Chapter 206: Karma (3)
During the time when the exiled monk Deok-mun[1] of the Shaolin Temple was still a monk, his Dharma name was Ja Geum-jeong. He was taken in by the current Sutra Pavilion Master, Grand Monk Gong-jeon, who was one of the top five martial arts masters in Shaolin.
Grand Monk Gong-jeon, who took in Ja Geum-jeong after he lost his parents to ongoing famine and bandit attacks, highly regarded Ja Geum-jeong's martial arts talent among the children he had taken in at Shaolin and personally taught him martial arts as his direct disciple.
Living up to these expectations, Ja Geum-jeong's outstanding martial prowess was recognized to the extent that he was even mentioned as a candidate for the next Ten Precepts Monk after just ten years.
However, despite this recognition and Grand Monk Gong-jeon's repeated recommendations, Ja Geum-jeong was repeatedly excluded from the list of Ten Precepts Monk candidates.
Grand Monk Gong-jeon, who considered this unfair, raised the issue during a Dharma Council meeting.
"Amitabha. I would like to ask the Abbot and all of you. Why do you keep excluding Deok-mun from the list of candidates whenever selecting the Ten Precepts Monk?"
It was the Precepts Hall Master, Grand Monk Dae-deok, who answered Grand Monk Gong-jeon's question.
"Amitabha. As the Sutra Pavilion Master is well aware, one must not only excel in martial arts to become a Ten Precepts Monk, correct?"
"Of course. However, in my judgment as the one who directly taught that child, no one has a gentler heart than him."
At these words, Grand Monk Dae-deok, the Precepts Hall Master, let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
"Sutra Pavilion Master."
"Amitabha. Please speak."
"There is a difference between having an upright heart and a gentle one."
"…Precepts Hall Master. You know better than anyone the unfortunate circumstances behind Deok-mun being called to the Precepts Hall several times, don't you?"
"And that is precisely why that child is not suitable to become a Ten Precepts Monk who will represent Shaolin."
"How can you say that?"
"Do you want me to directly mention this matter?"
At those words, Grand Monk Gong-jeon suddenly realized his mistake.
He only wanted to give his disciple, Ja Geum-jeong, a chance.
However, because of this, the fact that only he, the Precepts Hall Master, and the Abbot knew within Shaolin was about to be revealed.
"I can understand that seeing things one shouldn't see when the Spiritual Gate opens is that child's karma given by Buddha. However, Deok-mun tries to endure it not through the practice of the Buddha's teachings, but with the alcohol offered in the Dharma Hall."
Murmuring
At the Precepts Hall Master's words, the senior monks began to stir.
Grand Monk Gong-jeon tried to settle this.
"Precepts Hall Master, but that's…"
"Yes. The world that child sees is different from ordinary people. How can living in a world where he sees dead spirits not be painful?"
"You know that, yet…"
"And that is precisely why it cannot be allowed. He has to endure pain and suffering for a lifetime, but he has already succumbed to alcohol several times, unable to control himself, and is locked up in the Seclusion Hall. How can we give the position of Ten Precepts Monk, which requires being a role model to other monks, to someone like that? We should no longer discuss this issue."
At the Precepts Hall Master's words, all the monks in the council hall nodded their heads.
Seeing them, Grand Monk Gong-jeon lowered his head with a regretful expression and pressed his palms together.
He wanted to give that child a chance.
However, while everyone said they understood, they looked at the child's suffering with a distorted view and simply believed it should be overcome through the Buddha's teachings.
"Amitabha."
But Grand Monk Gong-jeon thought differently.
How can one overcome everything just by practicing the Buddha's teachings?
He saw no big difference in telling someone whose leg was cut off to diligently practice the Buddha's way and that they would be able to walk someday.
"Everyone only sees one side of that child."
Grand Monk Gong-jeon was truly regretful.
Because Deok-mun could see what others couldn't, he was able to realize even what Shaolin had lost.
However, everyone focused on his faults rather than his merits.
This was the nature of the Buddha's teachings.
This would remain unchanged even as time passed.
"Perhaps it would be right to let that child go, for his own sake."
***
Papapapapapapang!
Countless evil spirits instantly burst and vanished.
"Ha!"
At this sight, the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong couldn't hide his surprise, his mouth agape.
After leaving Shaolin, he had been drowning in alcohol to forget the "visible suffering" even a little.
As he sank into alcohol, naturally he couldn't control himself, and thanks to that, he committed numerous eccentric acts and was even called a madman.
It was none other than Monk Imun-hae who pulled him out of this mire.
"You have lived a truly painful life."
Imun-hae was the first to understand these cursed eyes of his and drove away the evil spirits with talisman techniques, allowing him to sleep peacefully for the first time without alcohol.
Taking this as a bond, he had been following Monk Imun-hae and living with him.
However, he couldn't help but click his tongue.
"What kind of fellow is this?"
Monk Imun-hae had said something like this while drinking together.
"I told you your skills are good, so why are you conscious of the sect?"
"Yeah. With your level of skill as a monk, you could receive better treatment wherever you go, couldn't you?"
"Haha. Ja-hyung, I feel good hearing you say that. But just as there are countless masters in the martial world, as you said, the same goes for the world of monks. There are monks far more outstanding and great than me."
"To this drunkard, you're the best."
"I'm grateful for your words, but if a mere itinerant monk like me goes around claiming to be the best, the monks of the world will laugh at me."
"Hmph. Stop pretending to be humble."
At that time, he thought that even if a monk's skills were outstanding, they would all be similar.
He considered them all to be the same.
But when he actually witnessed Mok Gyeong-un's monastic technique of slaughtering countless evil spirits by forming hand seals without even using talismans, he was dumbfounded.
Monk Imun-hae really couldn't compare to him.
"What the hell is this guy's true identity?"
Judging by the energy felt from the outside, he was clearly a martial artist.
But how did he master monastic techniques to this level?
Then,
"Haa… haa…"
"Young lady? Are you coming to your senses?"
Woo-hyang, the daughter of the estate owner who had been suffering from an evil spirit's possession, regained consciousness.
She looked around in a daze.
"What happened?"
Ever since her father became like that, every single day had been so painful that even breathing was difficult.
But now, it wasn't like that at all.
She felt as if her whole body had become light, as if she had returned to the past.
"Young lady, your complexion?"
"My body feels at ease. What happened?"
At this question, the man supporting her hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong and Mok Gyeong-un with a nod.
"I think those guests did something."
"Those people?"
"Yes."
He couldn't say exactly what they did.
However, after Mok Gyeong-un did something, her heavy body suddenly became much lighter.
Even the eerie phenomenon of occasional chills running down her spine disappeared.
Then, Woo-hyang clasped her hands together and bowed her head to them, refusing the help of the man supporting her.
"Thank you. Thanks to you two heroes, my body has become much lighter."
At her gratitude, the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong snorted and said,
"This drunkard didn't do anything. If you want to thank someone, thank that fellow who looks like a long-time courtesan…"
Smack!
"Ugh!"
Before he could finish speaking, Ja Geum-jeong grabbed his nose in pain.
Drip drip
"!?"
Feeling the warm wetness on his hand, Ja Geum-jeong's eyes widened.
His nose was bleeding.
The blood dripping onto his palm was quickly washed away by the heavy rain, but that wasn't the issue.
"What the?"
He didn't even see it coming.
He only realized it after feeling the pain upon impact.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said,
"If you don't know my name, just call me 'sir.' I don't particularly like being called a long-time courtesan."
"You… what the hell are you?"
Papak!
The exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong removed his hand from his nose and assumed a martial arts stance.
He had thought that while he didn't know about his monastic techniques, his martial arts skill was only at the Peak (絶頂) level of mastery.
But just now, he couldn't even detect the blow to his nose.
This aroused his fighting spirit.
However,
Pat!
Seop Chun stepped between them, gripping the handle of his Wind Demon Blade, and said,
"Exiled monk. Do not be rude to my lord."
Of course, he wasn't the only one.
Mong Mu-yak also stood beside Seop Chun and half-drew his sword.
Shing!
Seeing them, Ja Geum-jeong frowned.
The exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong knew from the moment he saw them that these two were Transcendent Realm masters.
Yet, men with such martial talent were pledging allegiance to that fellow who resembled a long-time courtesan.
That made him even more curious about that guy's true identity.
Whoosh!
Energy gathered in Ja Geum-jeong's fists.
