwak Am, have at last gained the starting point to hope...!!"

Even as tears fall, he laughs madly.

"Finally...! I've gained the starting point to liberation! Ha, hahaha! Huhahahahaha!!"

"..."

I watch Gongmyo Cheon-saek repeat between crying and laughing for quite some time, and let out a silent sigh.

And suddenly, through him, I come to realize something.

It is an incredibly natural enlightenment.

'As expected... the only Governing Immortal whom Yang Su-jin said could be trusted... was that person.'

For Governing Immortals, their Immortal Title is a shackle.

Because of that, most Governing Immortals are like livestock with collars bound to the Head Realm...

But in Yang Su-jin's era, there was one Venerable.

In my era, two divine spirits who are free from those collars.

The first is the Western Heavenly Venerable, Netherworld Queen Mother Bong Hwa, who never accepted an Immortal Title from the start.

And... the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Gwak Am, who succeeded in casting off their Immortal Title, Ra Cheon.

That's right.

The one Governing Immortal whom Yang Su-jin says can be trusted—by the standards of Yang Su-jin's era—is the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld Bong Hwa.

Only the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld bore no Immortal Title and lived freely under their true name at that time.

'As expected, my intuition was right.'

I finally manage to find the basis for my trust in the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.

From the beginning, my trust in the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld was grounded in my intuition that stemmed from my consciousness when it was touching Araya Consciousness, so it couldn't have been wrong.

'I can now understand why Yang Su-jin vaguely said 'only one Governing Immortal can be trusted'.'

There was a reason why he didn't just say the name or title.

From the start, among the names of the Governing Immortals, only the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld has a name that doesn't symbolize the heavens, blackness, or fate, so in Yang Su-jin's era, just looking at the names of Governing Immortals would have made it immediately clear.

But in my era, there are two Governing Immortals without Immortal Titles, including Gwak Am, which made it a bit more confusing.

I let out a hearty laugh at that ironic fact.

"... It feels good to know I was helpful."

"What are you saying? You are my benefactor. Yes. I will undo the Immortal Art."

"Yes, thank you. So it was... an Immortal Art that maximizes intuition toward faces?"

"You know well. It may seem useless... but it is an Immortal Art made for this very moment."

Gongmyo Cheon-saek smiles brightly and reaches out to undo the Immortal Art cast on my head.

It is at that moment.

'Ah...'

I suddenly realize that three faces are surfacing in my mind.

Is it due to the Immortal Art that amplifies facial intuition to its peak?

Rather than faces related to Gongmyo Cheon-saek, I begin to recall connections between seemingly unrelated faces.

'Hong Fan and Hyeon Rang. Their faces... are not exactly the same.'

At the very last moment before the Immortal Art fully dissipates, My mind boils with activity, and I discover the link between the two.

In the case of Hyeon Rang, his eyes are less sharp than Hong Fan's and give off a slightly softer overall impression.

And that face of Hyeon Rang from his youth, which I saw not long ago.

I mentally subtract [Hong Fan's facial features] from that youthful face.

'Ah...'

At last, I come to understand the source of the sense of familiarity I've felt from Hyeon Rang's face.

When I remove Hong Fan's features from Hyeon Rang's face...

The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.

Bong Hwa's face appears.

Hyeon Rang's face was, from the start, like a blend of Hong Fan and Bong Hwa.