A Farewell of Thanks
“…”!
I felt my body freeze the instant I heard that name. Yu Ho-deok!
A True Immortal expected to be directly tied to Jinma-gye or Hyeol-eum-gye. Or perhaps some colossal being linked to Hyun-eum as well had appeared before my eyes. It was that kind of presence. I asked in a trembling voice,
“Why… did you call for me?”
The reply from Yu Ho-deok was not what I had expected. [I have no particular intention.]
“Eh?”
[Our Judges are not only judges of the dead but also record-keepers. I simply enjoy meeting and recording the noble ones. And you are one of those noble existences, so I wanted to meet you.]
The shadow gestured from beneath the mulgu-sul tree. [Come, sit down and talk with me.]
Somehow I felt he was smiling. That smile was nothing like Hyun-eum’s sinister one, Goe-gun’s mad laughter, or Seo Hyul’s masked grin. It was truly clear laughter. I received that feeling from it. I walked over and knelt before him. I could have crossed my legs or sat comfortably, but I felt I had to show respect to the being in front of me. It was not about whether he was a great being or not, but a matter of principle. From his character, I could not help but kneel. I asked,
“What would you like to talk about?”
[Just about you. Your life has already ended, so recording more is impossible, but listening to stories is one of my hobbies.]
I asked, unable to understand. [I know you are a True Immortal beyond that level. You seem to have consciousness… then why do you not revive?]
[Haha, I only realized it after death. Eternal rest is quite a blessing. The Heavenly Lord of the Underworld wanted to give everyone another chance and fulfill your purpose by setting up the wheel of reincarnation. But perhaps the words of the opposing Void Heavenly Venerable were right. Death is also an immeasurable blessing.]
“…”?
It was hard to grasp, yet at the same time it seemed understandable.
Churl-
Tears I did not even realize I was shedding began to fall. Why? I felt envious of Yu Ho-deok’s expression of joy at death. [In your position as well, you might think you can revive, but no. I have already died. I can never revive. What you are seeing now is only a part of my memory, and it will scatter and disappear as time passes.]
“…” Who was that ‘he’?”
[I cannot say. If I mention him, he will notice this place. Gwangmyeong-jeon will come crashing in at any moment. I want to rest comfortably without being disturbed by the light at least until my final memory.]
“I will not ask.”
I erased the name from my mind in fear. “This is a beautiful place. Where is this?” I asked, looking down at the flower field spread beneath the mulgu-sul tree. [The edge of Sarasu Cheonjon’s domain. The place I came with my late sister Yeon-hye. I brought the mulgu-sul tree here from the place my friend Haening likes. The tree that sealed my pyre.]
“If it is the Heavenly Venerable’s domain…”
[Well, there is no need to be anxious. It is only a scene in my memory, and Sarasu Dae-wang is basically kind and generous. And because he is close to my sister, there is no enmity between us, so he will not say anything to you even if you enter my domain.]
“Thank you.”
Yu Ho-deok, who had relieved my anxiety about entangling with such a great being, talked with me. I explained my entire life to him. I left out the regression. Just that certain things happened and other things happened. After listening to the story from beginning to end, Yu Ho-deok leaned against the mulgu-sul tree and smiled. [You lived a good life.]
“I have done too little. I have accomplished nothing, changed nothing, and completed nothing.”
[That is what life is. You did enough.]
“…”
For some reason, I felt as if tears were about to burst forth at those words. Before Yu Ho-deok, I felt like a child. I felt as if my life was being acknowledged. Yet I did not cry. [You can cry in front of me.]
“…” Still, there is my life left, so I will hold back the tears for later. [When will you cry?]
“When I feel I can end my life.”
[Is that so? Then you will cry soon.]
“I wonder.”
I smiled bitterly. “My life still has too much left.” [I see.]
Yu Ho-deok nodded. [That is good too.]
“Then I shall go.”
I had only come to talk, but after the first few questions, it was almost as if he had listened to my entire life. I had not revealed the regression, nor had I mentioned being a Jongmyeongja, but speaking everything had left my heart feeling refreshed. Perhaps this was compassion for someone who had repented of his sins. Yu Ho-deok reached out to me as I stood. [It is an in-season connection to have met, so I will give you a gift too.]
“Are you going to remove the curse?”
[How could that be? The curse that clings to you is the responsibility you must bear. What I will give you, since I see you are greedy for life, are two things suitable for you. I am grateful for having an old friend like you.]
Woong!
He reached into the void. At the same time the entire flower field trembled. Paaah!
And the shadow that had reached into the void gradually shook and soon the whole body was covered in cracks as if about to vanish. “Are you all right?”
[What interest do you have in someone already extinguished? Let the living live and laugh.]