Then, a blue light flickered from his fists, forming a strength of fist.
Seeing this, admiration flashed in the eyes of Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak.
"Fist strength?"
"His qi circulation is fast."
They knew he wasn't an ordinary master, but they didn't know he could circulate qi so quickly to form fist strength.
Unlike their surprise, Mok Gyeong-un was focusing on a different aspect.
This time too, Ja Geum-jeong gathered the surrounding energy to form fist strength.
"Interesting."
Although he was watching it with his own eyes, it was difficult to understand the principle.
The movement of internal energy through acupoints could be understood as a kind of qi circulation principle, but this transcended the realm of understanding, just like the Art of Sword Control shown by the Society Leader.
It was a technique that couldn't be easily stolen without accompanying enlightenment.
That's why it piqued his interest even more.
"Both of you, stand back."
Mok Gyeong-un gave an order to Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak.
"But My Lord…"
"It's alright, so please step aside."
At this, Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak simultaneously retreated to the left and right.
However, Ja Geum-jeong still maintained his martial arts stance without releasing it, showing the momentum of throwing a punch at any moment.
To him, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Is that fist technique a martial art of the Shaolin Temple?"
"Hmph. With what face would I use Shaolin's fist techniques after being excommunicated? This is the Demon Subduing Attacking Fist[2] created by this drunkard."
At these words, Seop Chun snorted.
He said it wasn't Shaolin's fist technique, but no matter how you look at it, it resembles the Shaolin Demon Subduing Fist.
The Shaolin Demon Subduing Fist, one of the five fist techniques derived from the Divine White Technique[3], was famous for its fierce yet elegant fist sequence as an offensive martial art.
Of course, Mok Gyeong-un, who didn't know this, didn't care at all which one was the original.
He just wanted to know how Ja Geum-jeong circulated his internal energy.
"Was it called the Unsurpassed Power[4]?"
Unsurpassed Power.
The legendary cultivation method that Bodhidharma supposedly created as his final enlightenment before becoming a celestial being.
If one could manipulate the surrounding energy without gathering internal energy inside the body, nothing could be more efficient.
That's why he wanted to grasp its principle even more.
So, Mok Gyeong-un provoked him.
"In the martial world, they say to yield three moves to a junior, right? Come at me."
"What?"
Ja Geum-jeong scowled fiercely.
He knew from that one move earlier that this fellow wasn't ordinary, but still, he was someone who was known as one of the Three Madmen in the martial world and had a notorious reputation.
Yet, this young fellow was provoking him, saying he would yield three moves to him, so his anger rose.
"Alright. If you're that confident, let's have a go…"
Right then,
Boom!
Before Ja Geum-jeong's words could end, a huge roar erupted from the main hall.
At this, everyone's gaze simultaneously turned there.
Wondering what happened, the wall of the main hall had collapsed at some point, and a man in a gray monk's robe with a Yin-Yang symbol was staggering there.
Seeing this, the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong cried out in surprise.
"Imun-hae!"
And he hurriedly tried to rush towards him,
Pak!
But Mok Gyeong-un blocked him and shook his head.
Because,
Bulge bulge
The condition of the man called Imun-hae, wearing a monk's robe, was unusual.
Black blood vessels were bulging all over his face, and his eyes were also rolled back, taking the form of white eyes.
"Kekekekekek!"
The man laughed towards them in an eerie voice.
Both his appearance and laughter were extremely creepy.
The exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong, who thought his condition was unusual, shouted roughly.
"Get out of the way!"
Mok Gyeong-un snorted and said,
"What can you do even if I move?"
Gnash!
"Then are you telling me to just stand by and watch?"
"Yes."
"What?"
Pat!
As soon as the retort ended, Mok Gyeong-un's figure dispersed and suddenly appeared in front of the possessed Imun-hae.
Flinch!
The eerily laughing Imun-hae was startled by Mok Gyeong-un's sudden appearance and tried to slash his neck with sharpened nails.
However,
Pak! Crack!
Mok Gyeong-un grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm at once.
He twisted it so hard that the bone protruded through the elbow.
Normally, this level of pain would make one scream, but Imun-hae laughed even more.
"Kekekekekek! It's useless. Do you think this body will feel pain from something like this?"
"Yes. I suppose so."
"Are you also a monk? This fellow's body is already mine…"
Slap!
Before he could finish speaking, Mok Gyeong-un slapped Imun-hae's cheek.
Imun-hae's head turned, his eyes wide open.
He felt no pain at all when his arm was broken, but that slap just now made his face burn as if it would char.
"I guess this hurts, huh?"
The startled entity possessing Imun-hae's body turned its head.
"You… who the hell are you?"
Thwack! Crack!
Right then, Mok Gyeong-un kicked Imun-hae's shin.
With his shin broken, Imun-hae was forced to kneel on one knee.
Thud!
Mok Gyeong-un then slapped Imun-hae's other cheek.
Slap!
"Ugh!"
A scream burst out from Imun-hae's mouth at the searing pain.
The entity possessing Imun-hae's body finally realized something was wrong.
This bastard could directly inflict pain on it.
Thus,
'I need to get out.'
That entity tried to leave Imun-hae's body.
However,
Grab!
Mok Gyeong-un grabbed his shoulder,
Pak! Pak! Pak!
Struggle (鬪)! Rip (裂)! Spread (陳)!
He made a simplified hand seal.
Then the entity trying to escape from the monk Imun-hae was trapped inside the body as if it had become a prison and couldn't get out.
That entity cried out in a fluster,
"You… just what the hell are you doing…"
Slap!
"Ack!"
Before it could finish speaking, the entity's cheek turned to the side.
It was so painful that the entity possessing Imun-hae's body turned its head in disbelief.
But then, Mok Gyeong-un's face entered its white eyes.
Flinch!
'He's… smiling?'
This wasn't the kind of expression someone trying to save the owner of this body from it would show.
Rather, this smile was filled with nothing but malice.
For a moment, the entity unconsciously swallowed its dry saliva.
208: Chapter 207: Karma (4)
Flinch!
'He's… smiling?'
The entity possessing the monk Imun-hae's body couldn't hide its bewilderment for a moment.
This wasn't the kind of expression someone trying to save the owner of this body from it would show.
Rather, it was filled with nothing but malice.
'What the hell is this bastard?'
Slap!
"Ack!"
It was painful, the searing agony every time it was slapped.
It didn't know what technique he used, but because of the eerie energy felt from the fellow's hand, pain was being inflicted on both the physical body and the spiritual body simultaneously.
Thanks to that, screams burst out involuntarily.
Slap!
Imun-hae's cheek turned to the opposite side again.
It was in a state of confusion from the pain burning even the spiritual body.
'Is, is this bastard going to keep doing this?'
Right then,
As Mok Gyeong-un tried to slap the monk Imun-hae's cheek again, the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong shouted,
"Stop!"
At that cry, Mok Gyeong-un slowly turned his head.
Then Ja Geum-jeong scowled fiercely and pressed,
"What the hell are you doing, you long-time courtesan bastard?"
"What am I doing?"
"You were yapping as if you could handle it, so what the hell is this?"
Ja Geum-jeong was furious.
That was understandable because the monk Imun-hae was no less than a savior to him and his only friend.
So, he thought with Mok Gyeong-un's monastic technique skills, he could surely save him, and quietly watched.
But this wasn't saving; it was close to unilaterally tormenting him.
He stepped in, thinking that if left alone, Imun-hae might die at that fellow's hands.
"If you don't take your hands off him right now…"
"If you want, you can have him."
"What?"
Pak! Whoosh!
Mok Gyeong-un, who was about to slap him, grabbed Imun-hae's collar and threw him towards the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong.
Surprised by the sudden action, Ja Geum-jeong hurriedly caught the flying Imun-hae.
Ja Geum-jeong, who set him upright with a gentle force, asked,
"Hey. Mun-hae? Are you alright?"
"Drunkard bastard. Your body seems quite useful."
"What?"
Grab!
At that moment, Imun-hae, no, the possessed entity grabbed both of Ja Geum-jeong's arms.
The moment Mok Gyeong-un removed his hand from the shoulder, the entity felt its spiritual body become free again and tried to take this opportunity to move into Ja Geum-jeong's body.
However,
Whoosh!
The moment it tried to pass through the point of contact, Ja Geum-jeong used the Golden Silk Hand technique to reverse-twist the arms of the entity possessing Imun-hae.
Then he immediately headbutted its face.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
The entity possessing Imun-hae's body fell backwards from the headbutt.
Even if it didn't feel pain, the physical body itself couldn't withstand the impact imbued with martial power, causing this to happen.
"Damn it! Help me!"
Ja Geum-jeong looked at the fallen Imun-hae and then shouted at Mok Gyeong-un.
Then Mok Gyeong-un grinned and said,
"Didn't you say you don't need help?"
"Help me."
"Well…"
"You bastard!"
Crack! Crack!
At that moment, the entity possessing Imun-hae's body, who had fallen to the ground, slowly got up with an even more grotesque face and charged at Ja Geum-jeong.
"Kieeeek!"
Grip!
"Kuk!"
However, Ja Geum-jeong grabbed that bastard's neck with one hand.
The bastard possessing Imun-hae's body tried to break or shake off that hand.
Pak pak!
But Ja Geum-jeong didn't budge at all.
The wrist of Ja Geum-jeong, who had a physique nearly twice that of ordinary people and thick muscles, was like an old tree trunk.
Even when using the physical body to exert a strength nearly two to three times that of an adult man, it couldn't break his wrist and could only flail around while hanging.
"Stay still, you little shit."
Squeeze!
Then Ja Geum-jeong put more strength into his hand and shook the body.
"Kuk kuk!"
From the perspective of the possessing entity, it was maddening.
It wasn't painful, but it didn't know what the hell this monster-like bastard was.
Are these things really human?
While it was bewildered, Ja Geum-jeong looked at Mok Gyeong-un and said,
"Hey! Please save this bastard."
"I'm not particularly interested."
"You bastard! Are you really going to be like this?"
"You were the one who refused first."
"You son of a bitch!"
Ja Geum-jeong spat out rough words in disbelief, then took out a gourd bottle hanging from his waist and gulped it down.
Naturally, the gourd bottle contained liquor.
Although the situation had improved compared to before, he was someone who couldn't live without alcohol.
Gulp gulp!
After downing the liquor in the gourd bottle in one go, Ja Geum-jeong said to Mok Gyeong-un with a flushed face,
"I really don't like it, but if you save this bastard, this drunkard will do anything he can for you."
At his words, Seop Chun looked at him with a puzzled expression.
Ja Geum-jeong was famous for committing all sorts of eccentric acts like a madman, true to his nickname "Three Madmen."
But he's acting like this just to save one acquaintance?
It was truly unexpected, seeing a different side of him from the rumors.
Then Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth.
"Can you keep that promise to do anything you can?"
"Even if I lived as I pleased, I have never once broken my word."
"Hmm."
"You son of a bitch! As long as it's not an absurd request like asking me to die, there's absolutely no way I'll break it."
"I see. Then it piques my interest."
"Interest?"
Swish!
Mok Gyeong-un reached out his hand towards Imun-hae, whose neck Ja Geum-jeong was grabbing.
Then a strong pulling force was felt.
This was one of the techniques of the Eight Thought-Shattering Techniques, the Art of Binding technique.
Of course, to Ja Geum-un who didn't know this, it seemed like a Void Grasping technique.
'He's truly a monster-like fellow. How can such a young lad who hasn't even reached his prime possess such profound internal energy?'
Ja Geum-jun, who had been clicking his tongue, soon removed his hand from Imun-hae's neck.
Whoosh!
At that moment, his body flew and was caught again by Mok Gyeong-un's hand.
'Th-this bastard is too dangerous.'
The entity possessing Imun-hae was startled with fear and hurriedly pleaded in a begging tone.
"Hey. Human. I'll leave this monk's body. So please, let's stop this."
"Who are you to decide?"
"Aren't you trying to save this bastard?"
It clearly heard that damn drunkard and this monster-like fellow negotiating with each other.
If that's the case, their goal should be to save this fellow in some way, so why are they being so aggressive?
To the puzzled entity, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Your rank is low."
"What?"
"You're just a mere Yellow Spirit rank, but seeing you enter a monk's body, you must have received help from another being, right?"
'!?'
The entity was quite surprised by Mok Gyeong-un's words accurately grasping its rank.
Regardless, Mok Gyeong-un continued speaking.
"Well, each one isn't much, but to be able to move this many evil spirits and low-ranked resentful souls like you, the one behind it doesn't seem to be an ordinary monster."
"…You're no ordinary human."
The resentful soul possessing Imun-hae clicked its tongue and said.
At this, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
"I don't think we need to argue about that, and I'm quite busy, you see."
"Then just go. Why are you trying to help them? This is something these family members brought upon themselves."
'Brought upon themselves?'
Mok Gyeong-un was puzzled by the resentful soul's words.
He thought there must be some reason, but did they really do something to provoke the resentful souls?
Come to think of it, the old woman who owned the inn said something similar.
[That boatman living over there… In other words, the elder of that household committed evil deeds and is dying from heavenly punishment.]
Heavenly punishment.
Usually, such words don't come out well without some kind of cause and effect.
Isn't it no different from saying that they provided a bad cause and are paying the price for it?
"What did they bring upon themselves?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's direct question, the resentful soul possessing Imun-hae's body glared at Woo-hyang, the estate owner's daughter, who was trembling in fear with a pale face.
"That wench knows very well."
"You're saying she knows well?"
"Yes. This is the punishment and karma they must receive."
"Hmm."
Mok Gyeong-un looked at Woo-hyang.
She was trembling in fear with a pale face.
What on earth did they do to gather this many resentful souls and evil spirits around here?
While he was puzzled, the resentful soul said in a loud voice,
"Leave, guests. We do not resent you."
"Get out of that bastard's body!"
Ja Geum-jeong lashed out with a lion's roar in an angry voice.
It was so resounding that it pierced through the heavy rain and made the surroundings echo.
The resentful soul clicked its tongue and said,
"I can see that you are no ordinary humans. But when he arrives soon, even you will not be able to save your lives."
"He?"
"Yes. So leave. Then you can live."
Rumble rumble crash!
Right then, thunder roared in the sky.
Along with it, even blue lightning flashed.
It was as if the sky was angry and expressing its rage.
The resentful soul revealed its yellow teeth and said in a crazed voice,
"Hehehe. He is enraged. When he comes, that rage will reach even you. Right now…"
Slap!
"Ack!"
Before it could finish speaking, the resentful soul's head turned.
The resentful soul quickly turned its head, glared at Mok Gyeong-un, and shouted,
"This has nothing to do with you, so I'm graciously showing mercy…"
"Let me say the opposite."
"What?"
"I need the owner of this estate. So if you and the 'he' you speak of quietly leave, I'll spare your souls."
"You really…"
"I don't care about what happened. Count to five."
"Five?"
"If you don't get lost within five counts, I'll indiscriminately exorcise all the resentful souls in this area that I see. Just a warning in case, but threatening me with the lives of the estate owner and the villagers will be meaningless to me."
"What?"
"If it becomes a hindrance to me, I'll kill everything alive and dead in this area."
'!!!!!!!!'
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the resentful soul's white eyes trembled.
What kind of bastard is this?
It was going to possess all the people in this estate and curse them if things went wrong.
But this bastard was threatening it in reverse.
Killing everything alive and dead?
'Empty threat?… No.'
This bastard was definitely not like that.
Seeing him filled with nothing but malice, it was hard to find such extremely biased emotions even among resentful souls.
That's why it didn't seem human.
"…Are you really in your right mind?"
"I'm not particularly interested in things that aren't mine."
"What?"
Right then,
"There's no time, so shall we begin? Five."
"What?"
"Four."
No, is he really going to do it?
It was utterly bewildering.
In front of the baffled resentful soul, Mok Gyeong-un counted the numbers with an expressionless face.
"Three."
Rumble rumble crash!
The thunder became even more intense.
At this, the resentful soul possessing Imun-hae's body clicked its tongue and said,
"This is something you brought upon yourself. If you had just left, it would have ended with their karma, but you…"
"Two."
"…"
"One…"
It was right after those words ended.
Flash! Boom!
At that moment, lightning struck from the sky and precisely hit the main hall building.
Then, despite the heavy rain, the main hall building burst into blue flames and was engulfed in fire in an instant.
Whoosh! Crackle!
Everyone couldn't hide their surprise at the extremely bizarre sight.
How can a building burn like this when it's raining so heavily?
But then, a human figure was seen from the burning main hall building.