Swoosh―
As he withdrew his hand from the void, a lump of light rested in his palm. ‘No, is this a flower?’ Upon closer inspection it was not light but a ‘flower.’ I had mistaken it for a lump of light because it was too bright. [It is a flower called Honsaenghwa. If you use this, you can revive once even after death. Keep it with you.]
“This, this is…”
[Since I stole it just now from Sarasu Cheonjon’s true domain, it can be detected if used in the living world. The old man can still cause trouble, so use it only after death.]
“…” Thank you. I offered deep thanks to Yu Ho-deok. Yu Ho-deok smiled brightly and waved at me. [Farewell.]
I bowed to him, turned, and stepped away. Sru-ru-ru―
The flower field around me vanished, and I was back at the edge of the Yeolmu-gye mulgu-sul tree’s lakeside once more. ‘…Wait, he said he would give me two gifts, didn’t he?’
At that moment I saw a basin of lake water rise before my eyes. Churl-ruk!
The risen lake water poured down upon me, enveloping me and turning into a hard barrier that protected my entire body. ‘Ah, I see.’
Yu Ho-deok had used some power to remove a little of the Cheongrin-gap. And the moment the cold current of the Cheongrin-gap touched my body, I felt reality returning. Paaah!
Chijiji-jik!
“…”!
Once more the flames of the curse burned my soul. But I did not pay it any heed and turned around. Seo Hyul was still thrashing in agony. The pain of the curse seemed unbearable even for Seo Hyul. No, perhaps it was all the more painful because of his nature. “Does it hurt, Seo Hyul?”
“…” You seem to not be in pain?”
He manipulated the facial muscles and forced a smile as he replied. I laughed at him. “It seems you are about to die.”
“As I thought, the curse is painful for you as well.”
“Yes. Then shall we finish what we were about to do earlier?”
“Very well.”
And Seo Hyul smiled faintly, holding back his moan, and said, “The [woman] I saw… was wearing white robes and holding a jade-colored bead in her hand.”
“…” What?
Was it the pain of the curse, or because she was an individual too unexpected? I could not hide my surprise and was startled. Seo Hyul’s description pointed directly at her, the one I knew so well. Buk Hyang-hwa. It was definitely her. ‘Why did she appear in my Mansang Inyeondo…?’
However I was startled. Seo Hyul’s reptile-like eyes were staring straight into mine. A bright smile I had never seen before spread across Seo Hyul’s face. “As I thought…”
“…”!
“She must be someone very precious to you, Seo Eun-hyun.”
Chur-!
Seo Hyul’s arm moved as he pressed the eye he had carved on his arm against me. “You, you bastard…!”
Jii-ing―
But before he could finish speaking, Seo Hyul’s cerebral wave was already spewing toward me. I endured the curse’s pain and endured the cerebral wave, then knelt at my spot. * * *
Seo Hyul smiled with satisfaction. ‘I have identified the weakness of the second-grade dangerous being Seo Eun-hyun.’
Just as Seo Eun-hyun had injected the self-abjuration technique into Seo Hyul’s brain to make his thoughts easy to read, Seo Hyul had induced Seo Eun-hyun’s reaction through the pain of the curse. When facing this pain, even the strongest-minded would show a flaw. Seo Eun-hyun had believed it was poison, but that was underestimating the demonic arts of Hyeol-eum-gye. He had thought he could move without being affected by the poison by grinding his life. It was easy for Seo Hyul. But the real problem now was his own situation. ‘I cannot connect with Takhon Mancheon.’
The only remaining conversation-capable Seo Hyuls were the ten he had absorbed through the Hyeol-eum-gwi technique and then separated with Takhon Mancheon to fight Seo Eun-hyun. Even those few had used their cerebral waves moments ago and were exhausted, leaving only about seven. Seo Hyul quickly exchanged opinions. ―I cannot connect with Takhon Mancheon. ―It is impossible because the second-grade dangerous being has inserted his own power. ―How much more will you exhaust me before I cannot overcome? ―It is possible. But as a secondary problem, what do we do about the curse? ―Understood. If I connect with Takhon Mancheon while carrying the curse… ―I might die to the curse. It is better if only the ‘me’ here is erased. Even the innocent □□ might be erased. ―Not just a high risk level, but high probability of affecting □□ as well. The Seo Hyuls exchanging the conversation finally reached a conclusion. ―First escape this place and send the information to the ‘me’ closest to me through Takhon Mancheon, not by signal or voice. That is the best solution at the current moment. Kwuk-ku-geuk―
Seo Hyul, poisoned by Hong Beom’s poison, moved his body through demonic arts with a smiling face and jumped through the hole Seo Eun-hyun had pierced. [You cannot escape!]
From behind, the Ghost King Seo Lip, with eighteen heads, howled with his eighteen heads in pursuit of Seo Hyul. “How disgusting, Seo Do-woo.”