Someone who saw this shouted,
"Father!"
The one who cried out was none other than Woo-hyang, the estate owner's daughter.
'Father?'
Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak frowned and looked at the person who came out of the burning building.
He appeared to be a middle-aged man in his late fifties.
Unlike his haggard face that looked almost emaciated, his skin was filled with bulging black blood vessels, and his eyes were dyed blue.
'Is that person also possessed by something?'
No matter how you look at it, it seemed that way.
But the emanating atmosphere was clearly different from that monk named Imun-hae.
It was spine-chilling enough to overwhelm everyone present.
Right then,
The resentful soul possessing the monk Imun-hae's body shouted in a crazed voice,
"Guests who have lost fear. All of this is something you brought upon yourselves. His wrath has reached the heavens, so all living things tonight…"
"I thought it would be quite impressive with all that buildup, but it's just this level, huh."
'!?'
For a moment, the resentful soul glared at Mok Gyeong-un with a dumbfounded expression.
He's saying it's just this level after seeing a resentful soul that has reached a tremendous rank capable of dyeing this village area with blood?
It had reached the rank of Blue Spirit[1].
To say he has lost fear while facing a resentful soul that can only be reached after its resentment surpasses a hundred years and can be compared to a dreadful evil spirit?
It seemed Mok Gyeong-un's words angered not only this resentful soul.
Swish!
The Blue Spirit-ranked resentful soul dwelling in the estate owner's body pointed a finger at Mok Gyeong-un.
Foolish human. Die.
Then, the raindrops from all directions turned into sharp thorns and rushed to pierce Mok Gyeong-un's entire body.
But right at that moment,
The thorn-turned raindrops stopped as if blocked by something.
Then they turned back into rainwater and fell to the ground.
Swish!
The Blue Spirit-ranked resentful soul dwelling in the estate owner raised an eyebrow upon seeing this.
What just happened wasn't done by that living being.
A high spiritual power had blocked its power.
What on earth is going on…
Whoosh!
Right then,
The color of the pouring rain suddenly changed.
The normal rainwater had turned crimson at some point, dyeing everything in blood.
"Eek! Wh-what the hell is this?"
"Blood… Blood?"
Everyone in the main courtyard couldn't hide their horror at this spine-chilling situation.
'!?'
At this, the resentful soul possessing Imun-hae looked at the higher-ranked resentful soul dwelling in the estate owner.
In response to that gaze, the higher-ranked resentful soul shook its head with narrowed eyes.
This wasn't something it had done.
Then,
Slither!
From the ground where the blood began to pool, a dignified woman wearing a crown and holding a long pipe slowly started to rise.
'!!!!!!!!!'
Even among resentful souls, there exists a rank.
And the older the resentful souls, the more clearly they could recognize that rank.
In… Indigo Spirit[2].
It was a rank that one dared not encroach upon.
The Blue Spirit-ranked resentful soul dwelling in the estate owner was so startled that it unconsciously took a step back for a moment.
209: Chapter 208: Karma (5)
Indigo Spirit.
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas, its roots of resentment are close to unforgettable wails, and its existence spans over three hundred years as an old resentful soul.
From the moment it reaches the Indigo Spirit level, it is evaluated to be extremely dangerous, surpassing the spiritual realm and comparable to high-level evil spirits like demonic beasts or diabolic beasts in rank.
It is said to be nearly impossible to exorcise because it is a moving small-scale disaster in itself.
Whoosh!
The pouring rain has completely turned to blood, filling the world with a crimson hue.
Along with the pungent smell of blood, the churning blood brought a spine-chilling fear to everyone present.
Even those who could be called masters, like Seop Chun and Mong Mu-yak, were no exception.
They were at a loss for words at the reality unfolding before their eyes.
Is this an illusion? Or reality?
It couldn't be called an illusion because all five senses were telling them it was real.
"Hueuk."
Splash.
"M-Miss!"
If even they were this startled, there was no way Woo-hyang, the ordinary human daughter of the estate owner, could bear to see this.
The man hurriedly supporting her as she collapsed also had a terrified expression.
He couldn't even look up, not knowing where to fix his eyes.
'What the hell is this?'
The exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong had his spiritual eyes opened and could directly see the dead and monsters with his own eyes.
But even he had never seen a sight like this before.
The world being dyed in blood seemed to be not just an illusion, but the resentful soul's spiritual power seizing this space itself.
'This can't be dismissed as a simple resentful soul…'
Just looking at the power encompassing the entire space, it had gone beyond the line of being dangerous.
For a moment, without realizing it himself, the words "Amitabha" almost came out for the first time since his excommunication.
Hoo.
Cheong-ryeong, who had fully manifested from the blood pooled on the ground, removed the long pipe from its mouth and exhaled thick smoke.
Then she said with a sardonic smile,
"How refreshing."
It had been a long time since she had released all her spiritual power and revealed herself.
She had suppressed her spiritual power as much as possible and hidden herself within the Heaven and Earth Society, but there was no need to do so here.
So it felt like she had been freed from all shackles.
To her, Mok Gyeong-un said with a smile,
"It should be fine to leave it to Cheong-ryeong, right?"
"Isn't that why you called me? Hohoho."
Cheong-ryeong laughed leisurely and looked at the resentful soul possessing the estate owner standing in front of the main hall where the blood rain had somehow extinguished the fire.
When the resentful soul's eyes met hers, it flinched involuntarily.
That's how clear the difference in rank was between the two resentful souls.
One was an Indigo Spirit rank with a resentment spanning over three hundred years, and the other was a Blue Spirit rank resentful soul whose resentment had reached a hundred years.
'How can such an existence…'
The Blue Spirit rank resentful soul dwelling in the estate owner inwardly found it ridiculous.
It hadn't even noticed the fact that such an existence had entered its territory.
It was a truly bewildering situation.
The Blue Spirit rank resentful soul struggled to open its mouth.
"How has an existence like you descended to a place like this with mere humans?"
"That's none of your business."
"…"
At Cheong-ryeong's words, the Blue Spirit rank resentful soul couldn't easily express its emotions.
Because it was aware that hastily dealing with her when the difference in rank was clear could lead to trouble.
Splash!
Right then, the resentful soul possessing the monk Imun-hae knelt on the blood-pooled ground and said,
"High-ranked resentful soul. Though we may be resentful souls remaining in this world due to resentment, we do not invade each other's territories and grudges."
"Invade?"
"This place has been Lord Ha-yoon's territory for over a hundred years. Please respect his grudge…"
"A child is interrupting while adults are talking."
Swish!
With those words, Cheong-ryeong lightly waved her hand.
At that moment, hands made of blood erupted from the blood pooled on the ground.
Papapapapak!
Then the blood-stained hands grabbed the arms and legs of the resentful soul possessing the monk Imun-hae.
"Wh-what!"
"Kid, get lost."
As Cheong-ryeong made a gesture of clenching her fist,
Whoosh!
"Ah, no!!!"
The resentful soul possessing Imun-hae, grabbed by the blood-stained hands, was sucked into the blood on the ground along with the body.
As if the depth was an unfathomable abyss, not even a sound could be heard.
'!?'
Seeing a Yellow Spirit rank existence being treated like this in an instant, the expression of the Blue Spirit rank resentful soul, no, the resentful soul called Ha-yoon dwelling in the estate owner's body, stiffened.
Even among resentful souls, a respect forms between them as they become older.
That's because as their rank rises, they go beyond being swayed by resentment and instincts, and their reason and self become distinct.
This was even more so for high-ranking resentful souls that had reached the realm of evil spirits.
But the existence before his eyes that had reached the Indigo Spirit rank was not like that.
Rather, it had entered his territory and was openly showing hostility.
"High-ranked resentful soul. You and I have no animosity, so why have you entered my territory and are showing such hostility?"
"Hostility? Do you think this is hostility?"
"If not hostility, then why are you interfering with this? This is something that happened due to the karma created by the Woo family."
"I suppose so. There's no way an existence like you would move without a reason, right?"
Ha-yoon was an old resentful soul that had reached a high Blue Spirit rank.
For such an existence to try to destroy a household with a curse even though it's not directly entangled with resentment, it wouldn't do so unless something considerable had happened.
However, if they took that into consideration one by one, they would have to back down.
Therefore,
"But this side also has its own reasons."
"Reasons?"
"Yes. Even for the sake of your face as the master of this area, I advise you. End it at this point. Come out of that person's body right now."
At Cheong-ryeong's words that seemed to bestow mercy, the eyes of the resentful soul Ha-yoon turned cold.
That's because this place was its territory.
The numerous resentful souls in this area were angry due to what the Woo family had done, and it was the embodiment of their collective anger.
But it couldn't help but be enraged at her casually trying to interfere with their grudge.
"High-ranked resentful soul."
"…"
"Can you give up the grudge you hold because someone is suppressing you?"
Grudge.
That was the reason for the existence of resentful souls.
Telling a resentful soul trying to resolve its grudge to give it up was no different from telling it to erase its own reason for existence.
At Ha-yoon's words, Cheong-ryeong let out a faint sigh.
Low-ranked resentful souls sometimes yield their will under the pressure of power, but a resentful soul with a deep grudge enough to reach the Blue Spirit rank was different.
Even if they knew the gap in power, they didn't easily bend.
Moreover, it was a resentful soul that had taken root and had its own territory in the form of a earth-bound spirit.
"No choice then. I'll have to subdue you with power."
At Cheong-ryeong's words, the resentful soul Ha-yoon glared and said,
"I acknowledge that your rank is higher and stronger than me. But this entire area is my and our territory. No matter how much you increase your spiritual power, do you think that territory created by your spiritual power can reach me?"
It was right after those words ended.
Rumble rumble crash!
Along with the sound of thunder, the rain intensified.
Lightning flashed from all directions that had been dyed red with blood.
Then, as if a crack occurred, the space shimmered and shook.
"What is it?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, Cheong-ryeong answered nonchalantly.
"Territory invasion."
"Territory invasion?"
"A resentful soul with a rank of Green Spirit or higher can create its own territory with spiritual power even outside the area where its grudge is embedded."
"Ah… the Ghost Realm."
He knew about this.
What was created by the strong obsession of a high-ranking resentful soul was none other than the Ghost Realm.
"This place is the bastard's territory where his grudge is tied. It has begun to invade by colliding with this seat's Ghost Realm."
If Cheong-ryeong had created her own Ghost Realm with her spiritual power, the resentful soul Ha-yoon's unique territory was this entire area where his grudge was embedded, not spiritual power.
A unique territory is a place where that resentful soul's grudge is embedded, so the spiritual power is maximized.
That's why the resentful soul Ha-yoon referred to this entire area as its territory.
Whoooooo!
Woooooo!
The cries of numerous resentful souls could be heard from all directions.
Looking around, countless resentful souls had gathered around this area to the point where it was difficult to count their number.
Even if their rank was low, this number was greater than the Corpse Blood Valley Cliff.
Just how many people had died here?
'Damn it. This is way too many.'
The exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong, who could directly see resentful souls, clicked his tongue.
It was filled with resentful souls in all directions to the point where it was impossible to tell if this was really a place where humans lived or hell.
The situation had become even more serious.
Can that bastard really solve this?
While he was puzzled,
"High-ranked resentful soul. I will return the words you said earlier. If you leave this area right now, nothing will happen."
"You've gotten quite triumphant, huh?"
"I am advising you for the sake of your dignity. Now, back away. The Woo family must receive the karma they have created."
Rumble rumble crash!
Thunder and lightning struck from all directions, and the surroundings dyed red with blood trembled.
The resentful souls filling the surroundings also seemed ready to push into this territory at any moment.
Right then, Cheong-ryeong raised the corner of her mouth.
Then she said with a sneer,
"Do you think this is all of my territory?"
"This entire area is my territory. No matter how much you further raise your spiritual power, in the end…"
It was before those words could even end.
At that moment, the dark clouds that had been darkening the sky turned crimson.
Then, the blood rain that had been limited to the surroundings of the main hall building spread to the entire village in an instant, and the nearby two hundred acres were completely dyed red.
'Wh-what the hell is this…'
The resentful soul Ha-yoon couldn't hide its bewilderment.
This area was a place where the grudges of itself and numerous resentful souls were embedded.
Completely ignoring such a unique territory, she had covered this entire area with her Ghost Realm.
But it didn't end there.
Cheong-ryeong raised the long pipe she was holding.
Then,
Thud thud!
The heavy crimson raindrops suddenly stopped.
The sight of the dense crimson droplets suspended in the air was truly bizarre.
Right then, Cheong-ryeong smiled and waved the long pipe.
At that moment,
Whoosh!
The suspended blood droplets shot up in reverse.
The blood rain droplets that shot up in reverse flew towards the resentful souls surrounding the entire estate as if being fired.
Papapapapapapapang!
As a result, the spiritual bodies of the resentful souls that had flocked were torn to shreds.
They couldn't withstand the overwhelming spiritual power.
Unable to endure the blood droplets spreading in all directions, the resentful souls eventually scattered in confusion.
!!!!!!
At this sight, the face of the resentful soul Ha-yoon distorted miserably.
'…To the level of ignoring even the unique territory?'
This was a devastatingly overwhelming rank.
No matter how much the rank reached the Indigo Spirit level, this was way beyond imagination.
Cheong-ryeong said to the bewildered resentful soul Ha-yoon with a sneer,
"What to do? Now this entire area is all my territory."
"…"
At her sarcastic words, the resentful soul Ha-yoon couldn't say anything.
That's how vast the gap between them was.
Right then, Mok Gyeong-un said,
"There's no time, so let's wrap it up now."
"Indeed."
The resentful soul Ha-yoon turned its trembling eyes to Mok Gyeong-un.
Just what is the identity of that human?
How can such a high-ranked resentful soul follow the orders of a mere human?
It was something utterly incomprehensible.
210: Chapter 209: Karma (6)
The resentful soul Ha-yoon had already lost the will to fight against Cheong-ryeong's Ghost Realm that ignored even his unique territory and covered it.
Although his rank had reached the Indigo Spirit level, he thought that since this was his territory, even if he couldn't harm her, he might be able to drive her out.
However, that was nothing more than a faint hope.
Cheong-ryeong said to the resentful soul Ha-yoon, who had a dejected expression, with a sardonic smile,
"Foolish one. If the great me sets her mind to it, it's nothing to drive out you and the evil spirits in this area."
"…I suppose so."
"So I'll give you one last chance."
"…"
"Return that body to its original owner and leave this area. Then, neither this seat nor these mortals will interfere any further and will leave."
Cheong-ryeong bestowed her final mercy.
In any case, her goal wasn't to destroy or drive out the resentful souls in this area.
Her purpose was simply to bring the estate owner, the boat owner, to his senses so that Mok Gyeong-un and his party could cross the river.
Right then, the resentful soul Ha-yoon opened his mouth.
"Why is a great resentful soul of your high rank following the orders of a mere human?"
"A mere human?"
"Yes. I'm curious about that."
The resentful soul Ha-yoon had already realized that fighting Cheong-ryeong with power was futile.
So he decided to change his approach.
It seemed that this high-ranked Indigo Spirit level resentful soul was following that human bastard.
However, even after being a resentful soul for a long time, he had never seen a resentful soul of this high rank, let alone one filled with grudge, being tied to a human.
In the first place, it was because of that grudge that they maintained their spiritual body and remained in this world.
So the resentful soul Ha-yoon tried to somehow touch Cheong-ryeong's pride and create a rift in their relationship.
Cheong-ryeong took a puff from the long pipe and exhaled.
"Hoo."
Then,
Bang!
She suddenly appeared in front of the resentful soul Ha-yoon, who was dwelling in the estate owner's body, grabbed his neck, and pushed him against a wooden pillar.
Thud!
"Ugh!"
"I tried to bestow mercy, but you're trying to scheme, huh."
Squeak!
As Cheong-ryeong raised her spiritual power, the resentful soul Ha-yoon groaned in pain.
"Kuuk."
"The reason this seat tried to show mercy to you was because I understood the deep grudge you held for staying in this world for such a long time. But if you're going to pull this kind of nonsense, the story changes."
"H-how…"
"Do you think destroying a bastard like you is a big deal for this seat?"
"Uuugh."
"I'll destroy you right now."
A crimson haze flickered from Cheong-ryeong's hand gripping the neck of the resentful soul Ha-yoon.
She was really trying to erase the resentful soul Ha-yoon with a strong spiritual power.
Then, feeling the crisis of destruction, the resentful soul Ha-yoon gritted his teeth and shouted,
"Fine. If you're going to be like that, I will be with this person's soul."