Seo Hyul smiled faintly and reached out. Jujutsu. Dae-cheon-ri-ju. Su-mil-do-sam-eok-geun. Churl-ru-ru-ru!
A vast water prison enveloped Seo Lip and the weight of the water became enormous. Soon the curse blackened the water and the jujutsu transformed into a monster-like form and exploded in the void. Churl-ru-ru-ru!
It felt like a rain of ink. Seo Hyul, almost at the entrance of the Suryu-gye, made another jujutsu again. Jujutsu. Yong-rae-wol-long. The vast sea-dragon-shaped seawater wrapped around him. Chwaa-ahk!
Hong Beom, who had approached Seo Hyul, swung his claws. The pitch-black poison touched the seawater and the water turned into a splash, scattering illusions. However as the curse and poison spread everywhere, Seo Hyul’s body began to rot. Tadat!
Seo Hyul moved his body with force and ran toward the entrance of the Suryu-gye. ‘Almost there. There is not much left.’ Jujutsu. Yong-ryu-ha. Chura-la-rak!
A dragon-shaped river appeared beneath Seo Hyul’s feet. He crossed the Suryu-gye riding the river. ‘There it is!’
And at that moment I felt an enormous danger sweep across his entire body. ‘What is this?’ It was ominous. The flesh Seo Hyul was wearing now was that of a Heukrin-eo-ryeong-mun monk of the Cheon-jok. That is, he could see the heavenly machines and behind him was Seo Eun-hyun chasing with enormous ominous qi added to Seo Hyul’s future foreknowledge. ‘Has the second-grade dangerous being already regained his senses?’ * * *
Jjin, jjin…
I shook off the remnants of Seo Hyul’s cerebral wave. My head throbbed. But despite being hit by Seo Hyul’s strike, a smile did not leave my lips. “Seo Hyul, you really are a tree that gives without reservation.”
Some information body Seo Hyul had left behind earlier. I had struggled to interpret that information body until now, but after receiving Seo Hyul’s cerebral wave, the influence allowed the information body he had left to be perfectly interpreted. That information body was what Seo Hyul had left after seeing something in my Mansang Inyeondo, after his head had turned into salt from the fatal injury, and after he had been unable to endure the poison qi, leaving it in my head. However, instead of being unable to interpret it, I was able to receive it. It was because the poison qi of the information had been weakened through the filter of Seo Hyul. Of course, I felt it was degraded compared to the original. It was a degraded version of Seo Hyul. Yet despite being a degraded version, the side effect of turning to salt upon recognition had vanished, and it was a solution even more suitable for me. The name of that solution I had longed for was Taesan Yeolje Gong. Seo Hyul had been unable to obtain that knowledge by leaving it in my head! Uuuuung―
I moved the qi according to the operation spoken by the gong. Attraction gathered in both palms. Paat!
Kwa-kwa-gwang!
I became a beam of light and pierced the bottom of the Yeolmu-gye and Dogeo-gye, falling into the Suryu-gye. I saw Seo Hyul fleeing far away. Somehow it felt like a salty taste inside my mouth. No, in reality salt was sprouting from both my arms. It was not as intense as when I had seen [that] in the Sugye-gye, nor as intense as when Seo Hyul had seen something in the Mansang Inyeondo, but the degraded Taesan Yeolje Gong still turned part of the body into salt. Of course, even so, it was not enough to kill me, and it was enough to regenerate. “Seo Lip!”
Before I could speak, Seo Lip had already sensed my intent and approached my side. Seo Lip took possession of my body. My left hand used Seo Lip’s Eumhon Gwijumun. My right hand activated Baekran Chukseongmun. Chura-la-rak!
Hong Beom, who had become his true self, rapidly crawled beneath me, lifted me up, and began to chase after the fleeing Seo Hyul. Wi-iii-ing―
I pulled black-and-white power from both hands and chanted the spell. [Taesan!]
“Huhu… huhuhuhu…!”
Around Seo Hyul, yin-yang five-element houses were created. [Yeolje!]
At the same time Seo Hyul reached out to me. I felt it. Jii-ing!
Seo Hyul seemed to be trying to spew a cerebral wave that had consumed his personality itself toward Taesan Yeolje Gong in order to neutralize it. And for some reason, when Taesan Yeolje Gong touched his cerebral wave, I felt it was ‘neutralized.’ * * *
In Seo Hyul’s mind, countless questions flashed through. ‘How? Why? Suddenly the power of the mountain god…?’ ‘First I must neutralize. If I do not, I will die.’ ‘If I can somehow deliver the weakness of the second-grade dangerous being to Takhon Mancheon, I win.’ ‘Taesan Yeolje Gong originally affects consciousness and soul more greatly. If I sacrifice my personality as an offering, it will not decompose my personality to decompose me.’ ‘Spew out the personality to neutralize.’ Uuuuung!