"What?"
At those words, Cheong-ryeong frowned.
Mok Gyeong-un asked, puzzled,
"Why is he doing that?"
"He's trying to perish together."
Perishing together.
It means to walk the path of destruction together.
"Hmm. This is troublesome. Can't we get rid of him before that?"
"If a resentful soul of this high rank earnestly tries to attach to the original owner's soul of the body and cause harm, it will have an impact in some way."
"For example?"
"Even if he avoids death, he may suffer damage to his soul and live as a vegetative person who only breathes for the rest of his life."
At her words, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue.
If he was going to be destroyed anyway, this meant that he would at least take the owner of the body with him.
Their goal from the beginning was the estate owner.
Since he was the owner of the large boat and the one who could control it, they were trying to save him somehow, but if he acted like this, it would become quite troublesome.
So Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue and then sent a telepathic message to Cheong-ryeong.
"Please stall for some time. Now that it's come to this, I'll have to bind his soul with monastic techniques so it can't attach."
If a resentful soul of this high rank forcibly possessed someone, it was difficult to forcibly separate them with monastic techniques.
However, temporarily binding them was a separate issue.
If they could just bind him for a while, Cheong-ryeong could destroy him.
Cheong-ryeong lowered her spiritual power without revealing Mok Gyeong-un's telepathic message and said,
"Why are you so obsessed with them to the point of even accepting your own destruction?"
"…"
"It wouldn't be related to your fundamental grudge, right?"
The fundamental grudge referred to the real reason this existence became a resentful soul.
At Cheong-ryeong's words, the resentful soul Ha-yoon opened his mouth.
"You don't know."
"What do I not know?"
"You don't know how great a karma they have committed."
"You keep saying karma, karma, but did this Woo family do something hateful to you or the resentful souls?"
At Cheong-ryeong's question, the resentful soul Ha-yoon pointed to the surroundings with his eyes and said,
"Why do you think this place is my territory?"
"…Isn't this area related to your grudge or where you lost your body?"
"That's right."
"Wait, if this entire area is your territory, then not only the Woo family but also the people of the surrounding villages are equally invading your territory, aren't they?"
"They are different."
"What do you mean they are different?"
"The residents of this village have been managing my tomb and shrine, which had been neglected for generations, and they set up an altar here to commemorate the souls of the dead."
"Oh? They are admirable people."
Even those who become resentful souls due to deep grudges are comforted when someone honors their souls.
Being comforted means that even if the grudge is not fundamentally resolved, the grudge they held is gradually released through the holding of rituals.
"Then what exactly is the problem? What did they do to make you so angry to this extent?"
At that question, the resentful soul Ha-yoon said with fierce eyes, trembling,
"They demolished my shrine that had been on this hill for over a hundred years, dug up my grave, and built their own estate."
"What?"
At these words, Cheong-ryeong frowned.
She had only asked to stall for time.
But the moment she heard these words, she found it ridiculous.
"Then are you saying that the location of this estate is where your shrine and tomb that people held rituals for you were?"
"That's right."
"Ha!"
Cheong-ryeong was astounded.
She now understood why the resentful soul Ha-yoon was trying to take revenge on this family even at the risk of his own destruction.
But that wasn't the end of it.
"That's not all."
"If that's not all, then what else is there?"
"Yes. The owner of this estate was a military officer in the Heavenly Defense Unit[1] belonging to the nearby Navy Regional Command."
At these words, the eyes of Mok Gyeong-un, who was inwardly chanting a spell, narrowed.
As Cheong-ryeong predicted, the estate owner was indeed a military officer.
Moreover, he was from the navy.
"Did you see the meritorious service plaque at the front gate?"
"Yes. Wasn't it written as Meritorious Retainer of Quelling Turmoil, Fourth Rank?"
"Do you think that merit was earned by suppressing rebels who started an uprising?"
"What do you mean by that?"
The resentful soul Ha-yoon pointed to himself and said to the puzzled Cheong-ryeong,
"A few years ago, due to the ongoing famine, people were starving to death throughout the country, and not long after, a plague began to spread."
"Plague?"
"Originally, there was a prefecture near here where over a thousand people lived."
"And?"
"When the plague broke out among some people there, even the Heavenly Defense Unit of the nearby Navy Regional Command was mobilized to prevent it from spreading."
"Don't tell me being mobilized means…"
"It's exactly what you think."
"…"
"The mobilized government troops brutally slaughtered the villagers."
"…"
"And Woo In-yeom, the owner of this body, drove thousands of innocent people fleeing here and drowned them all. Even though most of them were not infected with the plague."
'!!!!!!!'
At the resentful soul Ha-yoon's words, not only Cheong-ryeong but also Seop Chun, Mong Mu-yak, and even the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong, who were listening, had dumbfounded expressions.
They had guessed that they must have done something to provoke the resentful souls, but it surpassed their expectations.
Right then,
"Th-that's a lie! Lord Woo did not do such a thing!"
It was the young man who was supporting Woo-hyang, the unconscious daughter of the estate owner.
The young man shouted with a pale face,
"Do you believe the words of that evil spirit, dear guests? Lord Woo is a meritorious subject who killed rebels and prevented the plague! That evil spirit is slandering him to deceive you!"
It was right after those words ended.
The resentful soul Ha-yoon burst into mad laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha! Not only did they commit an act that would anger both heaven and man, but they even destroyed the altar where the souls of the villagers who were unjustly drowned were commemorated and prevented them from doing so, and yet you say such things? Hahahahaha."
He was laughing, but it wasn't a genuine laughter.
It was anger bordering on lamentation.
As the laughter of the resentful soul Ha-yoon spread in all directions, before long, the cries of resentful souls were heard from the surroundings, sounding like wails.
"Woooooo!"
"Huuuuuu!"
It was as if the resentful souls were responding to his anger.
Even though they were suppressed and driven away by Cheong-ryeong's tremendous spiritual power, they kept flocking.
As if they were prepared for destruction like the resentful soul Ha-yoon.
Seeing this, Cheong-ryeong sighed and glanced at Mok Gyeong-un.
She had engaged in conversation to buy time until he completed the spell, but she now understood why they called it karma and were trying to take revenge on the Woo family.
'Haa.'
Honestly, she didn't want to interfere with what they were doing.
This was literally karmic retribution.
They had to bear the karma of what they had done.
However,
'The boat…'
Right now, Mok Gyeong-un and his party needed to cross this river.
Although it was covered by the Ghost Realm, the river that was flooded and had heavy rain pouring down was close to being uncrossable for a while.
If they failed to meet the deadline and Mok Gyeong-un couldn't complete his secret mission, it might hinder her own resolution of grudges.
It was a moment of conflicting interests in many ways.
'But will this guy be swayed by such things?'
Having been together for a long time, Cheong-ryeong knew Mok Gyeong-un better than anyone.
She didn't know about others, but Mok Gyeong-un, who had a different line of thinking, never wavered for the sake of others' stories or affection for the sake of his own purposes.
Even in this case, no matter how much she understood their grudge…
Right then,
"This is quite a tragic story."
'!?'
An unexpected remark came out of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth.
Could it be that this emotionally numb guy sympathized with their grudge?
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the resentful soul Ha-yoon said in an earnest voice,
"Human who has a connection with a high-ranked resentful soul. If you truly understand even a little of the feelings of me and the resentful souls who died unjustly, can't you just back off like this?"
"I'm sorry, but that seems a bit difficult."
"What?"
"No matter how many died, that's your circumstance."
Pak! Pak! Pak!
At that moment, Mok Gyeong-un formed a hand seal and then, faster than the eye could see, placed a talisman on the forehead of Woo In-yeom, the estate owner possessed by the resentful soul Ha-yoon.
Then,
"Th-this is…"
"I'd appreciate it if you could stay in that state for a bit. It will be over soon."
Mok Gyeong-un raised the corner of his mouth sardonically.
Seeing that, Cheong-ryeong said in a somewhat disapproving tone,
"Are you really going to destroy them?"
"Yes. Because this is their story, not something related to me."
"…"
"We need to hurry and cross the river, and if there's a setback in the task due to their story and I fail the mission, the position of being the fourth disciple will also be lost. Isn't that right?"
"Hoo."
At those words, Cheong-ryeong shook her head with a sigh.
As expected, this guy wasn't swayed by such things.
If there was a human who lacked compassion, it would probably be this guy.
There was no other way.
'Resent me as well.'
Cheong-ryeong tried to raise her spiritual power.
Then, the young man who was supporting Woo-hyang, the daughter of Woo In-yeom, who had been watching with tension, let out a sigh of relief as if it was fortunate.
He was worried that they might side with the resentful souls.
'No matter what, they are dead things. Does it make sense for Lord Woo and the young lady to die because of these things that were infected with the plague and caused harm to the country?'
Anything that threatened the living was an evil spirit, no matter what.
The young man expressed his gratitude to Mok Gyeong-un.
"I sincerely thank you. If you deal with all those damn evil spirits, Lord Woo will greatly reward you."
"I'm not doing this for your sake, so there's no need to thank me. I'm just doing what aligns with my interests."
"…"
At Mok Gyeong-un's curt words, the young man inwardly clicked his tongue.
In the end, he was being arrogant despite needing Lord Woo's help.
Then,
"Ah, Cheong-ryeong, wait a moment."
"Why?"
Cheong-ryeong, who was about to raise her spiritual power to destroy the resentful soul Ha-yoon, paused for a moment.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
"On second thought, it doesn't seem necessary to do that."
"What do you mean it's not necessary?"
"It was Ha-yoon, right?"
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, Ha-yoon glared at him without answering.
It was a natural reaction.
However, Mok Gyeong-un said without minding it,
"You should be able to read the memories of the possessed body, so can't you control the boat with that body?"
'!?'
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the expression of Ha-yoon, who had been engulfed in anger, changed.
Because he immediately understood what this human meant by saying that.
But it wasn't only the resentful soul Ha-yoon who understood this.
The young man, who had been relieved, shouted in a startled manner,
"H-hey. What are you saying? Don't tell me you're going to ask that evil spirit to control Lord Woo's boat?"
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un smiled and replied,
"You catch on quickly."
The young man said in disbelief,
"No. How can you entrust a task that can be asked of a living human to such a wicked evil spirit…?"
"It's possible."
Right then, the resentful soul Ha-yoon spoke.
At these words, the anxious young man hurriedly tried to dissuade him somehow.
"Don't fall for the evil spirit's words! How can that evil spirit navigate Lord Woo's boat? Please, dear guest, that evil spirit…"
"Can you make us cross the river right away?"
But Mok Gyeong-un was already not listening to the young man's words.
At Mok Gyeong-un's question, the resentful soul Ha-yoon replied,
"Although the downpour is severe, if the resentful souls combine their strength, we can safely get the boat across."
"Oho. Is that so?"
The young man, angered by Mok Gyeong-un ignoring his words and conversing with the resentful soul, shouted,
"How can you believe what such an evil spirit says? If you're in your right mind, such…"
"Aah. So noisy. Seop Chun."
"Yes. My lord."
"Behead him."
'!?'
At Mok Gyeong-un's words, the young man's eyes widened.
What did this man just say?
Right then,
Shwing!
It was right after those words ended.
Shing!
Seop Chun's Wind Demon Blade was unsheathed, slicing through the pouring rain, and then,
Slice!
"Urk!"
It beheaded the young man in a single stroke.
As the severed head of the young man fell to the ground,
Splash!
Mok Gyeong-un smiled and said to the resentful soul Ha-yoon,
"There was a brief friction between us due to differences in positions, but since we've reached an agreement, please accept this as a small token of sincerity from me."
211: Chapter 210: On the Boat (1)
Most of the able-bodied men at the estate were retired soldiers from the naval Heavenly Defense Unit.
They moved in unison, placing wooden pillars that would serve as rollers and moving the boat that had been anchored not far from the estate.
What was surprising here was that these dozen or so soldiers were possessed by resentful spirits.
Someone clicked their tongue while looking at them.
"In all my life, this is the first time I've seen something like this."
It was the monk Imun-hae.
The original reason he had come here was to save Woo In-yeom, the owner of the estate.
However, with his skills that were merely at the Profound-level diviner, the lowest among the Four Arts of the Sun and Moon Monastery, he couldn't suppress a high-ranking resentful spirit of the Blue Spirit level, and instead, he was even possessed by one of the resentful spirits.
But now, the resentful spirit had left his body, and through the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong, Imun-hae heard about what had happened so far.
"The outcome is truly bitter. Indeed."
"Tsk tsk. How could I have known? It's all karma."
With those words, the exiled monk Ja Geum-jeong gulped down the liquor contained in the gourd bottle.
At first, he had thought that the resentful spirits were the root of the problem.
But now that he knew the actual cause, he couldn't possibly defend the Woo family and their servants.
"Keu. The liquor tastes bitter today."
"You always said it was sweet, but now it suddenly tastes bitter?"
"Look here, Mun-hae. No, Master monk. Do you know what this drunkard has been realizing these days?"
"What is it?"
"In the end, there is no true right or wrong in living."
"Right or wrong… That's right. You're correct. Isn't that how all worldly matters are?"
"When I was in the mountain temple, I thought that only what was written in the scriptures was the absolute truth and that all people were in the process of realizing truth, goodness, and beauty."
He really believed so.
However, Ja Geum-jeong, who had been excommunicated and entered the world, saw and experienced many things and realized that it wasn't the case.
The world was more complex than he thought and had many emotional factors.
Isn't it the same now?
It wasn't the living that were pitiable, but there was a heartbreaking story behind the dead.
"Truth, goodness, and beauty, my ass."
The world was no different from rough waves.
Everyone was just swept away by those waves.
[Look at the world and experience it directly. Listening through someone else's ears and reading books is no different from covering your eyes and plugging your ears.]
'Your words are correct, Master.'
The words of the one he could no longer call his master came to mind.
Ja Geum-jeong, who had been shaking his head, took another swig of liquor and asked,
"By the way, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. But tell me. Was I really that badly injured?"
"…"
Ja Geum-jeong stared intently at Imun-hae, who asked back.
His body was truly fine.
Originally, the bone of his elbow had protruded, and even his shin bone was broken.
But before that long-time courtesan-like fellow made the possessing resentful spirit come out, he told it to heal the body, and the injured parts were really healed.
'That bastard must have been rough knowing this.'
Otherwise, there was no way he would have been so brutal while claiming to save the possessed person.
Well, whatever the case, as long as Imun-hae wasn't harmed, he had no intention of blaming him.
Imun-hae said to Ja Geum-jeong, who was clicking his tongue,
"But will you be alright?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said you would do anything that fellow asks of you because of me, right?"
"Don't worry about it."
"How can I not worry? If you get in trouble because of me…"
"Enough. I'm just repaying what I've received so far."
"What have you received from me?"
At those words, Ja Geum-jeong smiled, revealing his yellow teeth with a fierce expression.
"I've received a lot. Yes. I've received a lot indeed."
Ja Geum-jeong was always grateful to Imun-hae.
If it weren't for him, he might have really gone insane by now.
He believed that the reason he could still function as a human being was all because Imun-hae acknowledged these cursed eyes of his.
"Oh, you're making me embarrassed for nothing."
Pat pat!
Ja Geum-jeong patted his shoulder and said,
"That's what I meant to say. Anyway, don't worry. Do you think this drunkard can't take care of himself?"
"You treat yourself too roughly, that's why."
"I told you not to worry. Hehehe. Anyway, I should go and pay off my debt to that long-time courtesan-like fellow."
With those words, Ja Geum-jeong crossed his arms and walked towards Mok Gyeong-un, who was standing on the hill.
As he approached from behind, Mok Gyeong-un opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.
"Your close friend is alright, I presume?"
"Yeah. As you said, he's perfectly fine."
"He must have consumed some energy to recover, but he should be fine. Then, will you settle the agreed-upon price?"
"Of course. I'll definitely do that. Tell me what you want."
Now that he had confirmed that the monk Imun-hae, whom he considered his only friend, was fine, he was determined to keep the prior agreement no matter what.
Then Mok Gyeong-un turned his head and said,
"Then let me receive the formula of the Unsurpassed Power."
"What?"
As soon as those words ended, Ja Geum-jeong's expression hardened.
He had been worried about what Mok Gyeong-un would demand.
But he never expected the words Unsurpassed Power to come out of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth of all things.
"You…"
"Didn't you say you would do anything as long as I don't ask for your life?"
"…"
Ja Geum-jeong was at a loss for words at Mok Gyeong-un's remark.
Of course, he had said that.