Seo Hyul spewed out the remaining six cerebral waves. The six personalities scattered and neutralized the Taesan Yeolje Gong. However Seo Hyul clicked his tongue. ‘This is not enough.’ I feel the madness and obsession of the second-grade dangerous being Seo Eun-hyun. He is concentrating his power. The will to catch Seo Hyul no matter what! However Seo Hyul smiled. “This is really scary. But, Seo Do-woo.”
I saw Seo Eun-hyun chasing after Seo Hyul from behind. Because he had hastily taken possession, the Ghost King Seo Eun-hyun, who had not been able to insert all eighteen heads, rode a palm-sized centipede and chased him in a bizarre sight. However Seo Hyul did not tremble in fear but smiled faintly and said, “Do you mind your subordinates a little?”
Uduk!
At the same time, the Hong Beom carrying Seo Eun-hyun stopped abruptly. ‘Although I have not met him long, his array has not yet completely mastered his mind….’
According to his calculations, he should be able to gain at least half a Kyungjeon of time! Kwadeu-deuk!
Taking advantage of the moment Hong Beom stopped, Seo Hyul shattered the yin-yang five-element houses and escaped from the range of Taesan Yeolje’s attack. However, from behind, a dangerous voice was heard. [A trash-like fellow. How dare you do something like that to me, the master…!]
‘Eh?’
Seo Hyul’s eyebrows twitched. ‘What? Did the cerebral wave not take effect?’
Hong Beom had only stopped for about one second and continued chasing after Seo Hyul without any effect, carrying Seo Eun-hyun on his back. Seo Hyul could not help but feel a little startled. ‘No, the cerebral wave that was bothering my mind has moved ‘somewhere.’ It felt like pouring water into a vessel with a hole in the bottom. Seo Hyul tried to communicate with the mental array of the mind that had fallen into Hong Beom’s mind. But he felt an unknown bottomless pit and immediately cut the connection and gave up. ‘It does not matter. Now I am leaving!’ Ta-at!
Seo Hyul jumped toward all his remaining strength and finally exited the Yeolmu-gye. He was able to reach the entrance of the Hwan-sang Jinbeop. Paat!
Seo Hyul used the Pigeon Technique and leaped into the sky. He was trying to jump outside the Hwan-sang Jinbeop. And at that moment. Kwak!
The arm of Seo Eun-hyun with nineteen heads caught Seo Hyul’s leg. “Where are you running, Seo Hyul? There is still something left for me to settle with you.”
“You are really persistent, Seo Do-woo.”
Seo Hyul smiled faintly and without hesitation cut off his own lower body. Chwa-ak!
Kkurirl, kkurirl!
The heads of the Ghost King Seo Lip crawled out and opened their mouths as if trying to catch Seo Hyul. But because of the difference in an instant, Seo Hyul was a little faster. Paaah!
Finally, Seo Hyul succeeded in completely exiting the Yeolmu-gye. Chwa-ahk!
Seo Hyul, breathing heavily from the heavens, hurriedly began to draw a jujutsu array on the ground with his own blood. ‘I cannot connect directly with Takhon Mancheon. It is impossible because of the second-grade dangerous being’s skill and the curse. I need to send a signal by voice before Seo Eun-hyun comes chasing….’ Uduk
And as Seo Hyul drew the jujutsu array, his hand stopped. The Sato Territory was an endless desert. At night the darkness was thick, but during the day light bathed the entire land. No place could have shadows. However, for some reason Seo Hyul felt the surroundings were dark. With a dazed expression, Seo Hyul looked at the sky with the sensation of mad ominous qi caught by the Cheon-jok flesh. The Wondrous Castle was floating. A familiar voice came from the Wondrous Castle. [Oh~ Who is this? Is it not our cute little Sagarwang?]
“…” Ha, haha. Goe-gunnim. Seo Hyul said with a stiff face, forcing a smile. “May I contact someone for a moment?”
[No no no no no no, how can you contact someone while in front of me right now?!]
Seo Hyul gritted his teeth and began to frantically complete the jujutsu array. ‘Takhon Mancheon! Takhon Mancheon! I must register Seo Eun-hyun’s weakness!’
And from inside the Wondrous Castle came the clacking sound, and one of the large cannons attached to the Wondrous Castle fell toward Seo Hyul. [Our enmity has finally ended! To my lifelong rival, I, the wicked Goe-gun Jo Yeon, pay my respects. [She] is saying the same thing. Then…]
“Wait, Goe-gunnim. Wait…”
A vast light filled the heavens and earth. “Ah…”
Seo Hyul smiled vacantly. “I need to tell you my weakness…”
He was enveloped in the light. Seo Hyul, who had learned Seo Eun-hyun’s weakness, closed his eyes for the last time with the voice of Goe-gun. [Farewell.]