But how could he have known that a request that was considered taboo in the martial arts world would come from the mouth of an expert who could use advanced techniques like void grasping?
The bewildered Ja Geum-jeong finally opened his mouth.
"…The Unsurpassed Power belongs to Shaolin."
"But you learned it."
"I am an exiled monk. You should know well what that means."
"Yes. That's why I'm asking you to teach me the Unsurpassed Power."
"Haa…"
"You're not going to break the agreement, are you?"
"I'm not saying I'll break it. It's just that it's difficult."
Ja Geum-jeong sighed.
Mok Gyeong-un tilted his head and asked,
"What's difficult?"
"Two things are difficult."
"Two things?"
"Yes."
"What are they?"
"First, even if I'm an exiled monk, as a former disciple of Shaolin, I can't release Shaolin's secrets to the outside. That would be the case for most sects, not just Shaolin."
At his words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled.
Then he asked,
"Since you say that, I want to ask something I was curious about."
"What is it?"
"Being an exiled monk means you were excommunicated from that sect, so why did they leave your martial arts intact?"
"That's…"
There was a circumstance he couldn't reveal.
It was also related to his master, Sutra Pavilion Master Gong-jeon.
Originally, as Mok Gyeong-un said, Shaolin also cuts off the energy meridians or destroys the danjeon of a monk who is excommunicated.
However, Grand Monk Gong-jeon had secretly sent him out of Shaolin five days before the originally scheduled excommunication ceremony.
As he sent him out, Grand Monk Gong-jeon strongly advised him.
[If someone asks about the breathing technique you learned, tell them it's the Unsurpassed Power.]
[What? This is just…]
[Yes. It's a coincidence I realized while looking at the traces on the wall during Bodhidharma's wall-facing meditation. But tell them it's the Unsurpassed Power.]
[Why is that?]
[So that you can preserve your body intact.]
'!?'
[If you say that you, Deok-mun, no, Geum-jeong, have mastered the Unsurpassed Power that hasn't even been restored yet, Shaolin won't be able to touch you easily. No, this poor monk will make it so.]
[…Master.]
Ja Geum-jeong had no great attachment to martial arts.
He was going to be excommunicated anyway, so what difference would it make if he lost it?
However, he couldn't help but be moved by his master's consideration.
[Don't be too distressed about having those eyes. There is a reason for everything. So live firmly and freely as much as you suffer.]
That was the last conversation he had with his master, Grand Monk Gong-jeon.
Since then, whenever someone questioned his martial arts as the Unsurpassed Power while Ja Geum-jeong roamed the martial arts world, he neither denied nor affirmed it.
It was because he wanted to keep his master's request while not telling a lie that would disgrace the sect.
'I thought it would be enough even if I didn't explicitly say it.'
He never thought that someone unrelated to Shaolin would demand the Unsurpassed Power like this.
In fact, who would dare to covet the martial arts of Shaolin, which could be called the heart of the Central Plains?
It was a truly bold request.
Then Mok Gyeong-un said,
"Seeing that you're not answering, is the rumor true?"
"Rumor?"
"Yes. I heard that Shaolin can't touch you because they haven't been able to restore the Unsurpassed Power."
"…"
Ja Geum-jeong didn't answer anything to this.
It was half-true and half-false, but he couldn't reveal it for the sake of his promise with his master.
"You're not denying it. Then what's the second difficulty?"
"That's…"
"That is?"
"There is no such thing as a formula for the Unsurpassed Power."
"What?"
At these words, Mok Gyeong-un frowned.
Does it make sense to say that he doesn't know the formula of the cultivation method he learned?
However, this was the truth.
'I realized this by looking at the traces on the cliff of the wall-facing hall in the Bodhidharma Cave. But no one except me could see those traces.'
It was a truly strange occurrence.
Even his master, Sutra Pavilion Master Gong-jeon, was the same.
To share this realization with Grand Monk Gong-jeon, he showed him the cliff of the wall-facing hall, but even he couldn't see the traces.
[Can you really see the traces?]
[It's true.]
[Oh… Amitabha. It's a truly mysterious thing.]
Because of that, Ja Geum-jeong could know.
The fact that only he could see these traces.
'Although I can't reveal the fact that it's not the Unsurpassed Power, if he finds out there's no formula, he won't be able to make this request anymore.'
It didn't matter even if he didn't believe it.
Because he definitely wasn't lying.
As expected, Mok Gyeong-un looked at him with suspicious eyes.
Ja Geum-jeong didn't avoid his gaze.
After staring for a while, Mok Gyeong-un finally said,
"How did you learn it if there's no formula?"
"…I don't know. I also suddenly realized it after seeing the traces left on the wall."
"You suddenly realized it?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
"Even if you can't believe it, I can't help it. This is the truth, I swear to the heavens."
At his vow, Mok Gyeong-un clicked his tongue softly.
In fact, Mok Gyeong-un didn't believe in such words of swearing to the heavens.
However, looking at Ja Geum-jeong's confident attitude of not avoiding his gaze at all, it seemed like it wasn't a lie.
"Realizing a cultivation method without seeing the formula…"
"I can't teach it not only because of the first difficulty but also because of the second reason. I hope you understand that."
"Understand…"
"Yes."
"What if I can't understand?"
"What?"
"I really want to learn that from you."
"…How can I teach something when I don't even know the formula? And I already said I can't give you Shaolin's secrets."
"Even if I kill that monk Imun-hae?"
'This bastard!'
As soon as those words ended, Ja Geum-jeong's expression distorted fiercely.
He may not care about others, but he absolutely couldn't forgive anyone touching his master, Grand Monk Gong-jeon, and his only friend, the monk Imun-hae.
"Then one of us will have to die here today."
At those words, Mok Gyeong-un chuckled and said,
"Will it really be me?"
Unlike his laughter, the thick murderous intent emanating from his eyes.
Feeling this, Ja Geum-jeong's hands and feet trembled faintly.
How can a guy who hasn't even reached his prime have such a strong oppressive aura?
"…Even if this drunkard dies, if you touch Imun-hae, I will never forgive you."
He was fully prepared.
If he had cared about his life, he would have already told everything.
Mok Gyeong-un, who had been closely observing Ja Geum-jeong's reaction, shrugged his shoulders and said,
"It seems to be true."
'Huh?'
Ja Geum-jeong, who had been gathering energy in his fists and was ready to fight at any moment, couldn't hide his bewilderment.
Mok Gyeong-un said to him,
"Seeing that someone who cherishes that monk's life so preciously only considers fighting with his life on the line as the answer, it doesn't seem like you're trying to deceive me."
"Ha! Are you testing this drunkard now?"
"If it's a test, then it's a test. I don't believe in those lip service words of swearing to the heavens."
"…"
So he was testing him?
Ja Geum-jeong clicked his tongue.
However, if he could make Mok Gyeong-un give up his request for the Unsurpassed Power even in this way, he didn't mind.
"It's unpleasant to be tested, but since the reason I couldn't accept your request was the cause, I won't blame you. Instead, tell me your other request."
"If you're going to make excuses one after another, there seems to be no point in even making a request."
"Damn it! This isn't because I'm deliberately trying to refuse, but because I really can't help it."
"Yes, yes. I'm sure that's the case. So if you refuse the request again this time, I'm thinking of just putting the resentful spirit back into that person's body."
"What?"
"Wasn't that the condition between us in the first place? If you can't accept it, we just return to the original state."
Gnash!
Ja Geum-jeong gritted his teeth at Mok Gyeong-un's words.
It wasn't wrong, but he couldn't help but get angry at him threatening like this.
So Ja Geum-jeong struck his thick chest with his fist and said,
Thud thud!
"Fine. Then I'll make a clear oath."
"An oath?"
"Yes. As long as it's not asking for my life, demanding the Unsurpassed Power, or harming Shaolin and Imun-hae, I will agree to anything. If I can't keep this, I will end my own life right here."
"Oho. Really?"
"A man does not speak with two mouths."
At his strong pledge, Mok Gyeong-un nonchalantly said,
"Good. Then kneel right here and swear loyalty to me."
'!?'
Once again, at the unexpected request, Ja Geum-jeong was momentarily at a loss for words.
At his reaction, the corners of Mok Gyeong-un's mouth curled up sardonically.
If he couldn't have the formula, it would be enough to slowly examine it while keeping Ja Geum-jeong by his side.
As a bonus, he would also gain a useful slave.